July 29 Tokyo 2020 Olympics news and results

Shyenne Lee celebrates at a watch party in Oakdale, Minnesota, after her sister Sunisa Lee, of Team United States won gold in the all-around gymnastics final on July 29.

Sunisa Lee’s parents and sister were captured watching her win gold for Team USA in the all-around event.

The family can be seen cheering her on from Oakdale, Minnesota, alongside other fans.

Lee scored 57.433 to finish ahead of Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade in second and the Russian Olympic Committee’s Angelina Melnikova in third, extending a run of five all-around Olympic golds for the USA.

The 18-year-old is the fifth American woman in a row to win the event and is the first ever Hmong-American Olympic gymnast.

See the moment:

John Lee, father of Sunisa Lee of Team United States, celebrates at a watch party in Oakdale, Minnesota, after Sunisa won gold in the all-around gymnastics final on July 29.

TOKYO, JAPAN - JULY 29: Sunisa Lee of Team United States reacts after competing on uneven bars during the Women's All-Around Final on day six of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on July 29, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by

Sunisa “Suni” Lee won the gold medal in the women’s individual all-around gymnastics final today, as Simone Biles cheered from the stands at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre.

Lee, with a score of 57.433, is now the fifth American woman in a row to win the event.

Despite the high-pressure of the Olympics, her parents remained confident that Lee can handle the intensity, especially since she has persevered through a 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.

The 18-year-old gymnast from Saint Paul, Minnesota, said her favorite event to compete in is beam, according to her biography on Team USA’s website. Lee, who earned a silver medal with Team USA during the women’s team finals earlier this week, began gymnastics when she was six years old.

Following the Olympic Games, Lee will attend Auburn University as part of the class of 2025 and will compete for the university’s gymnastics team.

Outside of the gym, the 5-foot gymnast said she enjoys fishing and camping and the Harry Potter books.

In August 2019, Lee expressed that her biggest ambition was to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Now, Lee is an Olympic medalist, winning both silver and gold this week.

In an Instagram post from Sunday, Lee wrote, “feeling proud and blessed. thank you to everyone who has shown me nothing but their love and support.”

USA's Sunisa Lee competes on balance beam during the all-around final on July 29.

Sunisa Lee of Team USA has won the gold medal in women’s individual all-around gymnastics final.

The 18-year-old is the fifth American woman in a row to win the event and is the first ever Hmong-American Olympic gymnast.

USA’s Simone Biles — who had been favored to win the event — dropped out to focus on her mental health.

Lee scored 57.433 points to edge out Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, who won the silver.

Andrade, who becomes Brazil’s first ever women’s gymnastics medalist, scored 57.298.

The Russian Olympic Committee’s Angelina Melnikova finished with the bronze. 

Lee’s stunning victory was sealed with Biles watching and celebrating in the stands at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre.

Team USA has now won the women’s all-around at each of the past five Olympic Games, since Simona Amanar’s victory for Romania at the 2000 Games in Sydney.

Thursday’s victory also sees Team USA draw level with the Soviet Union with a record six wins in the event – the Soviet Union winning the event six times between 1952 and 1988.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic plays a backhand during his quarterfinal match against Japan's Kei Nishikori on July 29.

Novak Djokovic progressed into the semifinals of the men’s tennis competition after beating Japan’s Kei Nishikori in straight sets – 6-2 6-0 – at Ariake Tennis Park on Thursday.

The Serbian said he was relieved the match was played later in the Tokyo afternoon, offering some welcome relief from the extreme heat.

It comes after Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) player Daniil Medvedev raised concerns about playing in the heat earlier this week.

He appeared to struggle during his third round men’s singles match against Italian Fabio Fognini and asked the chair umpire who would take responsibility if he were to die on court.

Tennis organizers moved the start time for tennis matches to 3 p.m. local beginning on Thursday after more players expressed dissatisfaction with the playing conditions.

The new start time made all the difference for Djokovic, who is chasing the first ever men’s “Golden Slam.”

USA's Simone Biles waves from the the stands during the all-around gymnastics final on July 29.

Simone Biles is at the women’s all-around gymnastics final, which is underway at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre in Tokyo on Thursday.

Sitting in the stands, Biles waved and cheered on her fellow Team USA gymnasts competing in the event.

The 24-year-old, who pulled out of the all-around competition on Wednesday to focus on her mental health, was the defending champion. 

Victory for Team USA in Thursday’s all-around event would see them equal the Soviet Union’s all-time record of six wins.

The Ariake Gymnastics Centre is pictured ahead of the women's all-around gymnastics final on Thursday, July 29.

There’s quite a bit of process and protocol going into each Olympic venue – temperature checks, hand sanitization and security scans. That’s the case at Tokyo’s Ariake Gymnastics Centre, where the women’s all-around gymnastics final is now underway.

The buildup to this event has been dominated by Simone Biles’ withdrawal on Wednesday. The four-time Olympic gold medalist and reigning all-around champion is protecting her mental health, USA Gymnastics said, having stepped away from the team competition earlier this week.

Biles was the top qualifier ahead of Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade and teammate Sunisa Lee for the all-around competition. Those two will likely face strong competition from Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) athletes Angelina Melnikova and Vladislava Urazova, who formed part of the squad that took team gold ahead of the US on Tuesday.

From left: Team USA (silver), Team ROC (gold) and Team Great Britain (bronze) pose during the podium ceremony of the artistic gymnastics women's team final on July 27.

Sydney 2000 Olympics was the last time an athlete outside the US won all-around gold. Could that run be about to end?

People walk across a busy crossing in Tokyo on July 24.

The Japan Medical Association, the country’s largest association of doctors, issued an emergency request to Japan’s capital to enhance urgency surrounding the Covid-19 surge.

The head of the association, Toshio Nakagawa, called on people to work remotely and complete vaccinations for people aged between 40 and 64, in a televised address on Thursday.

“We have to take all the measures to avoid the explosion of infection and medical system goes under strain,” Nakagawa added. 

“As a person who is engaged in medicine, we’d like to issue our emergency statement to the government.

“We hope this will be reflected in the future measurement.”

The association also urged the government to make more vaccines available to the public.

Tokyo reported a record number of new cases Thursday for the third consecutive day, adding 3,865 new cases. Nationwide, Japan reported 10,385 new cases – the first time the country has topped 10,000 new cases since the pandemic began.

This comes as the Games continues full steam ahead, nearing the end of its sixth day of official competition. Tokyo 2020 has reported 198 cases linked to the Games so far.

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US swimming superstar Caeleb Dressel has already won two gold medals at Tokyo 2020 – and he’s aiming for five more.

As with every athlete competing at these Olympic Games, Dressel’s preparation was derailed last year by the coronavirus pandemic.

Many of us around the world struggled to find motivation, fight boredom and avoid unhealthy food binges during lockdown … and Dressel was no different.

For somebody with a sweet tooth – Dressel says his dream cheat meal is scoffing an entire family pack of Oreos – it was particularly difficult sharing a house with an excellent baker!

His trainer tailored his workout plans to ensure the 24-year-old didn’t burn out during the additional year of Olympic preparation – and it’s clearly been working.

You can watch some of those unusual training sessions in the video above … including the unconventional workout of Dressel bailing water.

GWANGJU, SOUTH KOREA - JULY 22: Caeleb Dressel of the United States looks on after the Men's 50m Butterfly Final on day two of the Gwangju 2019 FINA World Championships at Nambu International Aquatics Centre on July 22, 2019 in Gwangju, South Korea. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Related article Even Olympic champions struggle to resist junk food binges during lockdown

Team Great Britain's headquarters in Tokyo.

CNN visited Team Great Britain’s headquarters in Tokyo and found some of the strictest Covid-19 safety measures in place, which go well beyond Tokyo 2020 and International Olympic Committee guidelines.

The team has taken over an elementary school along the waterfront overlooking Tokyo Bay for athlete training and medical services. They have emblazoned the Union Jack design over the walls of the four-story building, and even have a rooftop garden with Union Jack deck chairs for the athletes to relax.

