July 29 Tokyo 2020 Olympics news and results

The International Olympic Committee wanted to put measures in place to prevent Covid-19 transmissions at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

So they created a contactless medal ceremony and asked athletes to put their medals on themselves -- but some athletes are adding a twist to that rule to continue the longstanding tradition.

When winning teams go on the podium, athletes of each team put the medal on their teammate, a role that was originally played by dignitaries.

Tokyo organizers reported 198 cases linked to the Summer Games on Thursday.

Argentinian pole vaulter Germán Chiaraviglio has tested positive for Covid-19 in Tokyo and will not be competing in the Olympics, he announced in a post on his official Instagram account on Thursday.

He said he tested positive on Wednesday, "and there, I knew that everything was over."

"It will surely take me a long time to process," Chiaraviglio added. "We knew these Olympic Games would be different and with different rules, and here I am, it's my turn."

The 34-year-old said he is isolating in a hotel for several days. 

"I thank the people who were and are close, and all those who sent me their messages of love and affection," he added.

Earlier Thursday, American men’s pole vaulter Sam Kendricks tested positive for Covid-19.

Australia's Olympic track and field members received the "all-clear" after isolating out of precaution following a US athlete testing positive for Covid-19.

The members have now been "cleared to return to their regular routines after earlier isolating in their rooms as a precautionary measure," Australia's Olympic Committee (AOC) said in a statement.

Three members of the team took PCR tests after "brief casual contact" with the unnamed US track and field member who tested positive.

While the AOC did not name the American athlete, men’s pole vaulter Sam Kendricks tested positive for Covid-19 earlier Thursday.

Fifty-four members of the team isolated in their room for two hours while the three members tested and were later given permission to leave.

“Once again, abundant caution and our strict protocols continue to keep the team safe," Australian Olympic Team Chief de Mission Ian Chesterman said.

"We will continue to be very thorough in our observance of the Tokyo playbooks and our own additional measures."

It was an eventful final event in women's trap shooting.

Slovakia's Zuzana Rehak Stefecekova won the gold medal after hitting 43 of her 50 targets, setting an Olympic record.

Meanwhile, San Marino's Alessandra Perilli won bronze, making it her country's first Olympic medal in history. The country has a population of about 34,000 people.

The silver medal went to Kayle Browning of the USA.

Rehak Stefecekova had previously claimed a silver medal at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games.

Life became much easier on the range after she had kids, she told reporters after winning the Tokyo gold.

“When you get children, you know what is the most important thing in your life," she said. 

"I’m very happy for this medal, but even before the final, I wrote to my husband, ‘I am happy to be in the final, but the gold I already have it.'"

Be it a fierce connection or age-old rivalry, siblings will be showing up in big numbers at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, with nearly 30 sets of siblings competing.

We've already seen Japan's brother and sister Abe Hufimi and Abe Uta claim gold medals in Judo on the same day in their respective finals, along with Croatian brothers Martin Sinkovic and Valent Sinkovic winning gold in the rowing men’s pair final on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Team USA has seven pairs of siblings and Team Great Britain has nine pairs, who are competing across sports.

British twin sisters Jennifer and Jessica Gadirova have already scored a bronze at the women's gymnastics team final. They are also in competition against twin sisters from Italy and the Netherlands. Meanwhile, a pair of Russian twins will compete in rhythmic gymnastics.

Croatia has another set of brother competing in sailing, along with a pair of Turkish siblings.

The pool events will also see a number of siblings competing, with French twins in synchronized swimming, Austrian sisters in duet synchronized swimming and two Australian sister competing in their respective events, along with a brother and sister from Cape Verde.

Spain's men's basketball team has a pair of brothers -- Pau and Marc Gasol have three NBA titles between them -- and the triathlon will see a Kiwi brother and sister compete in their respective events as well.

How is this happening?

Well, nobody knows for sure. But many of these athletes have spoken about their journey in the sport and a lot of them have described their sibling's influence in getting them started. Some of them were also trained by their athlete parents. Maybe nobody wants to miss out on the primary kitchen table discussions.

Increasing Covid-19 cases in Tokyo raise the risk of transmission for those inside the Olympic bubble, a public health expert in the Japanese capital said.

Tokyo on Wednesday reported more than 3,000 new infections in a single-day record.

Public health expert Kenji Shibuya said Tokyo using its own severity scale "masks the true magnitude of the problem."

Tokyo's health system is "being overwhelmed," he added.

A Tokyo Metropolitan Government official said the capital has a total of 392 beds for "serious Covid-19 patients," of which 80 are currently occupied. 

Japanese media is reporting that three prefectures neighboring Tokyo — Chiba, Kanagawa and Saitama — will ask Japan's government to be added to areas under the Covid-19 state of emergency after a recent surge, citing Chiba Gov. Toshihito Kumagai.

At least 198 Covid-19 cases have been linked to the Games so far.

Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee said it's confident the Games and its Covid-19 cases are not affecting hospital care for the population outside of the sporting event.

IOC spokesman Richard Budgett said in a press briefing the "highest priority" is that "we do not affect the normal provision of care to the general population."

After making history with his victory at the Open earlier this month, Collin Morikawa might well be the favorite to win Olympic gold in the country where half his family is from.

Morikawa, who is half Japanese, became the first man to win both the PGA Championship and the Open on his tournament debuts having won his maiden major last year.

And now he is in Japan for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as part of a four-man Team USA delegation, looking to win the country's first ever Olympic gold medal in men's single golf.

After finishing in the top 15 of the Olympic Golf Ranking at the close of the qualification period, Morikawa joined Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau in receiving the honor of representing the US at the Summer Games.

Unfortunately for 2020 US Open winner DeChambeau, he has been forced to withdraw after testing positive for Covid-19. He has since been replaced by 2018 Masters winner Patrick Reed.

Just over two years ago, Morikawa was ranked 1,039th in the world having finished tied for 14th at the RBC Canadian Open in June 2019. Now, he is a two-time major winner heading to the Olympics.

And he says he's ready to soak everything up while in Japan.

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Anyone who has been to Japan can tell you it’s the vending machine capital of the world.

From food and drink to umbrellas and clothes, there’s a seemingly endless supply of options. 

The Japanese Vending Machine Manufacturers Association estimates there are more than 5 million nationwide — or one for every 23 people.

So, it’s no surprise but still great fun to find the Olympic souvenir vending machines at the main press center. On offer are Olympic branded mugs, sunglasses, tote bags and traditional Daruma dolls that symbolize perseverance and luck.

They are such a hit that Japanese station Fuji TV are here filming people using them.

Australia's Olympic Committee (AOC) has said "members" of the country's Olympic track and field team are in isolation as a "precautionary measure" after a US athlete tested positive for Covid-19.

The AOC did not say how many members of the team were in isolation.

Athletics kicks off on Friday in Tokyo, with heats for the women's 100-meters, women's 800-meters and men's 400-meter hurdles, among other events.

The AOC said the isolation was a "precautionary measure" and did not say how long the team members would be isolating for — or whether they could potentially miss their events.

The AOC did not name the US athlete that tested positive, but earlier on Thursday American men’s pole vaulter Sam Kendricks was ruled out of the Games after a positive test result, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced.