Tokyo Olympics Day 4 Recap: US collects medals in gymnastics, swimming
Following Simone Biles' exit from the women's gymnastics team event due to a medical issue at the Tokyo Olympics, the U.S. rallied to claim the silver medal.
In women's soccer, the United States made it through to the quarterfinals.
Gymnastics
The Russian Olympic Committee has won the gold medal in women’s gymnastics after U.S. star Simone Biles exited with a medical issue.
The Russian gymnasts posted a team score of 169.528, ahead of the U.S. in second place at 166.096. The gold is the first for the Russians since the Unified Team triumphed in Barcelona in 1992 and came a day after the men’s team edged Japan for the top spot in the men’s final.
Great Britain won bronze.
Swimming
Seventeen-year-old Lydia Jacoby pulled off a stunning victory in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke on Tuesday, upsetting American teammate and defending champion Lilly King.
“I was definitely racing for a medal. I knew I had it in me,” said Jacoby, who hails from the tiny town of Seward, which has a population of 2,733. “I wasn’t really expecting a gold medal, so when I looked up and saw the scoreboard it was insane.”
The streak of 12 straight gold medals for the U.S. men in the individual backstroke ended when a pair of Russians beat out defending Olympic champion Ryan Murphy in the 100-meter race.
Evgeny Rylov won the gold medal in 51.98 and teammate Kliment Kolesnikov took the silver in 52.00. Murphy settled for the bronze in 52.19.
It was the first backstroke defeat for the U.S. men at the Olympics since the 1992 Barcelona Games.
They won 12 straight golds over the past six Olympics, including Murphy’s sweep of the 100 and 200 back at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
“Winning an Olympic gold medal means you’re the best in the world,” Murphy said. “Being third in the world is no slouch.”
Women's Soccer
The United States made it through to the quarterfinals of the women's Olympic soccer competition after a 0-0 draw with Australia on Tuesday.
The Americans are looking to win a fifth Olympic gold medal in Tokyo. They are also vying to become the first team to win at the Olympics following a World Cup title.
The draw with Australia secured the United States second place in Group G behind Sweden on goal difference. The Americans will face the winner of Group F — either the Netherlands or Brazil, depending on late results — in Yokohama on Friday.
Softball
Japan has won its second straight Olympic softball gold medal, beating the United States 2-0 in an emotional repeat of their 2008 victory in Beijing that again left the Americans in tears.
Yukiko Ueno took a one-hitter into the sixth inning five days after her 39th birthday. Japan snuffed out an American rally attempt with an acrobatic double play in the sixth inning that will long be replayed.
Before 34,046 mostly empty seats Yokohama Stadium, second-ranked Japan pushed across the first earned runs off the top-ranked Americans in the six-game tournament. The U.S. offense sputtered as it did throughout the Olympics, totalling just nine runs.
Earlier in the day, Canada beat Mexico 3-2 for softball bronze.
Women's Basketball
The U.S. women have fallen to Japan 20-18 in their final pool-play game in 3-on-3 basketball.
Despite the loss, the Americans will head into the knockout round as the top seed after compiling a 6-1 record over four days. The semifinals and medal games for the sport’s Olympic debut are set for Wednesday.
With the score of Tuesday’s game tied at 17, Japan’s Mio Shinozaki made a 2-pointer to give her team the lead for good.
Serbia’s men were 6-0 coming into Tuesday and have locked up a spot in the semifinals.
The U.S. men did not qualify for the tournament.