Image courtesy of NBC News
As the 2020 Summer Olympics come to a close, sports fans worldwide are reflecting on their favorite plays, passes, and performances. While an exciting first week soaked up the spotlight, the second and last week turned out to be just as captivating.
Here are the highlights from the last week of events in Tokyo:
Gymnastics
Simone Biles returned to competition on Tuesday, earning a Bronze Medal on the balance beam event for the USA. After the event, she approached reporters, explaining that her aunt had unexpectedly passed earlier in the Olympics. As a result, she had decided to temporarily withdraw to protect her mental wellbeing and grieve with her family. “Not at all how I imagined or dreamed my second Olympics would go but blessed to represent the USA,” she wrote on Instagram. “I’ll forever cherish this unique Olympic experience. Thanks everyone for the endless love and support. I’m truly grateful.”
In the rhythmic gymnastics event, a pair of twins from the Russian Olympic Committee dominated the qualifications. Sisters Dina and Arina Averina finished with scores nearly as identical as they are: 106.300 and 106.175, respectively. Rhythmic gymnastics doesn’t usually garner the most viewers. Still, as the fascination with the Russian sisters increases, the sport may see a bigger turnout. They will be competing for first and second place at this Saturday’s all-around competition.
Sunisa Lee of Team USA is leaving her first Olympics with three medals. In honor of her achievements, the governor of Minnesota declared July 29 “Sunisa Lee Day” throughout the state.
Track and Field
Norway’s Karsten Warholm set the world record in the women’s 400-meter hurdles event, winning gold. Team USA’s Rai Benjamin came in second at the same event, winning his first Olympic medal.
A team USA favorite, Allyson Felix, won her tenth Olympic medal after winning bronze in the women’s 400-meter event. The bronze ties her with Jamaica’s Merlene Ottey for the most medals by a female track athlete in Olympic history. Felix’s resilience and mental fortitude make these achievements more impressive; just three years ago, Felix underwent an emergency C-section after a difficult pregnancy. Felix has another relay event on Saturday and could very well surpass Ottey.
19-year Athing Mu from Trenton, New Jersey, won the women’s 800-meter race and set a national record of 1:55.21. In doing so, she became the first American woman to win gold in this event since 1968.
Lamont Marcell Jacobs became the first man other than Usain Bolt since 2004 to win the men’s 100-meter dash. The Italian athlete won Italy’s first gold medal in the event, and beat a Team USA favorite, Fred Kerley.
Men’s Basketball
USA, Australia, Slovenia, and France made up the final four teams of this classic Olympic competition. Luka Doncic made a valiant effort to carry a Slovenian squad whose performance impressed many, including a massive rout in their quarterfinal win over Germany. The Gold Medal Game match between USA and France, featured a highly anticipated rematch between the two nations. France defeated USA 83-76 earlier in the tournament, but Team USA got their revenge in the Gold Medal Match defeating France 87-82. Kevin Durant led the team in scoring and came up clutch in the final, scoring 29 points. Team USA rallied after a disappointing loss in their first game of the tournament, coming together as a team to win 5 straight games enroute to their 16th Gold Medal in the Men’s Basketball Competition.
Men’s Tennis
Alexander Zverev, the world’s #6 ranked player, brought home Gold for Germany, defeating Karen Khachanov, the world’s #25 ranked player, in straight sets in the final. This came shortly after defeating heavy favorite Novak Djokovic, the world’s #1 ranked player, in a shocking semi-final upset. Unfortunately, Djokovic’s quest for a “Golden Slam'' fell short in a highly competitive match against Zverev. A “Golden Slam” refers to winning all four tennis majors and the Olympic Gold Medal. However, he will still get the opportunity to redeem himself and complete the grand slam in a few weeks in the U.S. Open on one of the game’s biggest stages.
Men’s Soccer
Brazil defeated Spain 2-1 in extra time in a thrilling Gold Medal Match, at the International Stadium in Yokohama. On Saturday, Brazil became the first nation to win consecutive Gold Medals in the men’s soccer competition since Argentina did so in 2004 and 2008. In the Men’s Olympic competition, teams must have at least 20 players who are twenty-three years old or younger, and are allowed to have 3 players above twenty-three years old. 38 year-old Dani Alves was an essential contributor to the young Brazilian squad, leading his team to a Gold Medal. Mexico emerged victorious over Japan in the Bronze Medal Match, defeating the hosts 3-1. Japan will be disappointed to leave without a medal, but their efforts will serve as a learning experience for the upcoming 2022 World Cup hosted in Qatar.
Women’s Soccer
The Gold Medal Match between Sweden and Canada took place on Friday night, with Canada winning in a penalty shootout. Team USA fell to Canada 1-0 in the semifinals, in a heartbreaking loss. However, they bounced back in the Bronze Medal Match, defeating Australia in a thrilling 4-3 win. The Gold Medal Match featured two in-form teams who pulled off significant upsets throughout the tournament, with Canada emerging as this year’s champions.
Upon Canada’s win, soccer player Quinn became the first openly transgender and nonbinary athlete to win Olympic gold. “I feel sad knowing there were Olympians before me unable to live their truth because of the world,” she later wrote. “I feel optimistic for change… Mostly, I feel aware of the realities. Trans girls being banned from sports. Trans women facing discrimination and bias while trying to pursue their Olympic dreams. The fight isn’t close to over… and I’ll celebrate when we’re all here.”
Wrestling
American wrestler Tamyra Mensah-Stock became the first black woman and the second American woman to win gold in wrestling. This historic moment was summarized by Mensah-Stock’s tears of joy on the podium when asked what this moment meant to her. “It means that [young girls] see someone like themselves on that podium!”
Men’s Golf
Xander Schauffele brought home the Gold Medal for the USA, draining a clutch putt on the 18th hole to solidify the victory. Sunaje Im and Si Woo Kim made impressive efforts to earn a medal with hopes of avoiding mandatory military service. However, they fell just short and didn't place in the top 3 of the tournament. An exciting seven-way playoff for the Bronze Medal allowed C.T. Pan to emerge victorious over fellow competitors, including Colin Morikawa, Rory Mcllroy, and Hideki Matsuyama.
Diving
China’s Quan Hongchan became the second-youngest Chinese diver to win gold at age fourteen. The record is held by Fu Mingxia, who won a world championship in 1991 at only twelve years old.
Image Courtesy: abqjournal.com
Shot Put
Did you know that this sport existed? Before writing this article, neither did we!
Team USA’s Raven Saunders won silver last Sunday. While on the podium, Saunders crossed her arms in an X over her head, signifying “the intersection of where all people who are oppressed meet.” Saunders’s intention was to encourage LGBTQ + athletes to keep fighting, despite personal loss or hardships. She was inspired by the recent tragic loss of her mother while she was in Tokyo. Although many saw this symbol as inspirational, the IOC was prepared to investigate it as a violation of its anti-protest policy. Upon learning of Saunders’s loss, however, they stopped all investigations.
Week 2 of this year’s Olympics did not disappoint, with drama and action in every event. Although there still needs to be significant improvement made regarding the inclusion and equal treatment of all athletes, there was meaningful progress made in this year’s games. The closing ceremony will take place Sunday at 7am ET, concluding the competition.