July 28 Tokyo 2020 Olympics news and results

Japan's Daiki Hashimoto competes in the artistic gymnastics all-around final on July 28.

Daiki Hashimoto ensured Japan held onto its Olympic men’s gymnastics all-around crown with a nail-biting victory on Wednesday.

The 19-year-old clinched gold with a strong high bar routine to narrowly edge him past China’s 2017 world all-around champion Xiao Ruoteng.

Hashimoto ended with a total score of 88.465 compared with Ruoteng’s 88.065 – a difference of just 0.400.

Hashimoto had big boots to fill after Kohei Uchimura, Olympics all-around champion at London 2012 and Rio 2016, opted not to defend his title in Tokyo.

Russian Olympic Committee’s Nikita Nagornyy, the reigning world all-around champion, took bronze finishing on 88.031 points.

China's Shi Zhiyong celebrates after winning the gold medal and setting a new Olympic record in the 73kg weightlifting event on July 28.

China’s Shi Zhiyong put in a scintillating performance to break his own world record on the way to winning gold in the men’s 73kg weightlifting event on Wednesday.

Shi lifted 166kg in the snatch and 198kg in the clean and jerk, respectively, which combined for a new world and Olympic record total of 364kg.

The total of 364kg surpasses the world record of 363kg which Shi set at the 2019 World Championships.

Shi’s lifts in the snatch and clean and jerk are also new Olympic records.

Venezuela’s Julio Ruben Mayora Pernia sealed the silver medal with Rahmat Erwin Abdullah of Indonesia securing the bronze.

CNN’s Will Ripley is on the ground at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Today, he gives us a first-hand look at what it’s like trying to navigate the sometimes confusing maze of venues:

With no fans in the stands for the first time in Olympic history, you’d think finding your way around Tokyo 2020 would be relatively simple. You’d be wrong.

Navigating the confusing labyrinth of cavernous venues – and actually getting into the right event – can feel like an Olympic sport in itself.

CNN’s Scott Reeves and I had a pair of coveted tickets to the men’s artistic all-around gymnastics final. Our car dropped us off about 30 minutes early. 

We followed the only other people we saw and went through a multi-layered security check. We scanned our credentials, showed our tickets, walked up three flights of stairs and ended up – at a volleyball court.

The first two volunteers we asked had no idea where the gymnastics were being held. We eventually realized we were in the wrong building: the Ariake Arena. We needed to find the Ariake Gymnastics Centre (not to be confused with the Ariake Sports Center, Ariake Tennis Park or Ariake Urban Sports Park).

After crossing the street, walking around nearly the entire perimeter of the venue and going through another security and ticket check, we followed the signs down a series of eerily empty hallways. 

Entire areas were blocked off with little or no explanation of where to go – and only a handful of other people to follow, who were often just as confused as we were. Eventually, we entered what we thought was the press seating area, and almost walked directly out onto the main gymnastics floor – 15 minutes into the competition.

A polite volunteer finally pointed us in the direction of our seats, saying with a chuckle:

“Sorry. It’s confusing. You’re not the first.”

Daniil Medvedev of the Russian Olympic Committee is tended to during a third round men's tennis match on Wednesday.

Matches at the Tokyo Olympics will now begin later in the day due to hot and humid conditions in the Japanese capital, tennis organizers announced on Wednesday.

Matches at the Ariake Tennis Park, which had started at 11 a.m. local time until Wednesday will now begin at 3 p.m. local time from Thursday.

The decision had been made “in the interests of player health and welfare,” and following “extensive consultation” with athletes, referees, medical experts and other key stakeholders, among others, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) said in a statement.

The ITF reiterated that male and female players could request ten-minute breaks during play should temperatures exceed 30.1 degrees Celsius (86.2 degrees Fahrenheit).

Wednesday’s announcement comes after some players said they were feeling the effects of the weather conditions. 

Earlier on Wednesday, Russian Olympic Committee player Daniil Medvedev told chair umpire Carlos Ramos that he could finish his men’s singles third-round match against Fabio Fognini – but wanted to know whether the ITF would take responsibility if he died.

Meanwhile, Spain’s Paula Badosa was forced to retire from her women’s singles quarterfinal match against Czech Marketa Vondrousova due to heatstroke.

World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe speaks to reporters in Tokyo on July 27.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe says Tokyo 2020 has shone a spotlight on the pressure elite athletes are under when competing at the Olympic Games.

His comments come after superstar athletes Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka both said they experienced mental health issues when struggling to perform at their best this week.

Coe, a four-time Olympic medalist, said the fact families weren’t able to travel to Tokyo has contributed to athletes’ struggles and says federations must step up and provide that missing support structure.

