Chasing Gold: Simone Biles is back, will compete in balance beam final
Swimming is done at the Tokyo Olympics, just in time for track and field to get underway. United States’ athletes picked up 30 medals in swimming events, and Team USA already has five medals in track and field.
But the biggest news of the day comes from the Ariake Gymnastics Centre, where Simone Biles will compete in the individual balance beam final. Biles withdrew from the all-around competition and three event finals after experiencing the “twisties” and not wanting to risk injury, but she will return for the final event Tuesday in Tokyo.
What Biles’ return means for her Olympic competitors will be determined in approximately 12 hours, but her experience at the Games might force USA Gymnastics to do some self-reflection.
A tale of two zones: There are two zones at the Tokyo Olympics – the Heritage Zone and the Tokyo Bay Zone. Yesterday in the Bay, there was a story of redemption when Jade Carey won gold in the individual floor exercise after faltering in the vault – and she did it alongside her coach and father, Brian.
But in the opposite zone was a moment of heartbreak, when the USWNT lost to Canada 1-0 in the semifinals of women's soccer and watched its dreams of a gold medal in these Games disappear. Instead, the players will settle for the bronze medal match against Australia and hope to bring home some hardware — even if it’s not gold — in what could be the last major showing for the golden generation of players.
Allman’s path to Olympic gold: Discus thrower Valarie Allman won the gold medal in her event Monday, becoming the first U.S. track and field athlete to win gold at the Tokyo Olympics and the first American woman since 2008 to take first in discus. But the former dancer's journey to that moment was anything but ordinary.
Singing her way to wrestling finals: MyKayla Skinner posted a vlog showing that half of her bag was full of medical equipment. But what about wrestler Tamyra Mensah Stock? She brought a karaoke machine to Tokyo, and it may have helped her to the finals for the women’s 68kg freestyle.
Chasing Gold gives you a recap of some of the biggest Olympic headlines from the past 24 hours, but if you want to know what happened in sports outside the Games, consider subscribing to our morning sports newsletter.
Most international fans weren't allowed at the Tokyo Olympics but that doesn't mean you can't get a behind the scenes look at what's happening. Text some of our reporters to get the scoop on the Games.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chasing Gold: Simone Biles is back, will compete in balance beam final
