“I’m a champion”: Simone Manuel releases statement after failing to qualify for women’s 50m freestyle final
From CNN’s Hannah Ritchie
Simone Manuel leaves the pool after the 50-meter freestyle semifinal on July 31. David Goldman/AP
U.S. Olympic swimmer Simone Manuel released a statement Saturday saying she “gave it her all” after failing to qualify for the women’s 50-meter freestyle final by finishing tied-11th in the semifinal heats.
“No doubt I’ll remember this point in my career forever. Not the fact that I didn’t make the Olympic final or come home with an individual medal, but the fact that I gave it my all," Manuel said on Twitter.
“I’m a champion! Not because of the medals I’ve won but because of how I’ve consistently fought for what I believe in, my perseverance, and my fiery passion to always be me! I’m proud of Simone, the 2X Olympian/5X Olympic medalist, but most importantly I’m proud to just be ME,” the statement added.
Manuel won two gold and two silver medals at the Rio 2016 Olympics: gold in the 100-meter freestyle and the 4x100-meter medley, and silver in the 50-meter freestyle and the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.
She was the first African American woman to ever win an individual Olympic gold medal in swimming.
In June, leading up to the Tokyo Games, she released a statement revealing she had been diagnosed with overtraining syndrome and extreme fatigue. She has also been openly battling depression and insomnia, which she said caused her to step back from her normal training routine.
4:43 a.m. ET, July 31, 2021
Japan’s silver surfer says landing aerial 360 in semis was "biggest moment of his life"
From CNN's Amanda Sealey
Kanoa Igarashi completes a huge aerial to find a last minute winning score against Gabriel Medina during the men's semifinal on July 27. Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
Despite taking home silver for Japan, surfer Kanoa Igarashi knew his Games-defining moment came during his semifinal round against Brazil’s Gabriel Medina.
Igarashi landed an aerial 360 earning him a 9.33 and allowed him to go onto the finals.
“The moment the wave came in, the moment I stood up on my feet, I was just shaking,” Igarashi told CNN’s Coy Wire “The whole world's watching and here's your chance and if you fall, the whole country is going to be bummed, be upset. I've let my family down. I've let my country down, let my sport down. "And then, but on the flip side, if I do this, I'll be a part of history. And that was stronger. That second phrase was stronger than the first one.” This is a move Igarashi said was the cumulation of four years of not only work, but also dedication and when it came to that moment, he knew what to do. “I remember I went up and I went up and when I was in the air, It was so slow. It felt like it was a never-ending manoeuvre,” Igarashi recalls. “I was in the air. I went, alright, open up left arm, head turn, chest turn, right arm down grab, okay, I feel the board. Okay, l like where my grab’s at. I'm rotating. Okay, I see the beach. Everyone's already kind of like, 'Oh my God, this can be a huge moment.' And then as I'm rotating, okay, here's my landing.”
It was that moment that he thought, “If I land this land this this is the biggest moment of my life.”
No spoiler alert here -- that move allowed Igarashi to make Olympic history.
“I’ll remember that one forever. “
2:41 a.m. ET, July 31, 2021
Nigerian sprinter provisionally suspended from Games after positive test for human growth hormone
From CNN's Taylor Barnes
Nigeria's Blessing Okagbare competes during round one of the 100 meter heats on July 30. Patrick Smith/Getty Images
Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare has been provisionally suspended from the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for human growth hormone, according to the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), an independent body that combats doping.
The AIU collected a test sample from Okagbare on July 19 during an out-of-competition test. The AIU was then notified on July 30 of her positive result. The 32-year-old sprinter was alerted and immediately suspended the following morning on July 31.
Okagbare had raced on Friday in the heats of the 100 meters and had advanced to the semifinals that will take place Saturday evening.
CNN has reached out to the Nigerian Olympic Committee for comment. Okagbare has yet to comment on her suspension.
2:08 a.m. ET, July 31, 2021
There are now 241 Covid-19 cases linked to the Olympics
From CNN’s Jake Kwon in Seoul, South Korea
An employee disinfects a handball goal post on July 24. Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images
Another 21 Covid-19 cases linked to the Olympics have been identified in Japan, authorities there said. All the new cases were either Games staff or contractors, not athletes.
Japanese authorities said a total of 241 cases tied to the Olympics have been identified. That figure includes some athletes who have seen their Olympic dreams dashed.
The public health measures put in place by Olympic organizers have, by and large, appeared to work from a sports standpoint. Competition has been underway for a week now, and things have gone smoothly.
However, cases are spiking among the Japanese public, and medical professionals are warning the country's health care system could be overwhelmed in the coming days.
2:28 a.m. ET, July 31, 2021
San Marino, a country of 34,000 people, had never won a medal before Tokyo 2020. Now it has two.
From CNN's Jill Martin
San Marino's Gian Marco Berti, left, and Alessandra Perilli smile after competing in the mixed team trap at the Asaka Shooting Range. Alex Brandon/AP
The tiny European microstate of San Marino won its second-ever Olympic medal on Saturday.
Alessandra Perilli and Gian Marco Berti will take home silver after losing to Spain's Fatima Galvez and Alberto Fernandez in the gold medal match of the mixed team trap, a shooting event. This is the first time the event has been held at an Olympic Games.
San Marino had the chance to tie with the final two shots. Perilli hit hers, but Berti missed.
Perilli won San Marino's first-ever Olympic medal earlier this week when she clinched bronze in the women’s trap.
The tiny, landlocked country is located in the Apennine Mountains and is completely surrounded by Italy. It is home to just 34,000 people and became the smallest country ever to win a medal this Olympics.