Sunisa Lee of Team USA competes in the balance beam event of the artistic gymnastics women's team final on July 27.

18-year-old gymnast Sunisa Lee is one of the athletes competing for the US in the Olympics. Despite the intense spotlight of the Games, her parents are confident she can handle the pressure, especially since she has persevered through a big family tragedy at home.

In 2019, Lee’s father John suffered an accident that left him paralyzed, and he says that put her under a lot of stress.

Lee admitted that the team panicked when Simone Biles dropped out of the women’s all-around team final. But the US went on to win the silver.

“She handled it pretty well, you know, up until now. Going forward, she’ll be OK,” Lee’s father said. 

The Minnesota native did acknowledge the pressure she was under in conversation with her parents, her father said.

Lee’s parents also expressed their concern for Biles, and said that while the news of her withdrawal is shocking, they hope she is OK and gets the help she needs. They also wished Biles’ replacement, Jade Carey, the best.

Paula Badosa of Team Spain is helped away from the court in a wheelchair after having to retire from her women’s singles quarterfinal match on Wednesday.

Spain’s Paula Badosa was forced to retire from her women’s singles quarterfinal match against Czech Marketa Vondrousova due to heatstroke on Wednesday.

Badosa lost the first set 6-3 before requiring a medical timeout on Court 4 ahead of the start of the second set.

After lengthy treatment, the Spaniard was unable to continue and announced her retirement from the match, before leaving the court in a wheelchair.

“Along with the pressure of the competition, how special these days are, these are things that happen in sport – and today, I had to go through that terrain.

“It was a shame to end my participation this way. The conditions have been demanding from day one, we tried to adapt as best as possible, but today the body has not resisted as needed,” Badosa added.

Marketa Vondrousova, Naomi Osaka’s conqueror, advances to the women’s semifinals where she’ll face Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina.

The 23-year-old Badosa subsequently withdrew from her mixed doubles match with compatriot Pablo Carreño Busta.

The Spaniards had been due to face Polish pair Iga Swiatek and Lukasz Kubot in the first round on Wednesday.

Badosa and Carreño Busta were replaced in the draw by France’s Fiona Ferro and Pierre-Hugues Herbert.

The French pair ended up losing 6-3 7-6 to the Polish duo.

Her retirement comes after both Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev publicly criticized the scheduling of matches at Tokyo 2020.

Both players have said it would be preferable to start the matches later in the evening when conditions have cooled down.

During his singles match against Fabio Fognini, Medvedev told the umpire: “I’m a fighter, I will finish the match, but I can die.

“If I die, is the ITF going to take (sic) responsible?”

Afghan refugee road cyclist Masomah Ali Zada prepares for a training session at the World Cycling Centre in Aigle, Switzerland, on July 1, ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.

Masomah Ali Zada competed in the first time trial of her career on Wednesday – and it came on the biggest stage of all.

The 25-year-old finished almost 14 minutes behind gold medal winner Annemiek van Vleuten, but Ali Zada knows her participation at Tokyo 2020 is bigger than medals.

Born in Afghanistan, Ali Zada and her family eventually found asylum in France in 2017 after she began receiving threats for cycling competitively.

According to her profile on the Olympics website, Ali Zada was pushed off her bike, taunted and abused while out cycling in Afghanistan.

Her struggles were revealed in the documentary ‘Les Petit Reines de Kaboul’ – ‘The Little Queens of Kabul’ – and prompted French lawyer Patrick Communal to help move Ali Zada out of Afghanistan.

“I’m so happy to represent the Refugee Olympic Team because I will send a message of hope and peace for 82 million people who are obliged to leave their country because of different reasons,” she said after the race.

Ali Zada says representing women’s rights in Afghanistan and the Refugee Olympic team are both “important to me in my heart and my head.”

Ali Zada competes in the women's cycling road individual time trial in Oyama, Japan, on Wednesday.

“It’s my responsibility to try to work for the rights of women in Afghanistan and also for all the countries where people think that women don’t have rights, and also to send a message of hope and peace for all the refugees around the world,” she adds.

“Even here, in the hotel with the other cyclists, they look at me strangely. I think they’ve never seen a girl with a scarf on a bicycle. But in Afghanistan, I’m sure if they see regularly a woman on a bike, they will accept it.”

Ali Zada says her father is one of her main sources of inspiration and says he sent her a message on the morning of the race.

“When I was in Afghanistan, he was the only one who always supported me,” she recalls.

“Even when I wanted to stop, he pushed me: ‘No, you have to continue, you cannot stop it, you have to continue until the end.’

