TOKYO (AP) — The first gold medal of the Tokyo Games has been handed out.
China’s Qian Yang took the honors in women’s 10-meter air rifle. Yang had a 9.8 on her final shot and finished with an Olympic record 251.8.
In other Olympic news:
— China has sprinted to the lead in men’s gymnastics qualifying as it aims to return to the top of the sport. China’s total of 262.061 was fueled by four brilliant sets on parallel bars, allowing the country to edge Russia in the first of three qualifying subdivisions. China is attempting to bounce back after slipping to bronze in Rio de Janeiro five years ago and coming in second to the Russians at the 2019 world championships.
— Two-time Olympic champion Kohei Uchimura’s exceptional Olympic career is over. The 32-year-old Japanese gymnast fell during qualifying on high bar and will not advance to the event finals.
— Tokyo organizers say the total of Olympics-related COVID-19 cases in Japan is now 127, with one athlete added to the tally. German cyclist Simon Geschke’s positive test was announced Friday, one day ahead before the men’s road race. Athletes account for 14 of the 127 cases in Japan since July 1.
— An Algerian judo athlete is being sent home after withdrawing to avoid potentially facing an Israeli opponent. The athlete and his coach face punishment from Olympic officials following his withdrawal. He could have faced an Israeli athlete in the second round.
— The very first match of the beach volleyball tournament has been canceled because a Czech player tested positive for COVID-19. That allowed Japan to win by default.
— Two Georgian tennis players have been barred from the Games after officials in their home country told them they were entered but never actually sent the paperwork. The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that it had to turn away the doubles players.
— About 100 of the 613 U.S. athletes descending on Tokyo for the Olympics are unvaccinated, according to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s medical chief. The IOC has estimated around 85% of residents of the Olympic Village are vaccinated. They base that on what each country’s Olympic committee tells them but have not independently verified the number.
— Australian swimmer Kaylee McKeown has surprisingly withdrawn from one of her best events because of a busy schedule at the Tokyo Olympics. McKeown dropped the 200-meter individual medley, where she’s ranked No. 1 in the world and would have been a favorite to win a gold medal.