There is almost a blanket ban on in-person interviews until after the athletes have completed all of their events.

This is partly for preventing a potential infection, which could force athletes to drop out of the Games. The other reason for this is so the athletes can stay mentally focused.

To access the waterside complex, the CNN team went through a rigorous testing process.

Members of the media team took a rapid antigen test, also known as a lateral flow test, which give results within 15 minutes. The tests are not as accurate as PCR tests, but provide a quick indication of positive cases.

CNN interviews Team GB swimmer Tom Dean. The interviews are kept to under ten minutes.

The test is self-administered, guided by a member of the Team GB contingent. The media personnel has to swab their own throat and nostrils with a long cotton swab, which is then dropped into a fluid solution in a tube. That solution is then dropped onto a small plastic testing device. After 15 minutes the results appear, showing one line for negative or two lines for positive – similar to a pregnancy test.

After the CNN team tested negative, it was allowed to continue to the fourth-floor rooftop, where media teams are lined up to speak to their medal-winning athletes. Interviews are conducted in the outdoor rooftop space, with the reporter and athlete standing two meters apart, maintaining social distance.

The interaction lasts under 10 minutes, a sign that even though Covid-19 cases are going up rapidly at home in the UK, the team on the ground in Tokyo is taking every precaution.

Pole vaulter Armand Duplantis of Sweden warms up on the track ahead of competition at the National Stadium ahead of competition at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Sweden’s world record pole vaulter Armand Duplantis said on Thursday that he was “shocked” to learn of Sam Kendricks’ positive Covid-19 test which has ruled the American out of Tokyo 2020.

The Swede confirmed that he hadn’t had any contact with Kendricks and would be taking extra precautions before the men’s pole vault competition begins on Saturday.

American Sam Kendricks competes in the men's pole vault final at the Wanda Diamond League Track and Field Championships in Stockholm, Sweden on July 4.

“I’ll just try to not go out of the way and do anything that’s unnecessary (or might put) me at higher risk of catching Covid,” Duplantis said.

Kendricks won bronze at the Rio Olympics and was the 2017 and 2019 world champion in the event.

Simone Biles waits to perform on the vault during the artistic gymnastics final on July 27.

The pressure of competing in the Olympics and Tokyo’s severe heat have been impacting athletes’ mental and physical health at the Summer Games, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) says it is working on both those fronts.

The IOC said it offers a 24-hour hotline available in 70 languages, a “safeguarding officer” within Tokyo’s Olympic Village and six free counseling sessions for athletes.

This comes after US gymnast Simone Biles withdrew from the individual all-around competition to focus on her mental health, putting a spotlight on the issue.

Biles acknowledged the “outpouring love & support” she’s received since announcing she would not compete in the women’s individual all-around competition at the Tokyo Olympics to focus on her well-being.

It remains unclear if the six-time Olympic medalist will compete in other events.

Tokyo heat: The committee is also working to prevent heat illnesses, particularly heat stroke, during the Games, Tokyo 2020’s medical and scientific director Richard Budgett said.

Budgett pointed to provisions such as changed formats, giving 10-minute cool-down breaks and stopping the match when the temperature rises over 32 degrees Celsius (89.6 degrees Fahrenheit), saying the committee has been “very well prepared” for the heat situation, particularly for tennis events.

Additionally, the committee has been working with local experts to prevent heat stroke as the athletes push themselves, he said.

It was so hot on the tennis courts in Tokyo on Wednesday, that Russian Olympic Committee’s Daniil Medvedev asked what would happen if he died during the match. Separately, Spain’s Paula Badosa was forced to retire from her quarterfinal match due to heatstroke.

What’s the soundtrack of an Olympics without the shouting and cheering of spectators? Cicadas, mostly.

With Tokyo under a state of emergency throughout the Games, fans have been barred from attending venues in the Japanese capital.

Some events have a good atmosphere as coaches, officials, and non-competing athletes are permitted to watch – socially-distanced – from the stands, while others have been eerily quiet.