Team GB players take a knee during the Rugby Sevens Men's semifinal match between New Zealand and Great Britain on July 28.

Great Britain’s men’s rugby team took the knee in protest before their Olympic match against Argentina.

Many athletes have been taking the knee at the Olympics, including multiple women’s soccer teams. Though the gesture is not against the rules, it has set a tone.

It’s been almost five years since former NFL player Colin Kaepernick knelt pre-game during the National Anthem to protest racial inequality. Since then – and especially following George Floyd’s death in police custody in May 2020 – athletes around the world have made the gesture in solidarity with the social justice movement and against the oppression of people of color.

Currently, the International Olympic Committee’s Rule 50 prohibits athletes from protesting at Olympic sites. In July, the governing body added an amendment to the rule, allowing athletes to express their views in mixed zones, press conferences and during interviews, as well as prior to the start of competition.

However, more than 150 athletes, sports organizations, human rights and social justice experts have signed an open letter calling on the IOC to allow athletes the “fundamental human right” to protest, including at the podium.

“We believe the global sport community is at a turning point in matters of racial and social justice,” the letter read, “and we call on you as leaders in the Olympic and Paralympic Movements to make a stronger commitment to human rights, racial/social justice, and social inclusion.”

Rugby players Kalione Nasoko, left, and Waisea Nacuqu of Fiji celebrate their victory against New Zealand during the gold medal match on July 28.

When Fiji clinched the Rugby Sevens gold medal at Rio 2016 — the first Olympic medal the country had won in its history — prime minister Frank Bainimarama announced a new public holiday.

The small island nation, with a population of just 900,000, now has another reason to celebrate after the ‘Flying Fijians’ successfully defended their Olympic crown, beating New Zealand 27-12 in Wednesday’s gold medal match.

There were powerful scenes after the final whistle, as the squad got down on one knee to pray in a huddle, with some of the team moved to tears.

Members of Team Fiji react after winning the men's final rugby sevens match on Wednesday.

After the match, PM Bainimarama tweeted his delight with the historic gold medal.

“Vinaka [thank you], boys –– that win was worth more than Gold,” he wrote.

“Your love for this game, for each other, and for your country has shown again that when Fijians unite, we can achieve greatness –– no matter what the world throws our way.

Perhaps another public holiday is in order?

Yuto Horigome of Team Japan poses with his gold medal at the Skateboarding Men's Street Finals medal ceremony on July 25, in Tokyo, Japan.

Japan is winning gold medals at a higher rate than its previous Olympic appearances, according to statistics gathered by CNN.

The host country is second in the medal table with 20 total Olympic medals so far: 11 of which are gold, four silver and five bronze.

At the Rio Summer Olympics in 2016, Japan won 41 total medals — including 12 gold — its highest total and gold medal count.

Just five days into the Tokyo 2020 Games, Japan has won nearly half its highest medal count and is quickly closing in on its gold record.

In both Rio and London 2012, Japan had won 17 medals after the first five days of competition.

Tokyo previously hosted the Games in 1964, where Japan also won 16 gold medals — and 29 total medals — for the country.

From CNN’s Chandler Thornton

An earlier version of this post incorrectly tallied the number of gold medals at Rio. It is 12 medals.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates beating Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina during the men's singles third round tennis match on Wednesday.

Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic moved into the Olympic quarterfinals on Wednesday to maintain his quest for a ‘Golden Slam.’

The 20-time grand slam champion defeated Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3 6-1 in under 90 minutes.

The ‘Golden Slam’ comprises winning all four grand slams — plus the Olympic singles gold — in one calendar year.

Djokovic has already claimed the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon titles this year. He will need to win the US Open in September to complete the grand slam.

An Olympic gold would make the 34-year-old the first ever male player to seal the ‘Golden Slam.’

Germany’s Steffi Graf is the only player to have achieved this landmark, completing the feat in 1988.

Djokovic will meet Japan’s Kei Nishikori in the quarterfinals.

Primoz Roglic of Slovenia competes in the men's cycling road individual time trial in Oyama, Japan, on July 28.

Primoz Roglic sealed gold in the men’s cycling time trial event on Wednesday to win Slovenia’s second gold of the Games.

The 31-year-old was forced out of the recent Tour de France due to a series of crashes in the first week, but his Tokyo gold completes a stunning comeback.

Roglic, who finished 10th at the Time Trial in Rio 2016, took the title in a time of 55:04.19.

The Netherlands’ Tom Dumoulin secured silver — the same result he achieved five years ago in Rio.

Australia’s Rohan Dennis completed the podium as he secured bronze.