7:15 p.m. ET, July 31, 2021
Meet Nanaka Takahashi, the 12-year-old who is likely Tokyo 2020's youngest reporter
From journalists Aline Sauvegrain Tanabe and Maria Matsuda in Tokyo
Courtesy Scholastic Kids Press
Nanaka Takahashi might just be the youngest reporter covering Tokyo 2020.
The 12-year-old from Miyagi, in Japan's northeast Tohoku region, is the sole Japan-based reporter for Scholastic Kids Press -- the famed children's publisher and education company's news outlet "for kids, by kids."
Since the opening ceremony on July 23, Takahashi has been filing updates for her young audience on the Games -- and on the widespread public opposition to them.
"I met plenty of people supporting the Olympics to encourage athletes," she told CNN. "I was surprised at the number of people who were protesting against the Olympic Games even 30 minutes before the opening ceremony. They were against the Olympics because they were not only scared of the increasing infection, but also they wanted (the government) to spend money for those suffering from the pandemic.”
Courtesy Scholastic Kids Press
Takahashi has been a reporter for 10 months, but she's been learning English from an early age.
Because she was interested in jobs related to television, her mother recommended Scholastic Kids Press. It was an opportunity to practice her English and get some exposure to what it's like to work on TV.
“My dream is to work in the media," Takahashi said.
She added one of the things she's learned early on as a journalist is that it's important to stay neutral.
"No matter what opinion I have, I try to include both supporting and opposing opinions in my article," she said.
Courtesy Scholastic Kids Press
1:08 a.m. ET, July 31, 2021
US BMX racer Connor Fields is out of the ICU after suffering a brain hemorrhage in competition
From CNN's Jill Martin
American Connor Fields competes during a BMX quarterfinal heat on July 29. Shaw/Getty Images
Olympic US BMX racer Connor Fields, who was hurt during a scary fall in competition on Friday, sustained a brain hemorrhage and had to spend a night in an intensive care unit, his team said in a statement.
Fields, who won gold in BMX racing at the 2016 Rio Games, appears to be on the mend, according to USA Cycling. He will remain in hospital until cleared by doctors.
"The doctors are pleased to report that there has been no additional bleeding, and no new injuries were found,” USA Cycling said.
The crash took place on the third run of the men’s semifinals. Fields was taken off the course on a stretcher and was unable to race in the final.
2:34 a.m. ET, July 31, 2021
The first week of Tokyo 2020 has finished. Here's what you need to know today as week 2 kicks off
American Caeleb Dressel swims in the 100-meter butterfly final on July 31. Dressel took home gold in the event. Gregory Bull/AP
It's Saturday, July 31 in Tokyo. There are eight days left in the Olympics, and this weekend is jam-packed with events. Here's what's happening in the Japanese capital, both in the sports world and on its periphery.
Japan's surprising success: We're a week into the Tokyo Olympics, and Japan already has 17 gold medals -- a new record for the country. Only China, with 19, has more.
Those wins have helped fan some excitement in Tokyo. Ahead of the Games, polls showed a majority of residents disapproved of the government's decision to trudge ahead with a major sporting event in the middle of a coronavirus state of emergency. But TV ratings in Japan show people are tuning in to watch, and there's excitement in the air. On the streets of Tokyo, many are trying to revel in their nation's success while still abiding by the public health measures the government has in place.
The pandemic looms: Japan's sporting success does not mean all is well in the capital. Covid-19 cases continue to surge, with authorities saying on Friday they had identified another 3,300 infections. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga extended the state of emergency for the Tokyo metropolitan area and Okinawa, and expanded a state of emergency to four other prefectures -- Saitama, Chiba, Osaka and Kanagawa -- until August 31.
The Japan Medical Association, the country's largest association of doctors, is warning that unless more is done to stop the spread of Covid-19, the country's medical system could "collapse."
“We have to take all the measures to avoid the explosion of infection and medical system goes under strain," added Toshio Nakagawa, the head of the association, on Thursday.
A busy start to the weekend: Saturday began with Great Britain taking gold in the first-ever Olympic triathlon mixed team relay.
Swimming's penultimate day kicked off shortly after, American star Caeleb Dressel winning the men's 100 meter butterfly. His compatriot Katie Ledecky won the 800 meter freestyle, her final event of this Olympics. It was her second gold medal and last event for Tokyo 2020. The British won the final event of the day, the mixed 4x100 meter medley relay.
Other major events to watch out for:
It's a big day for tennis. World no.1 Novak Djokovic will play for bronze in the men's singles after his shock semifinal defeat to Germany's Alexander Zverev. The women's gold medal match comes later in the day, with the Czech Republic's Marketa Vondrousova taking on Switzerland's Belinda Bencic. It all ends with an interesting match-up in the mixed doubles bronze medal match, in which the men's and women's no.1 -- Ashleigh Barty of Australia and Serbia's Djokovic -- take the court against each other. Barty is playing with John Peers and Djokovic with Nina Stojanovic.
The gold medal match for women's rugby takes place at 6 p.m. Tokyo time. Matches throughout the day will determine who plays for the top prize.
The finals for men's discus, the 4x400 meter mixed relay, and the women's 100 meter race happen tonight.
11:30 p.m. ET, July 30, 2021
MyKayla Skinner says she's "doing this for us" after being named Simone Biles' vault replacement
From CNN's Jill Martin
MyKayla Skinner and Simone Biles pose for pictures after a practice session on July 22. Gregory Bull/AP
Skinner said she was "doing this for us," tagging Biles in an Instagram post.
Skinner posted the fourth-highest score in vault during qualifications, but at the time did not advance to the apparatus final because of the two-athlete-per-country limit. Biles and US teammate Jade Carey had scored the top two vault scores, respectively, in qualifying.
USA Gymnastics said Saturday that Biles, the sport's biggest star, would withdraw from two individual events on Sunday.