At times, it’s even possible to hear a constant rattle of cicadas from the trees and bushes around venues.

In Japan, the noisy bugs have been called “the sound of the summer,” and perhaps that’s more true than ever against the backdrop of an Olympics without fans.

The cicadas, about an inch or an inch-and-half in length, also provide entertainment for kids, who run around trying to catch them in nets.

Here’s a snapshot of what they sound like:

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People cross a street in Tokyo on Wednesday, July 28.

Tokyo has reported a record number of new Covid-19 cases for the third consecutive day amid the 2020 Olympic Games, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

Japan’s capital reported 3,865 new cases Thursday, topping Wednesday’s record when it added 3,177 new cases.

At least 198 Covid-19 cases have been reported as linked to the Tokyo Games as of Thursday, according to Olympic organizers.

Tokyo is currently under a state of emergency in effect until August 22. 

On Thursday, local media reported that three prefectures neighboring Tokyo – Chiba, Kanagawa and Saitama – will ask the Japanese government to add them to areas under the Covid-19 state of emergency after the recent surge in the number of coronavirus cases, citing Chiba Governor Toshihito Kumagai.

Tokyo public health expert Kenji Shibuya told CNN on Thursday the rise in cases could raise concern for the Olympic bubble. 

“Tokyo is using its own severity scale which masks the true magnitude of the problem – and obviously the more transmission outside, the more opportunity for those within the bubble will get infected, vice versa as it has already burst,” Shibuya said.

Kazunori Takishima attends a hockey match at the 2012 Olympics in London.

Kazunori Takishima’s love for the Olympics started in 2005 when he saw a figure skating competition for the first time, and immediately, he bought tickets for the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics in Italy. He was hooked. Since then, he has been traveling the world to support Japan at every Olympic Games for the past 15 years. So it was a dream to see the event in his home city of Tokyo.

But when a ban on spectators was announced due to the Covid-19 situation in Japan, that dream was over.

He had spent nearly $40,000 on 197 tickets – for him and his friends – to cram in as many events as possible during Tokyo 2020.

“It took an unbelievable amount of time, effort, and passion,” Takishima told CNN. “But I was so passionate about the Olympics that even though it was very difficult and challenging, I enjoyed the process of buying the tickets.”

The 45-year-old real estate businessman worked out that if he watched all the events he had booked, he would have broken the Guinness World Record for attendance at Olympic events. He’ll now get a refund on the tickets he’s purchased.

“All I have now is sadness, and every time I look at the tickets, I cry,” Takishima said. “I’m just sad.”

Despite his disappointment, he says the experience won’t put him off being an Olympic superfan.

“I will continue to visit and support the Olympics until the day I die,” Takishima said. “While I’m still able to move, I plan to see all the Games from the opening to the closing (ceremonies). I can eventually beat the record.”

Read the full story here.

Tom Booth, Dan Hodge, and Arthur Syin contributed to reporting

The United States' Katie McLaughlin places a silver medal around the neck of teammate Katie Ledecky during the medal ceremony for the 4x200-meters freestyle relay on July 29.

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 will not be competing in the Olympics after testing positive for Covid-19.

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.”

Slovakia’s Zuzana Rehak Stefecekova celebrates winning gold in the women’s trap final on July 29.

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.’”

Brothers Martin Sinkovic and Valent Sinkovic of Team Croatia pose with their gold medals after the rowing men’s pair final on July 29.

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.

Read more:

USA's Collin Morikawa practices ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games golf competition at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture on July 28, 2021.

Related article Fresh off second major victory at the Open, Collin Morikawa relishing chance to represent Team USA at Tokyo 2020

People line up to use an Olympic souvenir vending machine at the main press center in Tokyo.

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.

The sight of a jubilant Olympian standing atop the podium after being victorious in their discipline with a gold medal between their teeth is an iconic one.

We’ve seen it numerous times at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games already, across a host of disciplines.