The Fukushima Azuma stadium is pictured on July 21.

The city of Fukushima hoped to celebrate its recovery from a decade-old nuclear disaster with the return of baseball to the Olympics. But with the current pandemic situation, authorities decided to hold seven games — six softball and one baseball — at the Fukushima Azuma Baseball Stadium without spectators, handing a disappointment to the city.

That’s despite fans being allowed to attend other sporting events outside the Olympics in the region.

Baseball is returning to the Olympics after a 13-year hiatus, and enjoys considerable popularity in Japan.

Read the full story here.

Damian Lillard of Team USA shoots over Iran's Mohammadsina Vahedi during a men's basketball preliminary round game in Saitama, Japan, on Wednesday, July 28.

The United States men’s basketball team put the shock loss to France behind them with a thumping 120-66 victory over Iran on Wednesday.

Damian Lillard finished with a game high 21 points, including six threes in the first half.

Wednesday’s victory keeps the men’s basketball team on course for a fourth straight gold medal.

Team USA next faces the Czech Republic in the team’s final group game on Saturday.

People walk along a crowded shopping street in Tokyo, Japan, on July 24.

Tokyo has reported a record day of new Covid-19 cases for the second consecutive day amid the Olympic Games, according to Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

The capital added 3,177 new cases Wednesday, topping Tuesday’s record of 2,848 new cases.

At least 174 Covid-19 cases have been reported as linked to the Tokyo 2020 Games as of Wednesday, according to Tokyo 2020 organizers.

The Japanese capital is currently under a state of emergency in effect until August 22.

Gold medalist Annemiek Van Vleuten of The Nethterlands celebrates on the podium of the women's cycling road individual time trial in Oyama, Japan, on July 28.

Annemiek Van Vleuten grabbed the headlines on Sunday, but not for the reasons she would have wanted.

The Dutch cyclist thought she had taken gold in the women’s road race, not realising Austria’s Anna Kiesenhofer had already finished well ahead of her.

Van Vleuten bounced back from that disappointment in perfect fashion on Wednesday, demolishing the field to take gold in the time trial.

“This has nothing to do with Sunday,” she replied when asked if this gold medal made up for what had happened at the weekend.

“I let everyone in the media [talk]… I left the Twitter account closed. I let everyone talk but the message I took from it said: ‘I nailed it again to be in my best possible shape ever.’”

Switzerland’s Marlen Reusser took silver – she was a whopping 56 seconds behind Van Vleuten – with Dutch rider Anna van der Breggen a further six seconds back in bronze.

And for any amateur cyclists out there who still have fears about getting on the bike, you can take solace in the fact that even the Olympic silver medalist shares those same concerns.

A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Meanwhile in China newsletter, a three-times-a-week update exploring what you need to know about the country’s rise and how it impacts the world. Sign up here.

A gold medal-winning Canadian swimmer has made waves in China for her Chinese heritage, sparking heated discussions over the country’s decades-long one-child policy and gender discrimination.

Margaret MacNeil shot to international fame Monday after winning the women’s 100-meter butterfly at the Tokyo Olympics, setting an Americas continental record at her very first Games.

In China, however, the 21-year-old was drawing wide attention for another reason, as news spread that the Canadian girl who beat China’s top woman swimmer, Zhang Yufei, by 0.05 seconds was actually born in China and adopted as a baby by a Canadian couple.

The subject of MacNeil soon lit up Chinese social media. A hashtag about her victory became the top trending topic on Chinese microblogging site Weibo on Monday morning, and has since drawn nearly 400 million views.

Much of the attention has focused on her Chinese heritage — and reflections over the wider social and political circumstances that led to her adoption by a foreign family.

Read more:

Margaret Macneil, of Canada, swims in a heat for the women's 100-meter butterfly at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 24, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Related article A Canadian swimmer's success is forcing China to reexamine the legacy of its one child policy

Montreal 1976 Olympics gymnastics champion Nadia Comaneci stands next to a photo of herself competing in this July 21, 2016, file photo.

Five-time Olympic gold medalist Nadia Comaneci says she can relate to the high pressure of the Olympics that Simone Biles spoke about upon withdrawing from the team finals event.

Comaneci says it was easier the first time she competed

“I was young and I didn’t doubt myself. And I just went for it and I didn’t have too many ifs,” she said.

But four years later, she went back as the Olympic champion and it was a different story.

Biles’ decision to withdraw from the team was “the right thing” to do for herself and for the US team as well, two-time Olympic gold medalist Bart Conner said.

“It’s scary when you are flying through the air and you have no idea where you are,” he added.

