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Biles reveals her aunt unexpectedly died during the Olympics

Biles reveals her aunt unexpectedly died during the Olympics
55 min ago

Simone Biles reveals her aunt unexpectedly died during the Olympics

From CNN’s Jill Martin

American Simone Biles is seen during warm-ups prior to the balance beam final on August 3.
American Simone Biles is seen during warm-ups prior to the balance beam final on August 3. Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Following her bronze medal win on balance beam Tuesday, Simone Biles revealed that her aunt had died during the Olympics.

“Two days ago my aunt unexpectedly passed, and that was something I wasn’t expecting to happen at the Olympic Games either, so at the end of the day, you have to be a little bit more mindful of what you say online, because you have no idea of what these athletes are going through as well as (in) their sports,” Biles said.

Biles didn’t compete in four individual finals at the Tokyo Olympics — the all-around individual competition, vault, uneven bars and floor exercise — after withdrawing during the women’s team final, citing mental health concerns.

“Every day I had to be medically evaluated by the doctors, and then I had two sessions with a sports psychologist which kind of helped keep me more level-headed,” said Biles, regarding preparations for the beam final. “I was cleared to do beam, which I honestly didn’t think I’d be cleared to do last night.”

1 hr 55 min ago

Chinese badminton player Chen Qingchen’s cursing riles South Koreans

From CNN’s Serenitie Wang and Jake Kwon

China's Chen Qingchen and Jia Yi compete against South Korea during the doubles semifinal match on July 31.
China’s Chen Qingchen and Jia Yi compete against South Korea during the doubles semifinal match on July 31. Lintao Zhang/Getty Images

South Korea plans to pursue a formal complaint in response to a Chinese Olympian who was heard repeatedly swearing during a badminton match between the two nations.

Chen Qingchen, 24, could be heard shouting a popular Chinese slang term, translated loosely as “f**k”​ in Mandarin, throughout the live televised broadcast of her women’s doubles match against South Korea on Tuesday, July 27.

Chen was heard first yelling the common, but impolite phrase after she and her partner, Jia Yifan, lost the first set to their South Korean opponents.

Both Chinese players then repeated the phrase for every winning point during the remainder of the match, eventually winning 2-1 against South Korea’s Kim Soyeong and Kong Heeyong. The Chinese duo went on to advance to the finals of the competition, claiming silver after losing to Indonesia’s Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu in the finals on Monday.

Chen’s outburst has been covered extensively by South Korean media, prompting widespread and often critical commentary accusing the Chinese Olympian of unsporting behavior.

Read more:

War of words: Badminton Korea Association unhappy about Chinese player's cursing at Tokyo 2020

1 hr 55 min ago

“I’m just here to represent,” says US athlete Gwen Berry after raising her fist at Tokyo 2020

From CNN’s Ben Church

American Gwen Berry competes in the hammer throw final on August 3.
American Gwen Berry competes in the hammer throw final on August 3. Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

US hammer thrower Gwen Berry says she is “ready to change some stuff for real” after raising her fist before the women’s hammer throw final at Tokyo 2020 on Tuesday.

As she was introduced into the stadium, Berry raised a clenched fist, later explaining she was protesting social and racial injustice.

“I’m just here to represent, man,” she told reporters on Tuesday. “I know a lot of people like me, a lot of athletes like me, a lot of people are scared to succeed or speak out. As long as I can represent those people, I’m fine.”

Berry has been outspoken on social issues in the past and has a history of protesting at major track and field events.

After qualifying for her second Games in June, the 32-year-old turned away from the flag while the national anthem played during the medal ceremony and draped a T-shirt reading the words “activist athlete” over her head.

Berry later said she was “set up” on the podium having been told that the anthem would be played before the athletes stepped on.

In 2019, she also lost some of her sponsorships after raising her fist in protest on the podium at the Pan American Games in Peru.

She received a 12-month probation from the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee for the act, which she says was meant to highlight social injustice in America.

IOC rules: The International Olympic Committee’s Rule 50 ban prohibits athletes from protesting at Olympic sites.

Following a 10-month review of the rule that concluded in April, the body decided to uphold it, but in July added an amendment allowing athletes to express their views in mixed zones, press conferences and during interviews, as well as prior to the start of competition.

