So far today

Coming up tomorrow

• The men’s football tournament kicks off, with Brazil taking on Germany in a repeat of the 2016 Olympic final at 12:30 pm BST.
• Japan, France, Spain and Argentina will also get underway. Here are eight stars to watch as the men’s tournament begins.
• The softball tournament continues with Japan taking on Mexico, USA playing Canada and Australia facing Italy.

Tokyo’s COVID-19 infections surged to a six-month high Wednesday with the Olympic host city logging 1,832 new cases just two days before the Games open.

Tokyo is currently under its fourth state of emergency, which will last until Aug. 22, covering the entire duration of the Olympics that start Friday and end Aug. 8. Fans are banned from all venues in the Tokyo area, with limited audiences at a few outlying sites.

“What we have worried about is now actually happening,” Japan Medical Association President Toshio Nakagawa said at a weekly news conference. “The surge in cases has been expected whether we have the Olympics or not, and we are afraid that there will be an explosive increase in cases regardless of the Olympics.” - AP

With cases of Covid among athletes already reported ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, one Olympian has shared some of the day-to-day safety precautions athletes are following to stay safe in the Olympic Village.

Since arriving in Tokyo for the Olympic Games, which begin on 23 July, Australian water polo player Tilly Kearns has been sharing behind-the-scenes moments on TikTok and Instagram, which have included a look at the infamous cardboard beds created for athletes.

In her most recent TikTok, uploaded on Wednesday, the 20-year-old detailed some of the rigorous safety protocols athletes are being required to follow in the Olympic dining hall, including a team rule that limits eating to just 10 minutes.

Another day, another group of men deciding how women should cover their bodies. Except this time, the victims in the spotlight are white women from Norway. The oppressors? The International Handball Federation, writes Hafsa Lodi for Indy Voices.

“Citing “improper clothing”, the Federation’s Disciplinary Commission slapped a fine of 150 euros per member of Norway’s female team at the Beach Handball Euro 2021 championship on Sunday, because they chose to wear shorts instead of the bikini bottoms that are required of players. They were penalized for deciding to add a little bit of length to their uniforms, thereby fully covering their butts and inner thighs — even though male handball players are allowed to wear shorts up to four inches above their knees.”

While it’s a sad day for U.S. football fans (we, of course, mean “soccer,” but since this is an English publication, we must use the UK term that is “football” throughout), Megan Rapine’s critics are relishing in the team’s defeat, seeing it as her personal failure, writes Danielle Sinay for Indy 100.

“Right-wing trolls have taken to Twitter to roast the World Cup winner, calling Rapinoe a slew of nicknames ranging from “SJW” [social justice warrior] to “anti-American” to an “utter, supreme narcissist.” Apparently, the right wing is displeased with the Rapinoe’s tendency to “take a knee” prior to matches: In an excerpt from her book, Rapinoe revealed that after she knelt, “White people were mad. Whew, were they mad! Conservative commentators in the media immediately started shouting and yelling that kneeling during the anthem disrespected the military.” They also don’t seem to like her hair.”

Most of the public attention goes to the big sports — gymnastics, swimming, track and field — but away from the spotlight, women from niche sports are being recognized and given an Olympics chance.

The International Olympic Committee added 18 new events to the Tokyo Games in a push toward gender equity. There are an equal number of women and men for every sport, excluding baseball and softball because of differing roster sizes.

The IOC said women’s participation in Tokyo will be 49%, up from 45% at Rio, a nearly even split with the men. The committee also noted that when women made their Olympic debut at the Paris Games in 1900, there were only 22 females out of 997 total athletes. Those pioneers competed across five sports, among them croquet and equestrian.

“Tokyo 2020 is predicted to be the most gender equal yet with female participation,” the IOC said.

The new opportunities come in several sports and several sizes: Great Britain, for example, is sending more women than men to the Olympics for the first time. In water polo, two additional teams were added, for a total of 10. It’s still two shy of the men’s tournament, but a win for the women’s movement. - Associated Press

The women’s basketballer and men’s baseballer were announced as the two flag bearers for the Opening Ceremony.

The pair, who were announced during the TODAY show on Wednesday, were chosen by their USA teammates.

Alvarez has the rare accomplishment of representing the US in the winter and summer Olympic Games, first as a speed skater in the 2014 Winter Olympics where he won a silver medal, and this year as a Baseball infielder.

Bird is on the women’s basketball team. As a 40-year-old, she is the oldest American basketball player to compete at the Olympic level and has four gold medals dating back to her 2004 debut at the Athens Games.

Swimmer Ilya Borodin will miss the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for COVID-19, the Russian Swimming Federation said on Wednesday.

The 18-year-old, the 2020 European champion in the men’s 400 metre individual medley, tested positive for the coronavirus during a training camp in the city of Vladivostok in the far east of Russia before departing for Japan.

"Ilya Borodin, a European champion and one of the leaders on the Olympic team, tested positive for COVID-19, meaning he will not take part in the Tokyo Olympics," the Russian Swimming Federation said in a statement.

The federation said that all other athletes and training staff had tested negative for the virus. - Reuters

Equestrian show jumper Jamie Kermod was removed from the Australian Olympic team after testing positive for cocaine.

In a statement, Equestrian Australia said the 26 June test resulted in a mandatory provisional suspension under the World Anti-Doping Agency policy.

While awaiting a B-sample to confirm the result, Kermond admitted in a statement the positive result was likely from “a single recreational use of the drug at a social event and had no connection with my sport of equestrian”

The track star banned from the Olympics for taking marijuana looks to have a new endorsement from Beats by Dre.

The runner posted the ad, cut together by Kanye West with music from an upcoming album, to her Instagram before the first day of competition kicked off.

“There will be ups and down in life, but it’s important to remember to RUN YOUR OWN RACE,” she said in the post. “Another commercial and another new Ye song dropping tomorrow!”

The track, “No Child Left Behind” will be on the album Donda releasing on Friday.

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