Referring to Biles speaking out as a survivor of abuse by former US team doctor Larry Nassar, Comaneci said, “it’s really hard to be everywhere and to do everything.”

Daniil Medvedev of Team ROC serves during his singles third round match against Italy's Fabio Fognini on day 5 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Tennis Park on July 28 in Tokyo.

It’s roasting on center court at the Ariake Tennis Park.

Temperatures reached 31 degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit) in Tokyo on Wednesday, but with the muggy weather and humidity, it felt like 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

World No.2 Daniil Medvedev was clearly affected by the weather. Midway through the match, the Russian — known for his dry humor and sarcasm — approached the chair umpire to ask what would happen if he died.

Temperatures hit 31 degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit) in Tokyo on Wednesday.

Medvedev eventually beat Fabio Fognini of Italy 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 to advance to the quarterfinals. He told reporters after the match that during the second set, it was so hot he had “darkness in his eyes.”

When temperatures are high, the ITF can activate its Extreme Weather Policy, giving players extra options to help cool down.

Medvedev isn’t the only one with concerns. World No.1 Novak Djokovic said the conditions for his first match on Saturday were “brutal.”

The Serbian superstar is set to take on Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the third round today, and then play a doubles match later in the day, despite the heat.

American gymnast Simone Biles waits to perform on the vault on July 27.

US gymnastics superstar Simone Biles has withdrawn from the individual all-around competition to prioritize her well-being, USA Gymnastics said.

The organization said it “wholeheartedly supports her decision.”

Biles, one of the greatest gymnasts of all time, was a favorite to take home gold in the all-around. She still may have the opportunity to compete in other individual events, but said Tuesday evening that she was going to take the rest of the Olympics “one day at a time.”

Read more here:

Simone Biles, of the United States, waits for her turn to perform during the artistic gymnastics women's final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Related article Simone Biles withdraws from all-around final at Tokyo 2020 to focus on mental health | CNN

US women gymnasts Jordan Chiles, Grace McCallum and Sunisa Lee dedicated their silver medal to Simone Biles, they told NBC.

The team admitted they panicked initially when Biles withdrew from the team competition. But then, Chiles stepped up to compete on the uneven bars and balance beam.

Biles took to Instagram to celebrate Chiles, who is also her best friend.

Former US gymnast Kerri Strug offered her support for Simone Biles following the US gymnast’s decision to withdraw from the women’s team finals event.

Strug famously helped win gold for Team USA at the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta by performing a vault despite having an injured ankle. She was later carried to the podium by her coach.

Strug posted on Twitter that she was sending her love to Biles:

The two-time Olympian added a goat emoji to her tweet, referring to the fact that Biles is known as the greatest of all time, colloquially abbreviated as GOAT.

Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus, who has won two gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics, said she is managing the pressure of the Games by narrowing her focus, avoiding social media and limiting the things she has to worry about.

When asked by the media about Simone Biles’ decision to open up about how her mental health and pressure has affected her athletic performance, Titmus said that she doesn’t know much about Biles. She did, however, say that she decided to delete all social media apps from her phone and has not been speaking that much to her family. She’s just focusing on racing.

Her record win: Titmus won her second gold Wednesday with an Olympic-record in the women’s 200m freestyle. She was visibly emotional following the medal ceremony, tearfully embracing Australia’s swimming coach Dean Boxall after stepping off the podium.

Ariarne Titmus of Team Australia reacts with her coach Dean Boxall after winning the gold medal in the 200m freestyle final on July 28.

The Olympic flame is seen burning on the cauldron at Ariake Yume-no-Ohashi Bridge in Tokyo on July 25.

While only a select few people had the privilege of attending the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony, the public can now see the Olympic Cauldron in person after it was put on display in Ariake Park.

Residents of Japan’s capital — and their and dogs — have gathered to catch a glimpse of the flame because, with Tokyo under a state of emergency due to Covid-19, it’s one of the few ways they can experience these pandemic-era Olympics.

What most may not appreciate, however, is the thought behind the cauldron’s design.

The Japanese design house that built the cauldron, nendo, went through 85 drafts before landing on a final look.

To make the cauldron, nendo needed machines capable of applying a pressure of 3,500 tons as they had to mold thick aluminum plating into curved shapes. The final product weighs 2.7 metric tons.

The flame itself pays respect to the Fukushima nuclear disaster set off by the devastating earthquake and tsunami of 2011. The hydrogen that fuels the flame was produced in Fukushima prefecture. But because hydrogen has no color when it burns, designers added sodium carbonate to give the flame its vibrant gold hue.

Ariarne Titmus of Team Australia competes in the 200m freestyle final on July 28.