The official Tokyo 2020 account even went as far on Sunday to try to remind people that the medals are not, in fact, edible.

“Our medals are made from material recycled from electronic devices donated by the Japanese public. So, you don’t have to bite them … but we know you still will.”

But why do these victorious athletes decide to celebrate their coronation by pretending to take a bite out of their gold medals?

David Wallechinsky, Executive Committee Member of the International Society of Olympic Historians, told CNN in 2012 that it’s probably an attempt to satisfy the media.

The phenomenon is not exclusive to the Olympics though.

Tennis superstar Rafael Nadal has become famous for looking like he wants to take a chunk out of the trophies he wins, in particular the Coupe des Mousquetaires — the French Open men’s singles trophy — he’s become so acquainted with.

Read more:

OYAMA, JAPAN - JULY 28: Marlen Reusser of Team Switzerland poses for a photograph and bites her silver medal after the Women's Individual time trial on day five of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Fuji International Speedway on July 28, 2021 in Oyama, Shizuoka, Japan. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)

Related article Why Olympians bite their medals and what they do with them

The United States' Robert Finke poses with his gold medal for the 800-meter freestyle on July 29.

American swimmer Robert Finke, who goes by Bobby, says he “honestly did not expect to win at all,” after he clinched gold in the men’s 800-meter freestyle event on Thursday morning in Japan.

“Coming off the trials, I think I was like, 12th coming into the heat. So I was just trying to make it back to finals,” he said.

But he realized he chance to win when he saw that he had done better than his best time.

Finke said he is happy to have won for the US team and for his supporters at home, but when he goes back, his lifestyle will not change.

“My lifestyle now is what got me here, so I don’t see a need to change it. I’m just going to go relax with my family, celebrate with them, see all my friends and supporters back in Gainesville, and I’m just excited for the fall,” he added.

WATCH:

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The United States' Caeleb Dressel reacts to winning gold in the 100-meter freestyle on July 29.

Following his Olympic gold and Olympic record in the men’s 100-meter freestyle, Team USA’s star swimmer Caeleb Dressel reflected on how hard things have been over the past year in an emotional interview.

Dressel won his first individual Olympic gold medal in the event with a time of 47.02 seconds.

Dressel’s remarks come with the spotlight firmly on athletes’ mental health at the Tokyo Games. US gymnast Simone Biles has spoken this week of the difficulties athletes face after she withdrew from some team and individual events.

Japan's Jun Mizutani, left, and Mima Ito compete against China's Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen in their mixed doubles table tennis final match on July 26.

Japanese table tennis players Mima Ito and Jun Mizutani have been subject to personal attacks on Chinese social media, after the pair narrowly defeated the Chinese team to win the first-ever gold medal in mixed doubles Monday.

Chinese microblogging site Weibo was inundated with posts insulting the Japanese players. Angry Chinese fans also descended on Ito’s Weibo account, flooding her old posts with thousands of abusive comments.

Some Chinese users who tried to call for an end to the online abuse were also attacked. Ito shut down her Weibo feed in the end.  

On Wednesday, Mizutani said on Twitter that he had received a torrent of messages attacking him, without directly mentioning China. 

On Thursday, China’s Sun Yingsha beat Ito in the women’s singles semifinal, to the cheers of millions of Chinese fans online. The match was the top trending topic on Weibo throughout the morning, with several related hashtags attracting hundreds of millions of views.

China currently leads the overall medal table with 14 golds, with Japan in third — the hosts have claimed 13 golds so far. The United States is second.

The Chinese team celebrates after taking gold in the 4x200-meter freestyle on July 29.

The Chinese team swam to victory in the women’s 4x200-meter freestyle relay, breaking the world record with a time of 7:40.33.

Helping her team to gold was Zhang Yufei, who had just come from winning the women’s 200-meter butterfly, setting an Olympic record.

Katy Ledecky helped Team USA win silver with a time of 7:40.73, and the Australian team picked up bronze in 7:41.29.

The previous world record, set by Australia in 2019, was 7:41.50. All three teams swam faster than this today.

Australia's Sepp Straka and caddie Samuel Straka walk by Olympic rings on the 16th hole during the first round of the individual stroke play in Kawagoe, Japan, on July 29.

Expect another action-packed day in Tokyo on Thursday as Japan’s capital hosts Day 6 of the 2020 Games.

Here’s what you need to know:

Biles and “the twisties”: Focus continues to be on US gymnast Simone Biles, who dropped out of the women’s individual all-around competition to focus on her well-being. It’s unclear if she’ll compete in other events. Biles has been praised for her courage in putting her mental health first.

Conversation has now turned to “the twisties” and how fear affects the mental and physical health of gymnasts. When Biles pulled out, it meant her psychological state put her at significant physical risk.

“We have to protect our mind and our body, rather than just go out there and do what the world wants us to do,” Biles said.

Heat takes its toll: It’s forecast to be another sweltering day in the Japanese capital and athletes can expect similar heat and humidity for the next week. The hot weather is having an impact on Olympic athletes, particularly in the tennis. Organizers said Wednesday they are pushing back matches so they will begin later in the day.

It came after Spain’s Paula Badosa was forced to retire from her women’s singles quarterfinal match and left the court in a wheelchair due to heatstroke. And Russian Olympic Committee player Daniil Medvedev told the chair umpire that he could finish his men’s singles third-round match — but wanted to know whether the International Tennis Federation would take responsibility if he died.

Morning of firsts: Men’s individual golf got the ball rolling on Day 6. In rowing, Fintan McCarthy and Paul O’Donovan won Ireland’s first ever Olympic rowing gold in the men’s lightweight double sculls event. And New Zealand won its first gold medal of Tokyo 2020 with victory in the women’s pair rowing. Meanwhile, USA’s Bobby Finke took gold in the men’s 800-meter freestyle event in the pool — his first Olympics and a first for this event at the Games.

American Caeleb Dressel swims in the 100-meter freestyle on July 29.

More medals were won and Olympic records set at the Aquatics Centre on Thursday morning in Tokyo. Here’s a rundown from Day 6:

The 2020 Summer Olympic Games are already historic, and not just because they’re taking place a year later than scheduled. This year’s Olympics feature, by one count, more participants who identify as LGBTQ than at any other Games.

At least 168 of the 11,000 Olympians competing in Tokyo this week are openly LGBTQ, according to the SB Nation blog Outsports.

Of the 160-plus LGBTQ athletes, some are well-known stars like FIFA Women’s World Cup champ Megan Rapinoe, WNBA great Brittney Griner and diver (and newly minted gold medalist) Tom Daley, all of whom came out publicly in the last decade. They’re joined by up-and-comers like the Canadian soccer player Quinn and New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, both of whom are transgender.

The improvement in LGBTQ representation at the Olympics is cause for celebration, but it should also give athletes and audiences pause, said Erik Denison, a behavioral scientist at Monash University in Australia. By Outsports’ count, less than 2% of all athletes competing in Tokyo identify as LGBTQ — and, according to Denison, that number is still low. In the US alone, an estimated 4.5% of people are LGBTQ, according to a 2020 count from the Williams Institute, UCLA Law’s LGBTQ policy center.

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Related article There may be more Olympians who identify as LGBTQ than ever before. But there are limits to inclusion

Kim Si Woo of South Korea walks past a fan spraying mist during golf competition in Kawagoe, Japan, on July 29.

Tokyo is experiencing a hot and humid first week of the Olympics, but the high temperatures are not unusual for Japan’s capital in mid-summer.

The average high temperature for late July in Tokyo is 31 degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit). Over the past five days, highs have ranged from 29.8 to 34.4 degrees Celsius (86 to 94 F) — an average of roughly 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 F) above usual high temperatures.  

Compounding the heat is the usual high humidity. Humidity values have ranged from 66% to 84%, making it feel much hotter, and limiting the body’s ability to cool down through sweat and evaporation.

Though Tokyo is not officially in a heat wave, the hot weather is having an impact on Olympic athletes, particularly in the tennis. Organizers said Wednesday they are pushing back matches so they will begin later in the day.

It came after Spain’s Paula Badosa was forced to retire from her women’s singles quarterfinal match and left the court in a wheelchair due to heatstroke on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Russian Olympic Committee player Daniil Medvedev told the chair umpire that he could finish his men’s singles third-round match — but wanted to know whether the International Tennis Federation would take responsibility if he died.

What athletes can expect in the next week: The forecast in Tokyo is for more of the same — temperatures will continue to be in the low 30s in degrees Celsius (86 to 92 F) over the next seven days, potentially reaching 33 to 34 degrees Celsius (92 to 93 F) over the weekend. There are not currently any heat advisories in effect for the Greater Tokyo region, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. 

It was meant to be the biggest day of Paula Radcliffe’s career. The whole planet was expecting the world record holder to win the 2004 Athens Olympic marathon — a dream she had since she was 11 years old.

And then it all went wrong. A combination of a leg injury and stomach illness meant Radcliffe was forced to pull out of the race a few miles before the finish line, disoriented and in visible distress.

She was no longer the medal hopeful. Instead, she was called a “quitter” and accused of letting her country down — just as Simone Biles has been this week after withdrawing from individual all-around competition at the Tokyo Olympics.

Biles, the most decorated gymnast in history, pulled out over mental health concerns and Radcliffe said that while their health issues were different, the underlying problem was the same.

The British press hounded Radcliffe relentlessly in the aftermath of the Athens Olympics, scrutinizing her every move. Reporters were hiding in bushes to watch her train and tried to trick her doctor into disclosing her private medical records. It got so bad that she and her husband and coach Gary Lough eventually left the country and went to Arizona to focus on training.

For Biles and her generation of elite athletes, however, escaping is nearly impossible because of social media.

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ATHENS - AUGUST 27: Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain looks dejected after she pulled out of the women's 10,000 metre event on August 27, 2004 during the Athens 2004 Summer Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in the Sports Complex in Athens, Greece. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

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Simone Biles’ sponsors offered statements of support Wednesday following her decision to pull out of Thursday’s individual, all-around gymnastics competition at the Tokyo Olympics.

The 24-year-old champion cited mental health concerns as the reason for her earlier withdrawal from Tuesday’s team competition during interviews with reporters in Tokyo. Biles may still compete in next week’s individual event finals. 

Athleta chief brand officer Kyle Andrew said the sports apparel company stands by Biles and supports her well being “both in and out of competition.” Biles signed an endorsement contract with Athleta earlier this year after ending her contract with Nike.

On Tuesday, Biles said she was going to take the rest of the Olympics “one day at a time” as she looks to add to her haul of four gold medals won at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Visa, another athlete sponsor, recognizes Biles’ “incredibly brave decision,” said senior vice president of Global Sponsorship Strategy Andrea Fairchild. The decision “shows how Simone is able to inspire both on and off the mat.”

Biles is one of the 102 Olympic athletes Visa sponsors in conjunction with its Team Visa program. “We wish her well in the days ahead,” Fairchild added.

Protein shake brand Core Power tweeted Wednesday morning that Biles is “showing us all that her courage and strength extend well beyond the mat.”  

“We’re in awe of you today and every day,” the company added on Twitter along with a goat emoji – a reference to GOAT, or greatest of all time.

Core Power told CNN Business it has partnered with Biles for the last six years and that she has been one of its brand ambassadors since 2016. The company launched a new ad campaign featuring Biles on June 29.

“We’ve supported her physical recovery with Core Power protein shakes, and as a company we unequivocally support her full and complete health,” the company said via email.

Team USA sponsor United Airlines didn’t immediately respond Wednesday morning to a request for comment. The company told the sports news site Sportico that it has been proud to partner with Biles for years and continues to support her.

Uber Eats, which featured Biles in its “Tonight I’ll be eating” commercials late last year, said Wednesday that it also stands by her.

“She has shown true strength both inside and outside of the gym, setting an incredible example for athletes around the world,” the company said.