Read more:

'I'm just here to represent,' says US athlete Gwen Berry after raising her fist at Tokyo 2020

2 hr 48 min ago

These are the gold medal events happening Wednesday at the Olympics

The Tokyo Olympics will soon be coming to a close. But in the meantime, there are still several medals to be handed out in key events.

Here’s a shortlist of the finals happening on Wednesday:

Weightlifting:

Skateboarding:

Equestrian:

Athletics:

  • Women’s 3,000 meters steeplechase final
  • Men’s hammer throw final
  • Men’s 800 meters final
  • Men’s 200 meters final

Sailing:

  • 470 Men final
  • 470 Women final

Cycling

  • Cycling Track — Men’s team pursuit finals

Boxing:

Swimming:

  • Artistic swimming — Duet free routine final

Wrestling:

  • Men’s Greco-Roman 67kg final
  • Men’s Greco-Roman 87kg final
  • Women’s freestyle 62kg final
39 min ago

Guan Chenchen wins balance beam gold at the Tokyo Olympics as Simone Biles claims bronze

From CNN’s George Ramsay at Ariake Gymnastics Centre in Tokyo

China’s Guan Chenchen won gold in the women’s balance beam final at the Tokyo Olympics as US gymnastics star Simone Biles overcame mental health challenges to claim a bronze.

Biles’ psychological well-being has been the focus of attention since she withdrew from the women’s team final last week.

The 24-year-old then didn’t compete in four individual finals at the Tokyo Olympics — the all-around individual competition, the vault, the uneven bars and floor — but returned to great applause from her US teammates seated in one corner of the Ariake Gymnastics Centre.

“To bring the topic of mental health, I think it should be talked about a lot more, especially with athletes because I know some of us are going through the same things and we’re always told to push through it,” Biles told reporters following her third-place finish.

“We’re all a little bit older now and we can speak for ourselves. But at the end of the day, we’re not just entertainment. We’re human and there are things going on behind the scenes that we’re also trying to deal with on top of sports.”

Following her withdrawal from the team event, Biles said that she was medically evaluated each day and also had two sessions with a Team USA psychologist.

The dismount of her beam routine was also switched at the last minute so she wouldn’t have to perform a twist.

“Going forward, it was just taking it a day at a time and seeing where that went,” Biles said about the days since her withdrawal from the team final.

“For the other events, physically and mentally, it was not safe for me to do it because I could not do the skills without jeopardizing my health and safety.”

Tuesday’s beam final was Biles’ last chance to claim a medal at Tokyo 2020 and she scored 14.000 for a clean and confident routine.

That score initially placed her second behind China’s Tang Xijing on 14.233, but the 16-year-old Guan, the top qualifier in the event and the last to perform her routine, moved into the gold medal position with a score of 14.633.

Read more:

Guan Chenchen wins balance beam gold at the Tokyo Olympics as Simone Biles claims bronze

2 hr 7 min ago

Heated confrontation after Danish cyclist Frederik Madsen crashes into Team GB’s Charlie Tanfield

From CNN’s Amy Woodyatt and Jack Guy

h Izu Velodrome witnessed a heated confrontation on Tuesday as Denmark and Great Britain track cyclists collided during the final lap of the men’s team pursuit at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Frederik Madsen, front rider with the Danish team, collided with Team GB’s Charlie Tanfield, who had replaced Ed Clancy for the race.

Three-time Olympic champion Clancy withdrew from the race earlier in the day, announcing his retirement from track cycling following a back injury.

Madsen was leading the Danish team and looking down at the black tape on the track, instead of up, and didn’t realize Tanfield had dropped off the back of the British group.

Madsen was then pictured standing over Tanfield and heard swearing at him, despite being the one responsible for the crash, before storming off the track.

It was the second crash of the day that Team GB were involved in, with Katie Archibald and Neah Evans colliding after they came together to celebrate their world record ride to reach the women’s team pursuit final.

Read more:

Danish cyclist crashes into GB rider during team pursuit

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_topstories/~3/acAoykpzG2c/h_881c031d75332e163fc5d175867b58c4