Australia’s Ariarne Titmus has now won gold twice at the Tokyo Games, and both times, she beat out the defending Olympic champion in the event: American swimming legend Katie Ledecky.

Two days after taking gold in the women’s 400m freestyle, Titmus on Wednesday won the women’s 200m freestyle, finishing with an Olympic record time of 1:53.50.

Ledecky finished fifth. It was the first time the American had failed to make the podium in an individual Olympic event.

Ledecky is regarded as the most dominant female swimmer ever. She won gold in the 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle events at the 2016 Rio Games. Before that, she took gold in the 800m freestyle at London 2012. Ledecky won silver in the 400m freestyle on Monday at the Tokyo Games.

She’s also considered one of swimming’s most versatile competitors. Though her best events are distance, her range, if compared to sprinting, would be like Usain Bolt running in the 200m, 400m, and 1500m events.

Dominant display: If Ledecky’s disappointing finish in the 200m freestyle fueled talk of her demise, her commanding performance just minutes later may force the doubters to think twice.

Ledecky crushed the field in the first-ever women’s 1500m freestyle event, finishing more than four seconds ahead of fellow American Erica Sullivan to take gold. That’s all the more impressive given at times, she was barely using her legs. One team USA staffer said Ledecky was saving her energy, because she has two events left to go.

Ledecky will compete in the 800m freestyle and is considered a favorite to win that, too.

By the time she’s done in Tokyo, Ledecky will have swum a stunning 6,000 meters (3.7 miles) by the time she is finished competing. To put that in context, Michael Phelps swam a total of 3,300 meters when he won eight golds at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Mark Adams, director of communications at the IOC, speaks to the media ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on July 21 in Tokyo.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) says it hopes it is supporting athletes on issues surrounding mental health but “we can do more,” spokesman Mark Adams said.

“We all have huge respect for [Biles,] and huge support for her,” Adams added, saying that mental health has “been a big issue for quite a few years now, and it’s really coming to the fore.”

Biles has qualified for the individual all-around competition Thursday, as well as the individual event finals in floor exercise, balance beam, vault and uneven bars next week.

American gymnast Simone Biles stands wearing a mask after she exited the team gymnastics final on July 27.

Simone Biles’ withdrawal from the women’s team gymnastics final on Tuesday because of mental health concerns “broke my heart,” said former US Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, who has been an advocate for better mental health.

The conversation has taken prime spot at the Olympics after Biles pulled out, which followed tennis star Naomi Osaka’s comments on the pressure of the Games impacting athletes’ mental health.

In addition, the pandemic situation in Japan led to a decision where athletes weren’t allowed to bring any family or supporters with them. Many athletes have spoken about the challenge that presents. Australia and WNBA player Liz Cambage, for example, withdrew before the Games began citing mental health reasons, as she was worried about a “bubble” Olympics.

Olympic athletes “need someone who we can trust,” Phelps said, adding it has to be “somebody that can let us be ourselves and listen, allow us to become vulnerable, somebody who is not going to try and fix us.”

He added:

Phelps said he hopes this is an opportunity to make the mental health conversation even bigger.

“This is something that’s going to take a lot of time, a lot of hard work, and people that are willing to help.”

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) hopes it is supporting athletes on issues surrounding mental health but “we can do more on this issue,” spokesman Mark Adams said, adding that the committee has a lot of respect and support for Biles.

American gymnast Simone Biles watches the action after she exited the team final on Tuesday.

It’s another busy day in Tokyo, but the tremors from Tuesday’s surprises at the Olympics are still resonating. Here’s what you need to know.

Mental health takes center stage: Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka are changing the conversation at the Olympics. Both athletes didn’t perform to their usual standards on Tuesday. Neither has been afraid to open up about their mental health — an often taboo subject in the high-pressure world of competitive sports.

Here’s what Osaka said after her surprising defeat in the women’s singles tennis third round:

And this is what Biles told the media after the US placed second in the women’s team gymnastics final:

Biles is 24; Osaka just 23. At such young ages, each has a tremendous weight on their shoulders.

But both seem unafraid to let the world know that mental health is health — it’s just that unlike a bone, you can’t see when it’s broken.

Another gripping morning of swimming: Ariarne Titmus took care of business in the 200m freestyle, setting an Olympic record to win her second gold of the Games, while US star Katie Ledecky crushed the field to win gold in the first-ever women’s 1500m freestyle.

Japan’s stellar performance: As the sun rose over Tokyo on the fifth official day of the Olympics, hosts Japan remained atop the medal table.

With 11 gold medals, Japan currently still holds a narrow lead over the United States and China.

