Russian archer recovering after fainting from the heat
Russian archer Svetlana Gomboeva is recovering after fainting from the heat
From CNN’s Radina Gigova
Russian archer Svetlana Gomboeva is recovering after fainting from heatstroke at the Olympics on Friday, her team said in a statement.
Gomboeva was seen by doctors after fainting, who gave her water to drink and then sent her to rest. She will return and continue competing at a later date, the statement said.
“Everything is normal,” the Russian Olympic Committee said. “She is feeling well.”
The incident was not altogether surprising, as the Tokyo Olympics are forecast to be one of the hottest Summer Games in decades. While the average high temperature in Tokyo during the period of the Olympics is 86-88 degrees Fahrenheit (30-31 degrees Celsius), temperatures in recent years have approached as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) in the city.
In early 2019, the International Olympic Committee both acknowledged and addressed some of the hot weather concerns by moving the marathon and various outdoor events to the cooler northern city of Sapporo — which is located about 500 miles (800 kilometers) north of Tokyo. However, temperatures in Sapporo were forecast to hit highs of 87 degrees Fahrenheit (31 degrees Celsius) over the next week, according to CNN Weather.
Gomboeva is representing the Russian Olympic Committee. Russian athletes aren’t competing under their national name at the Tokyo Games due to sanctions over doping. The official Russian team was banned from taking part in the 2020 Olympics by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for not complying with the organization’s investigations.
Meet the 44-year-old marathon runner competing in Tokyo, his fifth — and possibly final — Olympics
The Tokyo Olympics are finally happening and Abdihakim “Abdi” Abdirahman is ready — despite new rules, no fans, and many protests against hosting the Games during a pandemic.
He’s sympathetic to concerns about keeping residents, athletes and their support staff safe during the massive 16-day event.
He also really wants to compete in the marathon — the race he’s been training for, for over a year. Qualifying for the Games was hard, and staying healthy and in shape during a pandemic was arguably even harder.
Read more about Abdirahman’s journey:
Tokyo’s expensive new Olympic Stadium will be mostly empty for the opening ceremony
From CNN’s Will Ripley in Tokyo
Tokyo’s skyline goes as far as the eye can see, but from the air, the $1.5 billion stadium built for the 2020 Olympics stands out in the Japanese capital’s urban sprawl.
It can hold nearly 70,000 people, but for Friday night’s opening ceremony, most seats will be empty. Organizers said only about 950 VIPs will attend.
CNN toured Tokyo via helicopter to see the stadium from above. Watch here:
The first Olympic record of Tokyo 2020 has been set
From CNN’s Jill Martin
The first Olympic record of the Tokyo 2020 Games has been set. An San of South Korea scored a record 680 in the women’s archery individual ranking round.
She shot 36 10s and 16 Xs to break the previous record held by Lina Herasymenko of Ukraine, who scored 673 at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
110 Covid-19 cases in Japan are linked to the Olympics
From CNN’s Chandler Thornton in Hong Kong
Authorities have identified 110 Covid-19 cases tied to the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, the event’s organizers said Friday.
Three of those new cases were reported from Tokyo’s Olympic Village, one of whom was an athlete. Twelve cases have now been identified in the village, according to Tokyo 2020.
One other athlete was reported to have contracted the virus Friday but was not a resident of the village, according to organizers. The remaining new cases were identified as media, contractors and Games staff.
Tokyo 2020 is not revealing the names or nationalities of those who have been infected.
Protesters and fans gather in Tokyo as Olympic torch relay reaches final leg
From CNN’s Emi Jozuka, Blake Essig and Daishi Kusunoki in Tokyo
Anti-Games protesters and Olympics fans gathered Friday in front of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building as the Olympic torch reached its final destination ahead of the opening ceremony on Friday.
Dozens of protesters held “no Olympics anywhere” signs, chanted “get out IOC” and banged on tambourines, demanding the Games be called off amid a heavy police presence.
“I came here today because I still don’t think it’s too late for the Olympics to be canceled,” said Namaeshi, an anti-Olympics protester. “We are concerned about the Covid-19 cases increasing in Tokyo.”
Overhead, other members of the public gathered on a bridge overlooking a main road leading to the building, hoping to catch a glimpse of the torch.
A significant portion of the Japanese public opposes holding the Olympics in the middle of a pandemic. Japan has struggled to rein in new cases and Tokyo remains under a state of emergency due to Covid-19.
The final stretch: The ceremony marking the torch’s final destination in Tokyo will be held behind closed doors. Takako Kobayashi, an 80-year-old who saw the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games on television, said she had ventured out of her home to try and see the torch.
“We are living in very difficult times but I’m quite excited about the Olympics,” Kobayashi said. “It’s sad but this Olympics is so different to the 1964 Summer Games. Back then Japan’s economy was growing. It’s not like that now. I hope coronavirus goes away soon.”
After a year of delays and uncertainty, the Olympics formally kick off today
It’s Friday, July 23. The Olympic Games are about to formally begin, and here’s what you need to know.
It’s go time: A year after their scheduled start date, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (they kept the 2020 branding) are set to begin. The Games officially kick off Friday night Japan time with the opening ceremony, putting an end to months of speculation over whether the event would even able to go ahead as Japan struggles to rein in Covid-19.
Thursday saw Tokyo record 1,979 new Covid cases — the highest daily number since Jan. 15. As of Thursday, there have been 110 positive cases linked to the Games as those arriving in Tokyo undergo a rigorous testing program.
A handful of athletes have seen their dreams dashed after testing positive for the virus, forcing them to withdraw from competition. Most competitors spend years, if not most of their lives, training to reach the Olympics — and about 70% of them only get the opportunity once, according to Dick Pound, the longest-serving member of the International Olympic Committee.
The dignitaries arrive: French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country will host the next Summer Games in 2024, has arrived in Tokyo for the opening ceremony. First Lady Jill Biden is also traveling to the Japanese capital. She’s scheduled to meet with Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace ahead of the opening ceremony.
However, the number of dignitaries in attendance will be much smaller than previous years. Organizers said only 950 VIPs will be present in a stadium that can seat nearly 70,000 people. While athletes normally enter the stadium to a crowd of roaring fans, they’ll instead be greeted by mostly empty seats — a stark, visual reminder of the pandemic’s toll.
What’s on schedule: Friday in Japan is pretty light. There are no medals up for grabs, but archery and rowing have preliminary competitions. The Games kick off in earnest Saturday morning Japan time, which is Friday night on the US East Coast. Scroll down to check out what events are coming Friday US time.
The Games’ full schedule can be found here.
This is the weather forecast for the opening ceremony
The Tokyo 2020 opening ceremony will officially kick off the Olympic Games — delayed by a year because of the pandemic.
The ceremony will start at 8 p.m. local time in Japan, which is 7 a.m. ET.
The weather is forecast to be pleasant for the ceremony, with a temperature of 81 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius).
Fans will be able to attend less than 12% of Olympic venues
Spectators will only be able to attend less than 12% of Olympic venues during the Tokyo 2020 Summer Games.
Just five of the 42 total Olympic venues across Japan will be open to fans. Tokyo is home to 25 of the venues, with the rest in seven other prefectures.
Tokyo venues and three prefectures near the capital — Chiba, Kanagawa and Saitama — will not have spectators.
Miyagi, Ibaraki, and Shizuoka prefectures with a total of five venues can be filled to 50% of capacity with a maximum of 10,000 spectators.
Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_topstories/~3/TI2lx80YE38/h_9b84f0f1d281c2acbfc3500b6a6997c2