While it may be early days and even unlikely that lead will hold, Japanese athletes have put on an impressive display so far.

They’ve been particularly dominant in judo, with five golds, and the new sports and those that have come back after a hiatus — taking gold in women’s softball and men’s and women’s street skateboarding; silver in men’s surfing; and bronze in women’s surfing and women’s street skateboarding.

That success may just be translating into Olympics excitement. Polls have consistently shown that the Games have been overwhelmingly unpopular among the Japanese public amid health and safety concerns, but the mood appears to be shifting.

The number of Covid-19 cases linked to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games has risen to 174, according to Tokyo 2020 organizers on Wednesday.

No new cases were reported from the Olympic Village. 

The new cases were mostly identified as contractors, Games-related personnel and two members of the media. 

None of the new cases reported Wednesday were identified as athletes.

Japan's Yui Ohashi reacts after winning the 200-meter individual medley final on July 28.

It was another exciting morning of competition at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. Stars Katie Ledecky and Ariarne Titmus both won gold.

The hosts keep winning: Japan nabbed two medals Wednesday morning. Yui Ohashi won gold in the women’s 200m individual medley and Tomoru Honda claimed silver in the men’s 200m butterfly.

Ohashi became the first Japanese woman to ever win two gold medals in a single Olympics after winning the top prize in Sunday’s 400m individual medley.

Japan holds top spot in the medal count with 11 golds, followed by the US and China with 10 each.

Tomoru Honda of Japan celebrates after winning silver in the 200m butterfly final even on July 28.

Titmus nabs second gold: Australia’s Ariarne Titmus turned in another stellar performance, winning her second gold in the women’s 200m freestyle. She set a new Olympic record: 1:53.50.

Her main rival, Katie Ledecky, surprisingly failed to medal in the event, finishing in fifth. But she had more in store for later.

Ledecky dominates: The American swimming star showed why she’s considered the world’s best female distance swimmer. In the first-ever Olympic women’s 1500m competition, Ledecky dominated — finishing more than four seconds ahead of the silver medalist, fellow American Erica Sullivan. Ledecky set the world record in the event in 2018.

US swimmer Katie Ledecky celebrates after crushing the field in the 1,500-meter freestyle on Wednesday, July 28. It is her sixth career gold medal and her eighth Olympic medal in all.

American great Katie Ledecky crushed the first-ever women’s 1500m freestyle final to win her first gold medal of Tokyo 2020.

Ledecky was the favorite to win the event and she didn’t disappoint.

The US swimming star clocked a time of 15:37.34, leading the field for most of the race and finishing more than four seconds ahead of silver medalist, fellow American Erica Sullivan.

German Sarah Kohler finished third, with a time of 15:42.91.

This is Ledecky’s sixth Olympic gold medal and her eighth Olympic medal in total.

It’s is her second medal of the Tokyo Games, after she earlier won silver in the 400-meter freestyle. Earlier today, however, she failed to make the podium in the 200-meter freestyle.

A volunteer has her body temperature checked at the entrance of Nippon Budokan on July 25 in Tokyo.

Attending each Olympic event in Tokyo starts with the same ritual.

Press the clever foot pedal to release a mist of hand sanitizer; get your temperature checked; scan your credentials and have your belongings scanned at security.

If your temperature is too high, you’re escorted to a pleasant tent to cool down from the Tokyo summer heat for five minutes — and then you can try again.

Despite the Games being almost completely devoid of crowds, there’s still a rigid process in place for those in attendance, with plenty of rules to follow. Once you’re actually in the venue, there’s usually a maze of barricades to guide you to the press seating area — so no, you cannot sit wherever you want, it’s all assigned despite thousands of other seats sitting empty.

But every Olympic venue offers a slightly different experience — the larger stadiums where you might catch rugby sevens or football are haunted by their emptiness, while the smaller venues, like for gymnastics, provide an intimate show of Olympic greatness.

The bottom line: There is no bad seat in the house.

Baseball is part of Japan's culture, with fans tuning in every season to cheer on their favorite teams.

After a 13-year hiatus, baseball is returning to the Olympics — although no fans will be there to witness it.

Japan goes head-to-head with the Dominican Republic on Wednesday in Fukushima.

Unlike Tokyo, Fukushima prefecture is not currently under a coronavirus state of emergency, but a decision was still made to host the seven games at the Fukushima Azuma Baseball Stadium — six softball and one baseball — without fans present.

That’s despite spectators being allowed to attend other sporting events outside the Olympics in the region.

The Red Hopes Fukushima prepare to play a game against a team from Gunma at a stadium in Izumizaki village in Fukushima prefecture.

It’s particularly disappointing for the city of Fukushima, where the Olympics was supposed to celebrate the region’s recovery from a nuclear disaster more than a decade ago.

Over in Koriyama city — about an hour drive from Fukushima city — residents said they felt elated by Japan’s victory over the US in women’s softball on Tuesday.

The Red Hopes Fukushima want to use sport to highlight the recovery of their region.

And while fans can’t be in the stands for Wednesday’ game, some, like local resident Yuko Aikawa, said they were looking forward to watching on TV.

Simone Biles came to the Tokyo Olympics looking to earn another gold medal or four and deliver yet another stellar performance before potentially retiring. But then she did something her fans had never seen before: She faltered.

She was attempting an advanced vault move known as the Amanar, which she’d executed perfectly in a previous competition. The move involves a back handspring with two-and-a-half twists in the air before landing. It’s a feat for the average Olympian, but when Biles nails it, she looks effortless.

On Tuesday, though, Biles “looked like she got lost” somewhere in the air, CNN sports analyst Christine Brennan said. She nearly landed on her knees and left the field of play close to tears. Minutes later, word came that Biles would not compete with the team.

Her departure stunned the sports world and her many fans in the US who’ve seen her repeatedly make the most difficult moves in gymnastics look like standard playground stunts. Biles’ talent and charisma has catapulted her to a pedestal so high and seemingly untouchable that any mistake is magnified, and it’s all the more devastating — to Biles and to her many fans — when she falls.

Biles isn’t one to hide how she feels. After her less-than-perfect performance in the preliminary round Sunday, she said she feels like she has “the weight of the world on [her] shoulders at times.”

Biles, the most decorated American gymnast, defies gravity like a superhuman, but even our near-perfect heroes are fallible. Seeing her slip reminds her many fans of what pressure, however well-intentioned, can do to an international idol.

Read more:

Simone Biles, of the United States, performs on the vault during the artistic gymnastics women's final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Related article Simone Biles' withdrawal reminds us that she's human -- and still very much the GOAT

An Olympic swimmer, with a striking bright blue shark tattoo on their rib cage, during a training session at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre venue for the swimming competitions on Sunday, July 25, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan.

There was a time when tattoos were taboo, even in the US — associated with criminals or societal rejects.

But since the 1970s, tattoos have seen a rise in popularity in Western societies especially. And it’s a trend that’s reflected in this summer’s Olympics in Tokyo.

From solid Olympic rings to bright blue sharks, many of this year’s athletes are sporting a wide range of ink. But it’s a far cry from what one sees in Japanese society in general, where tattoos are still largely rebuked.

Dominican Republic women's volleyball player Brenda Castillo during a training session on July 22, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. Castillo has multiple visible tattoos, including on her neck, arms and hand.

Tattoos have a long history in Japan, with the first record of decorative tattooing dating all the way back to 247 C.E., according to research out of Banaras Hindu University in India.

The art form’s popularity grew during the Edo period, which lasted from the early 1600s to 1868. It is thought to have stemmed from woodblock printmaking, and the first tattoo artists were typically woodcarvers, according to the Center for Asia Pacific Studies at the University of San Francisco. Though the Edo government worked hard to keep lower social classes in line at the time — including having strict rules regarding the types of clothing certain classes were allowed to wear — colorful tattoos were one way the lower classes attempted to push back against the restrictions, according to the center.

United States men's 4x100m freestyle relay team Bowen Becker, Blake Pieroni and Caeleb Dressel celebrate after winning the gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics on Monday, July 26, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. Dressel has a full sleeve on his left arm, while Pieroni sports the Olympic rings.

In 1872, under the Meiji regime, that changed. Concerned that the tattoos would be looked down upon by Western powers, the new government banned both the act of tattooing and the display of tattoos, according to Center. Though traditional Japanese tattoo style, sometimes called “wabori” or “irezumi,” has now become famous and highly sought after around the world, it was initially suppressed.

Almost a century later, in the 1960s, tattoos became associated with the Yakuza, powerful criminal gangs. The connection between Yakuza members and tattoos was so strong, that often bathhouses and hot springs would ban those with tattoos from entering, in an attempt to ban members of the Yakuza. In many places in Japan, those bans are still enforced.

In recent years, though, the popularity of tattoos in Japan has been growing — but it hasn’t been easy.

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Related article Olympians' tattoos are out in full force in Tokyo, where the art form has a complex history

World-renowned gymnast and four-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles withdrew from the women’s gymnastics team finals over mental health concerns on Tuesday.

Here’s everything you need to know about Biles’ decision:

The withdrawal:

The results:

Mental health:

What’s next: