
<p><strong>TOPLINE</strong> One person involved in the Tokyo Paralympics has been hospitalized with Covid-19, the games’ organizing committee announced on Thursday, an incident that takes place amid Japan’s worst surge in infections since the start of the pandemic which has severely strained its medical resources.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p><a href="https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/08/6671facb7488-tokyo-paralympics-confirm-1st-covid-19-hospitalization.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">According to</a>&nbsp;the games’ organizing committee, the hospitalized individual was a foreign individual but not an athlete.</p>



<p>The patient is not displaying severe symptoms, organizing committee spokesperson Masanori Takaya added.</p>



<p>The organizers also reported 15 new Covid-19 cases linked to the games, including two athletes residing in the Games village.</p>



<p>Since the start of the games on Tuesday, at least&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/aug/26/paralympics-first-tokyo-games-participant-in-hospital-with-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">five Paralympians</a>&nbsp;have tested positive for Covid-19.</p>



<p>The event featuring over 4,400 athletes is taking place at a time when Japan witnesses its worst Covid-19 outbreak, fueled by the more infectious delta variant.</p>



<p><a href="https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/08/6671facb7488-tokyo-paralympics-confirm-1st-covid-19-hospitalization.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">According to</a>&nbsp;<em>Kyodo News</em>, health experts have warned that the country’s medical system is close to a breaking point with hospital beds becoming scarcer.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>184. That’s the total number Covid-19 cases that have been linked to the Tokyo Paralympics since August 12,&nbsp;<em>Kyodo News</em>&nbsp;reports.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and the International Olympic Committee (IOC)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dw.com/en/japans-pm-olympics-have-not-caused-covid-19-spike/av-58788340" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">claimed</a>&nbsp;that the Olympic games, which ended earlier this month, did not aggravate Tokyo’s Covid outbreak. But health officials remained skeptical and tensions between them and the games’ organizers have remained high. The latest controversy has emerged around IOC chief Thomas Bach’s decision to fly back into Japan to attend the opening ceremony of the Paralympics. Bach, who left Japan on Wednesday night, was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/08/25/national/omi-bach-tokyo-return-criticism/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">criticized</a>&nbsp;by the country’s top Covid-19 advisor Shigeru Omi. Omi said Bach&#8217;s decision to briefly return to Japan ran counter to “common sense” as Covid infections continue to rise in the country. In response, the International Paralympic Committee said that Bach was invited by them to attend and his itinerary was approved by the Japanese government.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/08/6671facb7488-tokyo-paralympics-confirm-1st-covid-19-hospitalization.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tokyo Paralympics confirm 1st COVID-19 hospitalization</a>&nbsp;(Kyodo News)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/aug/26/paralympics-first-tokyo-games-participant-in-hospital-with-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Paralympics: first Tokyo Games participant in hospital with Covid-19</a> (The Guardian)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Siladitya Ray, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Paralympics – Opening Ceremony

Tokyo Paralympics Reports First Covid-19 Hospitalization


<p><strong>FORBES AFRICA lists the top 10 contemporary South African golfers by their career earnings to date on the two major tours.</strong></p>



<p class="has-drop-cap">WHEN THE 103rd PGA CHAMPIONSHIP WAS played in May, South Africa boasted a record 11 entrants in the field, a sign of the competitiveness of the country’s golfers on the international stage and a nod to local courses that continue to develop outstanding players. South Africa currently has 10 golfers ranked in the top 100 in the world, behind only runaway leaders the United States, who have 46, and England’s 11.</p>



<p>But given the investment dollars spent on the game in the respective countries, it makes South Africa pound-for-pound arguably the second most successful golfing nation at present, a huge achievement that amplifies the success of the local Sunshine Tour.</p>



<p>FORBES AFRICA lists (<em>in no particular order</em>) the South Africans currently in the global top 10 by their career earnings to date on the two major tours*</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-louis-oosthuizen"><strong>LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN</strong></h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1333072873-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52288" width="599" height="399" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1333072873-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1333072873-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1333072873-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1333072873-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1333072873-2048x1366.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px" /><figcaption> (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<p><strong>PGA Tour Earnings: $26,274,723 </strong><br><strong>European Tour Earnings: $26,158,152</strong></p>



<p>Oosthuizen has just recently surpassed his European Tour winnings on the United States-based PGA Tour, boosted by two second- placed finishes in consecutive Majors at the PGA Championship and the US Open.</p>



<p>Despite his eye-watering earnings, the Mossel Bay-born player has never actually won on the PGA Tour, losing three times in a play-off. But he did enjoy success by winning The British Open in 2010, which remains his sole triumph to date in one of the ‘big ones’ after those recent close shaves. In fact, he now has six runner-up finishes in Majors.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>BRANDEN GRACE</strong></h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1334335413-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52290" width="526" height="351" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1334335413-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1334335413-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1334335413-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1334335413-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1334335413-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 526px) 100vw, 526px" /><figcaption> (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<p><strong>PGA Tour Earnings: $11,071,441 </strong><br><strong>European Tour Earnings: $16,714,032</strong></p>



<p>Grace has been a stalwart of both tours for some years and picked up his second victory on the PGA in April when he won the Puerto Rico Open to go with his 2016 success at the RBC Heritage.</p>



<p>He has nine further wins on the European Tour, including the South African Open in 2020. He finished tied for seventh at the US Open this year, but his best Major finish was at the 2015 PGA Championship when he finished third.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>CHARL SCHWARTZEL</strong></h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1333917542-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52289" width="543" height="362" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1333917542-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1333917542-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1333917542-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1333917542-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1333917542-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 543px) 100vw, 543px" /><figcaption> (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<p><strong>PGA Tour Earnings: $1,605,985 </strong><br><strong>European Tour Earnings: $20,674,161</strong></p>



<p>A heavy earner on the European Tour during his career, his one Major triumph actually came in the United States when he lifted the Masters trophy in 2011.</p>



<p>He has only one more win there in the last decade, but an impressive 10 on the European Tour, eight of which have come in South Africa and the other two in Spain.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>DYLAN FRITTELLI</strong></h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335094389-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52295" width="654" height="435" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335094389-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335094389-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335094389-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335094389-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335094389-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 654px) 100vw, 654px" /><figcaption>(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<p><strong>PGA Tour Earnings: $4,499,473 </strong><br><strong>European Tour Earnings: $3,392,853</strong></p>



<p>Fritelli’s one and only PGA Tour win came at the John Deere Classic in 2019, to go with two successes on he European Tour in the Lyoness Open in Austria and the Mauritius Open.</p>



<p>His best finish at a Major was tied fifth at the Masters in 2020.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><meta charset="utf-8"><strong>ERIK VAN ROOYEN</strong></h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335986246-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52297" width="550" height="367" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335986246-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335986246-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335986246-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335986246-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335986246-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px" /><figcaption> (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<p><strong>PGA Tour Earnings: $1,596,939 </strong><br><strong>European Tour Earnings: $5,325,617 </strong></p>



<p>Van Rooyen has shown great consistency despite a single professional win outside of South Africa in his career – at the Scandinavian Invitation in 2019. He is often found high up the leaderboard though, with his best Major finish an eighth place at the 2019 PGA Championship.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>BRANDON STONE</strong></h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335010802-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52296" width="556" height="371" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335010802-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335010802-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335010802-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335010802-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335010802-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 556px) 100vw, 556px" /><figcaption> (Photo by Oisin Keniry/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<p><strong>PGA Tour Earnings: $295,257 </strong><br><strong>European Tour Earnings: $4,980,169</strong></p>



<p>Stone has three wins on the European Tour, though none since 2018. He claimed his first victory at the SA Open in 2016 and the closest he has come recently was a play-off loss in the Oman Open last year.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>CHRISTIAAN BEZUIDENHOUT</strong></h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335489628-1024x669.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52293" width="592" height="386" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335489628-1024x669.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335489628-300x196.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335489628-768x502.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335489628-1536x1003.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335489628-2048x1337.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 592px) 100vw, 592px" /><figcaption> (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<p><strong>PGA Tour Earnings: $974,608 </strong><br><strong>European Tour Earnings: $4,107,928</strong></p>



<p>An emerging star of South African golf, Bezuidenhout won three European Tour events between June 2019 and December 2020, but has yet to make his mark in the Majors. It feels like it is just a matter of time though. He was banned for two years in 2014 after testing positive for using ‘beta blockers’, which he claimed was to control his anxiety and a stutter. The sanction was later reduced to nine months.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">DEAN BURMESTER</h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335437065-1024x566.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52294" width="539" height="298" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335437065-1024x566.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335437065-300x166.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335437065-768x424.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335437065-1536x849.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335437065-2048x1131.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 539px) 100vw, 539px" /><figcaption>PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC &#8211; AUGUST 21: Dean Burmester of South Africa on the 14th hole during Day Three of The D+D Real Czech Masters at Albatross Golf Resort on August 21, 2021 in Prague, Czech Republic. (Photo by Oisin Keniry/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<p><strong>PGA Tour Earnings: $46,826 </strong><br><strong>European Tour Earnings: $3,931,356</strong></p>



<p>Born in Zimbabwe but playing under the South African flag, Burmester claimed the European Tour’s Tenerife Open in May and has been a stalwart of the local Sunshine Tour.</p>



<p>He has yet to crack it in the United States, and has not yet played at either the British Open or the Masters.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>GARRICK HIGGO</strong></h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335953221-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52292" width="541" height="360" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335953221-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335953221-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335953221-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335953221-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1335953221-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 541px) 100vw, 541px" /><figcaption>(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<p><strong>PGA Tour Earnings: $1,358,316 </strong><br><strong>European Tour Earnings: $1,076,625</strong></p>



<p>The ‘next big thing’ in South African golf, and possibly the global game, Higgo has had his breakthrough year in2021andattheageofonly22is as exciting a prospect as you will see on tour.</p>



<p>All four of his professional wins outside of South Africa have come since September 2020, and in June, he won the Palmetto Championship in just his second start in the United States.</p>



<p>Higgo has been mentored by nine- time Major winner Gary Player and turned professional in 2019.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>DANIEL VAN TONDER</strong></h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1334990119-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52291" width="487" height="325" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1334990119-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1334990119-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1334990119-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1334990119-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1334990119-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 487px) 100vw, 487px" /><figcaption>(Photo by Oisin Keniry/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<p><strong>PGA Tour Earnings: $31,300 </strong><br><strong>European Tour Earnings: $562,094</strong></p>



<p>A player who has enjoyed great success on the Sunshine Tour, especially recently with four wins in 2020 alone.</p>



<p>His single success on the European Tour came at the Kenya Savannah Classic in March this year.</p>



<p><strong><em>By Nick Said</em></strong></p>



<p><em>*Earnings as of July 5, 2021</em></p>


Close-up of golf bag with people in background

South Africa’s Highest-Earning Current Golfers


<p><strong>A number of Africa’s finest sportsmen and women failed to make the Tokyo Olympic Games for a variety of reasons that in the most part had little to do with performance.</strong></p>



<p class="has-text-align-center"><strong><em>By Nick Said</em></strong></p>



<p class="has-drop-cap">The Tokyo Olympic Games were for some athletes the pinnacle of their career and a stage for outstanding achievements, but for others, the Japan National Stadium (the venue of the Games) will always represent a field of broken dreams.</p>



<p>A number of Africa’s finest sportsmen and women failed to make it to the Games, which was held from July 23 to August 8 in Tokyo, for a variety of reasons that in the most part had little to do with performance.</p>



<p>Amidst the ecstasy of winning a gold medal, there is always equal pain being felt elsewhere, leaving some of the continent’s top stars at a crossroads in their hugely successful careers. </p>



<p>The most high-profile of these is two-time former 800-metersOlympics champion Caster Semenya, who failed in her bid to qualify for the Games in the 5,000-meters, having been forced into the longer distance by World Athletics’ regulations for athletes with Differences in Sexual Development (DSD) who wish to compete in races from 400-meters to a mile.</p>



<p>Athletes such as Semenya, Francine Niyonsaba from Burundi and Kenya’s Margaret Wambui, were forced into the sporting wilderness in their chosen distance in a ruling described by Come Damien Georges Awoumou, minister- counsellor at the Cameroon mission to the United Nations, as having the “same effect as apartheid, one of the international crimes against humanity”, which he said at a special debate on sports and human rights at the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva.</p>



<p>The latest to fall foul of the regulations were Namibian teenagers Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi, who were in blistering form in the 400-meters ahead of the games and seen as genuine medal contenders until World Athletics barred them from competing over that distance. Semenya is taking the fight, not just for herself, but all DSD athletes with naturally high levels of testosterone, to the European Court of Human Rights, who are likely to make a ruling later this year on whether the regulations should be suspended.</p>



<p>She has not given up on competing at the 2024 Olympics in Paris and there will be many other athletes from the global south hoping she wins.</p>



<p>“The ban doesn’t make sense at all. But hey, that’s none of my business. I’ll leave it up to the right people<br>to handle the situation, I’ll keep fighting for my rights,” Semenya said in June to Belgian television after finishing fourth in a 5,000-meter race in Liège, Belgium.</p>



<p>“Of course I hope the rule changes. I’m an 800-meters runner. There’s no doubt about that. I keep hoping that I can run my preferred number (distance). But right now my focus is on being healthy. To be an inspiration for young athletes. I will continue to fight for my rights.”</p>



<p>Says a spokesperson at World Athletics: “For many years, World Athletics has fought for and defended equal rights and opportunities for all women and girls in our sport today and in the future. Throughout this long battle, World Athletics has always maintained that its regulations are lawful and legitimate, and that they represent a reasonable, necessary and proportionate means of ensuring the rights of all female athletes to participate on fair and equal terms. It has rejected the suggestion that they infringe any athlete’s human rights, including the right to dignity and the right to bodily integrity.”</p>



<p>Kenya’s David Rudisha, regarded as the greatest 800-meters runner in history and a double-Olympic champion in 2012 and 2016, missed the Tokyo Games after a succession of injury setbacks.</p>



<p>He was desperate to compete but had not run since 2017 following ankle, leg and back injuries, as well as a serious car accident in which his SUV was written off when he collided head-on with a bus in Nairobi.</p>



<p>His race to be fit and in shape to fight for a gold medal was hampered, in part, by the Covid-19 pandemic, which meant limited training and competition.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-style-large is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow"><p>Covid-19 ruled Nigerian basketball star Michael Eric out of the Games after he admitted to battling with the after- effects of the virus.</p></blockquote>



<p>Two of Kenya’s other current greats were also high- profile absentees as world 1,500-meters champion Timothy Cheruiyot and 2016 Olympic 3000-meters steeplechase winner Conseslus Kipruto both failed to make the team.</p>



<p>At the Kenyan trials, Cheruiyot, who had not finished worse than second in any race for four years, was passed down the final straight and finished fourth to drop out of contention.</p>



<p>Kipruto won the World Championship titles in 2017 and 2019, but soon after the second of those wins, was reportedly charged with sexual assault and has entered just three races since, without finishing any of them. Neither have commented on their futures.</p>



<p>South African long-jump silver medalist from the 2016 Games, Luvo Manyonga, a self-confessed former methamphetamine addict who missed the 2012 Olympics because of an 18-month drugs ban, cleaned up his act to be one of South Africa’s stars at the Games in Rio de Janeiro five years ago. But he was handed a four-year ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) in June after missing three scheduled drugs tests having not provided details of his whereabouts as required by the AIU.</p>



<p>Covid-19 ruled Nigerian basketball star Michael Eric out of the Games after he admitted to battling with the after- effects of the virus, saying “my health and physical shape went through a traumatic experience”. It shone a spotlight on the effects the virus has on athletes’ bodies, and how it is not just performance that can suffer, but confidence too.</p>



<p>And then there were some who were simply not released by their employers to compete – among the most high-profile of these being Liverpool and Egypt striker Mo Salah.</p>



<p>He was desperate to feature at the Games, but Liverpool reportedly refused to allow him to travel as it would have meant a disrupted pre-season and start to the new English Premier League campaign.</p>



<p></p>


Ian MacNicol Archive

If Not Tokyo, Then Paris 2024?


<p><strong>TOPLINE</strong> Tokyo 2020 has the <a href="https://www.outsports.com/olympics/2021/7/12/22565574/tokyo-summer-olympics-lgbtq-gay-athletes-list" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">highest</a> number of openly LGBTQ+ competitors ever, counting more out athletes than all previous Summer and Winter Olympic Games combined and featuring the first openly transgender and nonbinary athletes to participate.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>British diver Tom Daley won&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/26/tom-daley-wins-olympic-diving-gold-at-last-in-synchronised-10m-platform" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gold</a>&nbsp;in the men’s synchronized 10 meter platform and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/26/tom-daley-overwhelmed-after-winning-olympic-gold-with-matty-lee-diving" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;he felt “incredibly proud to say that I am a gay man and also an Olympic champion” after not believing he could “achieve anything because of who” he was as a child.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Skateboarder Alana Smith said they were “proud” of achieving their goal of being “a visual representation for humans like me” after being the first openly nonbinary person to represent Team USA.</p>



<p>The International Olympic Committee said it was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/08/02/olympic-officials-face-off-over-protest-rules-as-us-backs-shot-putter-raven-saunders-in-podium-demonstration/?sh=4d25c21a4252">investigating</a>&nbsp;gay Team USA shot put silver medallist Raven Saunders after she raised her hands in a cross on the podium, a gesture she said was a “shout out” to Black people, the LGBTQ+ community and all people dealing with mental health.</p>



<p>Stefanie Dolson, who&nbsp;<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/4/5/18327606/chicago-sky-center-stefanie-dolson-shares-her-coming-out-story-on-lgbtq-panel" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">came out publicly</a>&nbsp;in 2019, helped Team USA score gold in women’s 3&#215;3 basketball and at least&nbsp;<a href="https://www.outsports.com/olympics/2021/7/31/22603480/new-zealand-rugby-gold-olympics-tokyo-ruby-tui" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">four</a>&nbsp;of New Zealand’s gold-winning rugby sevens team are openly LGBTQ+.&nbsp;</p>



<p><a href="https://www.gq.com/story/megan-rapinoe-sue-bird-march-modern-lovers-cover" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Engaged</a>&nbsp;soccer and basketball stars Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird, respectively, competed for Team USA in the Tokyo Games after they met during the Rio Olympics in 2016, a less complicated arrangement than American softball players Amanda Chidester and Anissa Urtez, who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.insider.com/softball-couple-competed-for-olympic-medals-2021-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">are one of the&nbsp;</a>only engaged or married couples to compete against one another at the Games.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard also made Olympic history as the first openly transgender women to compete in the Games,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2020-tokyo-olympics-sports-weightlifting-laurel-hubbard-e721827cdaf7299f47a9115a09c2a162" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">thanking</a>&nbsp;the International Weightlifting Federation for showing “that weightlifting is an activity that’s open to all of the people in the world.”&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>182. That’s at least how many openly LGBTQ+ athletes there are competing at the Tokyo 2020 Games,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.outsports.com/olympics/2021/7/12/22565574/tokyo-summer-olympics-lgbtq-gay-athletes-list" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<em>Outsports</em>. In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.outsports.com/2016/7/11/12133594/rio-olympics-teams-2016-gay-lgbt-athletes-record" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rio</a>, there were 56. In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.outsports.com/2012/7/18/4053416/23-openly-gay-and-lesbian-athletes-at-2012-london-summer-olympics" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">London</a>, 23.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.outsports.com/olympics/2021/7/21/22583016/olympics-lgbtq-athlete-women-men-gay-tokyo-why" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vast majority</a>&nbsp;of openly LGBTQ+ athletes are women, in line with broader&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/07/21/1018404859/openly-gay-athletes-in-mens-pro-sports-few" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">trends</a>&nbsp;among elite athletes. Openly LGBTQ+ women outnumber out men at the Games by about nine to one and represent a far greater diversity of sports. There are more than 40 openly LGBTQ+ competitors in women’s soccer alone, a sport with no out men. The international nature of the Games shines a light on the barriers LGBTQ+ people around the world face. Many countries participating&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-43822234" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">criminalize</a>&nbsp;homosexuality and being&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiewareham/2020/09/30/this-is-where-its-illegal-to-be-transgender-in-2020/?sh=68f4daf95748">transgender</a>—some with the death penalty or corporal punishment—and few permit same-sex marriage or allow people to legally change their gender. Beyond the law, many face discrimination, violence and prejudice for being who they are and for some athletes attending the Games can be a risk in itself. Tongan&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/tongan-olympic-swimmer-competing-medal-homophobia-rcna1502" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">swimmer</a>&nbsp;Amini Fonua, for example, is openly gay and represents a country where homosexuality can be punishable by a 10 year prison sentence. Other athletes—including Hubbard, Quinn, Smith and Daley—have been the subject of offensive and abusive&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-58029133" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">slurs</a>&nbsp;by pundits commenting on the Games around the world, as well as being&nbsp;<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/news/olympic-commentators-misgender-first-openly-nonbinary-athlete-b1892333.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">misgendered</a>&nbsp;on TV&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/7kvdyy/alana-smith-quinn-non-binary-olympics-athletes-misgendered-pronouns" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">broadcasts</a>&nbsp;and on official&nbsp;<a href="https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/skateboarding/athlete-profile-n1342516-smith-alana.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Olympic</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/football/athlete-profile-n1469426-quinn.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">biographics</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



<p>In 2016,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/a-note-from-the-editors-1?source=twitter&amp;via=desktop" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>The Daily Beast</em></a>&nbsp;published an article that was accused of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-37058787" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">outing</a>&nbsp;a number of gay athletes at the Rio Games. TikTok and Twitter users have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.insider.com/olympics-tokyo-2021-tiktok-lgbt-gay-grindr-photos-endangering-athletes-2021-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reportedly</a>&nbsp;done the same in Tokyo. The 2022 soccer World Cup is set to be held in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/08/03/qatar-censorship-ignores-rights-fifa-rules" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Qatar</a>, a nation that punishes homosexuality by up to three years in prison. While Qatari officials have insisted everyone is welcome, the decision for Qatar to host was criticized by rights groups and there were calls in 2010 for then-FIFA boss Sepp Blatter to resign after he joked that gay fans and players should just “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2010/dec/14/fifa-boss-gay-fans-no-sex" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">refrain</a>” from sex during the tournament.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h3>



<p>After winning his third Olympic medal in as many Games—and his first gold—27-year old Briton Tom Daley <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/26/tom-daley-overwhelmed-after-winning-olympic-gold-with-matty-lee-diving" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">recalled</a> coming out in 2013. “I always felt like the one that was alone and different and didn’t fit,” he said. “There are more openly out athletes at these Olympic Games than any Olympic Games previously&#8230; I hope that any young LGBT person out there can see that no matter how alone you feel right now, you are not alone. You can achieve anything.”</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1303795054-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52057" width="622" height="415" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1303795054-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1303795054-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1303795054-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1303795054-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1303795054-2048x1366.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 622px) 100vw, 622px" /><figcaption>Megan Rapinoe #15 of the United States moves past Quinn #5 of Canada during a game between Canada and USWNT at Exploria Stadium on February 18, 2021 in Orlando City, Florida. (Photo by Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1330670372-1024x701.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52059" width="602" height="412" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1330670372-1024x701.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1330670372-300x205.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1330670372-768x526.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1330670372-1536x1051.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1330670372-2048x1402.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 602px) 100vw, 602px" /><figcaption>TOKYO, JAPAN &#8211; JULY 26: Tom Daley of Team Great Britain poses with the gold medal during the medal presentation for the Men&#8217;s Synchronised 10m Platform Final on day three of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre on July 26, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1330627088-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52058" width="608" height="404" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1330627088-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1330627088-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1330627088-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1330627088-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1330627088-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 608px) 100vw, 608px" /><figcaption>TOKYO, JAPAN &#8211; JULY 26:  Alana Smith of Team United States reacts during the Women&#8217;s Street Prelims Heat 3 on day three of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Urban Sports Park on July 26, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1234405905-1024x691.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52056" width="676" height="455" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1234405905-1024x691.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1234405905-300x202.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1234405905-768x518.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1234405905-1536x1037.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1234405905-2048x1382.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 676px) 100vw, 676px" /><figcaption>-TOKYO,JAPAN August 2, 2021: New Zealands Laurel Hubbard, the first transgender Olympian, smiles to the small crowd after failing to advance in the womens 87kg weightlifting final at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.  (Wally Skalij /Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1037922724.jpg-2-946x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52061" width="504" height="545" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1037922724.jpg-2-946x1024.jpg 946w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1037922724.jpg-2-277x300.jpg 277w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1037922724.jpg-2-768x831.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1037922724.jpg-2-1419x1536.jpg 1419w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1037922724.jpg-2-1892x2048.jpg 1892w" sizes="(max-width: 504px) 100vw, 504px" /><figcaption>Dutch couple and equestrian competitors Hans Minderhoud and Edward Gal are competing together in the Tokyo 2020 Games <small>PICTURE ALLIANCE VIA GETTY IMAGES</small></figcaption></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-149380885-1024x721.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52053" width="582" height="409" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-149380885-1024x721.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-149380885-300x211.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-149380885-768x541.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-149380885-1536x1081.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-149380885-2048x1442.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 582px) 100vw, 582px" /><figcaption>LONDON, ENGLAND &#8211; JULY 27:  Amini Fonua of the Tonga Olympic swimming team carries his country&#8217;s flag during the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on July 27, 2012 in London, England.  (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/30/here-are-the-first-openly-transgender-and-nonbinary-olympians-making-history-in-tokyo/?sh=69fd12aba9c8">Here Are The First Openly Transgender And Nonbinary Olympians Making History In Tokyo</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/08/02/laurel-hubbard-crashes-out-of-weightlifting-as-quinn-makes-soccer-final---here-are-the-first-openly-transgender-and-nonbinary-olympians-photos/?sh=70ecee005efa">Laurel Hubbard Crashes Out Of Weightlifting As Quinn Makes Soccer Final — Here Are The First Openly Transgender And Nonbinary Olympians (Photos)</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.outsports.com/olympics/2021/7/12/22565574/tokyo-summer-olympics-lgbtq-gay-athletes-list" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">At least 181 out LGBTQ athletes are at the Tokyo Summer Olympics, more than triple the number in Rio</a>&nbsp;(Outsports)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/30/rainbow-olympics-tokyo-hailed-turning-point-lgbtq-athletes" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">‘Rainbow Olympics’: Tokyo hailed as turning point for LGBTQ+ athletes</a> (Guardian)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Robert Hart, FORBES STAFF</em></strong></p>


Athletics – Olympics: Day 9

There Are More Openly LGBTQ+ Olympians At Tokyo 2020 Than All Other Games Combined — Here Are The Athletes Making Sporting History


<p><strong>TOPLINE</strong> After demolishing the field in the women’s 100-meter finals last week, Jamaican sprinters Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will be part of a star-studded lineup vying for gold in the 200-meter final at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday amid controversy about two finalists from Namibia who have been barred from the 400-meter race following a contentious testosterone ruling.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



<p>The 200-meter women’s finals are expected to be among the most competitive track and field events at the Tokyo Games with multiple gold medal contenders.</p>



<p>Thompson-Herah will look to pull off a repeat of her 200-meter gold win at the Rio Olympics and just like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/31/elaine-thompson-herah-takes-stunning-olympic-gold-in-womens-100m" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">last week’s 100-meter final</a>, she will likely be challenged by her compatriot Fraser-Pryce.</p>



<p>Among the challengers will be American Gabby Thomas, the Harvard-educated neurobiology major who overcame a health scare earlier this summer to post the second-fastest ever women’s 200-meter time of 21.61—second only to Griffith-Joyner’s world record of 21.34 seconds.</p>



<p>Bahamian sprinter and current holder of the 400-meter Olympic gold medal, Shaunae Miller-Uibo and 100-meter African record holder Marie-Josee Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast will also be in the mix.</p>



<p>All eyes will also be on two 18-year old Namibian runners—Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi—who were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2020-tokyo-olympics-track-and-field-shaunae-miller-elaine-thompson-sports-3e29b4cf0394f204fbcde928ad2c9f03" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">controversially barred</a>&nbsp;from participating in the 400-meter event as World Athletics ruled that their naturally occurring high testosterone levels give them an unfair advantage over the rest of the field in longer events.</p>



<p>Christine Mboma smashed the world under-20 record twice in the span of a few hours and even charged past Thomas in the 200-meter semi-finals.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-fact">SURPRISING FACT</h3>



<p>If Thompson-Herah wins, she will become the first woman in history to win both the 100-meter and 200-meter gold in back-to-back Olympics games. She had won gold in both events at the Rio 2016 Olympics.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



<p>World Athletics&#8217; ruling against Mboma and Masilingi in the 400 meters only applies to races between 400-meters and a mile as the governing body argues it gives them an unfair advantage over other female athletes. The same rules have sidelined double Olympic gold medalist Caster Semenya of South Africa in the 800 meters event. The world athletic body has been called out for its stance being in direct opposition to efforts to make athletics more inclusive. But Sebastian Coe, the president of World Athletics has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/30/sports/olympics/track-field.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">insisted</a>&nbsp;that the rule is in place to maintain the “integrity of the sport.”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h3>



<p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/2020-tokyo-olympics-track-and-field-shaunae-miller-elaine-thompson-sports-3e29b4cf0394f204fbcde928ad2c9f03" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Teenagers make 200 final in Olympic testosterone controversy</a>&nbsp;(Associated Press)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/31/elaine-thompson-herah-takes-stunning-olympic-gold-in-womens-100m" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elaine Thompson-Herah wins greatest 100m women’s race ever to take gold</a>&nbsp;(Guardian)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2021/08/02/womens-200-meter-olympic-final-track-and-field/5457931001/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Field loaded for women&#8217;s 200-meter final at Tokyo Olympics</a>&nbsp;(USA Today)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/30/sports/olympics/track-field.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Track and Field Aimed for Inclusion. Instead It Sidelined Star Athletes.</a> (New York Times)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Siladitya Ray, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Athletics – Olympics: Day 10

Tokyo Olympics: Star-Studded Line Up Takes Center Stage In Women’s 200m Final Amid Testosterone Controversy


<p><strong>South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker won gold at the Olympics in Tokyo on Friday, setting the tone for Uganda and Ethiopia following on the leader board. With more events still to unfold, there is still room for strong showings.</strong></p>



<p class="has-drop-cap">South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker brought home the continent’s first gold medal on Friday, in the process smashing the world record for the women’s 200m breaststroke, with a finishing time of 2:18.95.</p>



<p>The 24-year old became the first female South African swimmer to win gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in a quarter of a century, delivering a supreme performance to finish ahead of America’s Lilly King and Annie Lazor.<br><br>Emotional at her victory, Schoenmaker was still in the water when she saw the scoreboards indicate she had set a new world record, and shrieked with delight before being congratulated by her rivals, and earning her second medal for the games so far after having won the silver in the women’s 100m breaststroke earlier in the week.<br><br>Schoenmaker received a surprise congratulatory phone call from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday after her victory. Given the tumultuous few weeks the country has seen, the president had some supportive and unifying words for the swimmer, who was strongly celebrated back home.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="736" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1331501475-1024x736.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52007" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1331501475-1024x736.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1331501475-300x216.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1331501475-768x552.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1331501475-1536x1104.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1331501475-2048x1472.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>TOKYO, JAPAN &#8211; JULY 30: Gold Medalist Tatjana Schoenmaker of South Africa during the medal ceremony of the 200m Breaststroke final on day seven of the swimming competition of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre on July 30, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



<p><br>“You have lifted the country,” said Ramaphosa in a recording of the clip released by the Presidency, “Thank you so much. It was just unbelievable. You have done this for the country and for yourself and we honour you &#8230; we are really delighted to have seen this unbelievable performance.&#8221;<br><br>South Africa leads the continent’s medals at the games so far, which has seen Ethiopia’s Selemon Berega win gold for the men’s 10,000m, and Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei set world records in three different events at the games so far. South Africa currently stands at one gold and two silver medals, Uganda with one silver and one bronze, and Ethiopia with one gold.<br><br>With many of the athletics events still to come, there is still plenty of room for the teams to bring more success and glory to their countries.</p>


Swimming – Olympics: Day 7

Making A Splash And More Glory


<p>TOPLINE: American gymnast Simone Biles has withdrawn from Thursday’s individual all-around gymnastics final at the Tokyo Olympic Games to focus on her mental health, USA Gymnastics announced on Wednesday, a decision that comes just a day after the four-time Olympic gold medalist had to withdraw from the team event.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



<p>In a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/USAGym/status/1420266286441922562" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement issued on Twitter</a>, USA Gymnastics said Biles’ decision to withdraw was taken following further medical evaluation and it backed the champion gymnast for prioritizing her well-being.</p>



<p>Biles—who won gold in the all-around event in Rio—was scheduled to defend her title in the finals on Thursday.&nbsp;</p>



<p>American gymnast Jade Carey, who ranked ninth in the all-around prelims, will take Biles’ spot in the finals, USA Gymnastics added.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h3>



<p>Apart from the all-around individual event, Biles is in the finals of the four other gymnastics disciplines. The finals of the Vault and Uneven Bars are scheduled to take place on Sunday, the Floor final is scheduled for Monday and the Beam final is on Tuesday. It is unclear if Biles will be able to participate in any of these events.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h3>



<p>“We wholeheartedly support Simone&#8217;s decision and applaud her bravery in prioritising her wellbeing. Her courage shows, yet again, why she is a role model for so many,” USA Gymnastics said.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h3>



<p>19. That’s the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/simone-biles-medals-tokyo-2021-b1891221.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">total number</a>&nbsp;of gold medals Biles has won in world events—including the Olympics—making her the most successful gymnast in history. Her achievements also include three silver and three bronze medals at the world level, taking her total medal tally up to 25.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



<p>Biles, widely considered the greatest gymnast of all time,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2021/07/27/simone-biles-pulls-out-of-gymnastics-team-finals-in-huge-blow-to-gold-medal-hopes-for-team-usa/?sh=336c9d364628">pulled out</a>&nbsp;of the team gymnastics final on Tuesday after a vault attempt. Despite her absence, the U.S. team managed to put together a strong performance and managed to secure a silver medal, with the Russian Olympic Committee winning gold. After the event, Biles&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2021/07/27/simone-biles-says-she-pulled-out-of-olympic-team-gymnastics-over-her-mental-health/?sh=6a5b4b81725e">said</a>&nbsp;she pulled out of the event to focus on her mental health, telling reporters she feared she would injure herself because she wasn’t in the right headspace to perform the risky gymnastics moves in her routine. The star gymnast’s decision to open up about her mental health challenged has earned her praise with fellow athletes and other public figures expressing their support. Former first lady Michelle Obama&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/MichelleObama/status/1420202408215564288" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tweeted</a>&nbsp;her support for Biles late on Tuesday night saying “we are proud of you and we are rooting for you.” Swimming legend Michael Phelps, who holds the all-time record for Olympic gold medals,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2021/07/28/michael-phelps-simone-biles/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;Biles’s struggles “broke his heart.” The swimmer who has opened about his own struggles with depression said on Tuesday: “We carry a lot of weight on our shoulders, and it is challenging especially when the lights are on us.” Biles’ Rio 2016 teammate Aly Raisman&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Aly_Raisman/status/1420020980198649860" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">congratulated</a>&nbsp;the U.S. Team for winning silver and simply&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Aly_Raisman/status/1420062022461534215" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tweeted</a>&nbsp;“Love you” at Biles.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h3>



<p><a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/57973716" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Simone Biles out of individual all-around final</a>&nbsp;(BBC News)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2021/07/28/michael-phelps-simone-biles/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Michael Phelps: Simone Biles situation ‘broke my heart’ but could raise mental health awareness</a>&nbsp;(Washington Post)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2021/07/27/simone-biles-says-she-pulled-out-of-olympic-team-gymnastics-over-her-mental-health/?sh=6a5b4b81725e">Simone Biles Says She Pulled Out Of Olympic Team Gymnastics Over Her Mental Health</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>


Gymnastics – Artistic – Olympics: Day 4

Simone Biles Withdraws From Individual All-Around Final As Support Pours In


<p><strong>TOPLINE</strong> The Tokyo 2020 Games are now in the path of a tropical storm, weather agencies warn, yet another threat athletes must face as they battle searing heat and a growing number Covid-19 infections, a far cry from organizers’ assurances of a “safe and secure” Games with “mild” weather.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



<p>Tropical Storm Nepartak&nbsp;<a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/07/25/national/tropical-storm-nepartak/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">could</a>&nbsp;make landfall in Japan on Tuesday, the country’s Meteorological Agency forecast Sunday, which warned of heavy rain, strong winds and high waves.</p>



<p>It is&nbsp;<a href="https://thehill.com/policy/international/asia-pacific/564745-tokyo-olympics-threatened-by-tropical-storm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">possible</a>&nbsp;Nepartak could hit Tokyo or its surrounding region and organizers have moved&nbsp;<a href="https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/olympics-tokyo-braces-storm-snarls-091502305.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rowing</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/no-plans-reschedule-any-more-events-storm-approaches-olympics" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">archery</a>&nbsp;events from Tuesday to avoid the weather.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Officials say they have no plans to reschedule other events due to the storm and on Monday said they&nbsp;<a href="https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/news/possible-impact-of-tropical-storm-no-8-on-the-games" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">expect</a>&nbsp;it to “have limited impact on the Games.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>In addition to the impending tropical storm, athletes are also dealing with outbreaks of Covid-19 and scorching heat and humidity as the Japanese capital endures a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/olympics/heat-wave-hits-tokyo-olympic-organizers-battle-keep-covid-rates-n1274899" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">heatwave</a>&nbsp;that could make it the hottest Olympic Games on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/20/tokyo-olympics-fears-athletes-could-face-hottest-games-on-record?CMP=twt_a-world_b-gdnworld" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">record</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Despite Organizers<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/20/as-record-heat-threatens-tokyo-olympics-heres-what-climate-change-means-for-future-sporting-events/?sh=11a204d84fb2">&nbsp;taking steps&nbsp;</a>to mitigate the worst of Tokyo’s stifling summer, beach volleyball players complained the sand is too hot to play on, leading tennis players slammed the “<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/tokyo-olympics-heat-11627186166" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">brutal</a>” conditions on court and a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/olympics/heat-wave-hits-tokyo-olympic-organizers-battle-keep-covid-rates-n1274899" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Russian archer collapsing during</a>&nbsp;a qualifying round.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>On Monday, officials&nbsp;<a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Tokyo-2020-Olympics/Tokyo-heat-and-typhoon-compound-Olympics-complications" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;16 more people linked to the Games had tested positive for Covid-19, including three athletes, bringing the total since July 1 to 148.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



<p>While the Covid-19 pandemic has been a major concern for organizers—leading to a year-long delay and an unprecedented Games devoid of spectators—Tokyo’s lethal combination of high heat and high humidity has been the overarching health concern for officials since before the city won its bid to host. Tokyo’s Medical Association&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/20/tokyo-olympics-fears-athletes-could-face-hottest-games-on-record?CMP=twt_a-world_b-gdnworld" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warned</a>&nbsp;that holding the games in July and August was “a serious issue even before the coronavirus pandemic” and the last time the city hosted in 1964 events took place in October after the worst of the heat had dissipated. As&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/20/as-record-heat-threatens-tokyo-olympics-heres-what-climate-change-means-for-future-sporting-events/?sh=11a204d84fb2">climate change</a>&nbsp;pushes temperatures higher around the world, these issues will increase, as will disruption from storms.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-fact">SURPRISING FACT</h3>



<p>Official’s touted Tokyo’s “<a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210712-heat-risks-add-to-challenges-for-tokyo-s-pandemic-hit-olympics" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mild</a>” weather in the city’s successful Olympic bid. It beat out Doha, Qatar, which is due to host the FIFA 2022 World Cup in cooled statia in November due to the scorching heat. In the 2019 World Championships marathon, held in Doha, 28 out of 68 starters&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/49860159" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pulled</a>&nbsp;out due to the conditions, with one runner being taken away in an ambulance. The race had started at midnight in an attempt to avoid the worst of Qatar’s heat.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h3>



<p>Nepartak was initially forecast as a typhoon, though was downgraded to a tropical storm.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h3>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/20/as-record-heat-threatens-tokyo-olympics-heres-what-climate-change-means-for-future-sporting-events/?sh=11a204d84fb2">As Record Heat Threatens Tokyo Olympics, Here&#8217;s What Climate Change Means For Future Sporting Events</a>&nbsp;(Forbes )</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/07/19/did-olympic-athletes-need-to-be-vaccinated-no---and-now-more-are-testing-positive-for-covid-19/?sh=6fb0b9244db7">Did Olympic Athletes Need To Be Vaccinated? No — And Now More Are Testing Positive For Covid-19.</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/07/25/national/tropical-storm-nepartak/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tropical Storm Nepartak could make Olympic landfall near Tokyo</a>&nbsp;(Japan Times)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/25/top-golfer-jon-rahm-the-latest-to-pull-out-of-tokyo-olympics-due-to-covid---heres-the-full-list/?sh=6391c81f2a27">Top Golfer Jon Rahm The Latest To Pull Out Of Tokyo Olympics Due To Covid — Here’s The Full List</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/20/tokyo-olympics-fears-athletes-could-face-hottest-games-on-record?CMP=twt_a-world_b-gdnworld" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tokyo Olympics: fears athletes could face hottest Games on record</a> (Guardian)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Robert Hart, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Tokyo 2020 – Triathlon

Tokyo Olympics Threatened By Extreme Heat And Tropical Storm As Another 16 People Test Positive For Covid-19


<p><strong>TOPLINE</strong> Some of the youngest athletes in the history of the modern Olympic games are competing in Tokyo this summer, and despite their young ages, they’re not here to play—even just a few days into competition, they’re already breaking records in their events.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Tokyo’s youngest competitor was 12-year-old Syrian table tennis prodigy&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2021/07/24/first-round-exit-for-12-year-old-table-tennis-prodigy-hend-zaza-the-youngest-athlete-at-tokyo-olympics/?sh=52e70d661cd9">Hend Zaza</a>, who exited the Games Saturday after losing 4-0 in her first round match against Austria’s Liu Jia.</p>



<p>The second-youngest Tokyo Olympian is 12-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/skateboarding/athlete-profile-n1315697-hiraki-kokona.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kokona Hiraki</a>, a Japanese skateboarder who is Japan’s youngest athlete to ever represent the country in a Summer Games.</p>



<p>Hiraki isn’t the only child skateboarder competing in Tokyo: she’ll go up against Great Britain’s&nbsp;<a href="https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/skateboarding/athlete-profile-n1440048-brown-sky.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sky Brown</a>, who just turned 13 this month, making her Team GB’s youngest Summer Olympics competitor ever.</p>



<p>Another one of the Games’ youngest competitors is China’s&nbsp;<a href="https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/diving/athlete-profile-n1409063-quan-hongchan.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Quang Hongchan</a>, who is competing as a diver in the women’s 10-meter platform event at just 14 years old.</p>



<p>Another 14-year-old, Canada’s&nbsp;<a href="https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/swimming/athlete-profile-n1459618-mcintosh-summer.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Summer McIntosh</a>, set a new Canadian swimming record Sunday when she finished a 400-meter freestyle heat in 4:02.72.</p>



<p><a href="https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/swimming/athlete-profile-n1869712-grimes-katie.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Katie Grimes</a>, a 15-year-old swimmer, is the youngest member of the U.S. swim team since gold medal recordholder Katie Ledecky, who debuted in the Olympics at age 15 and, now 24, called Grimes “<a href="https://www.insider.com/katie-ledecky-katie-grimes-video-usa-swimming-tokyo-olympics-2021-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the future</a>” of the sport during Olympic trials.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-fact">SURPRISING FACT</h2>



<p>The youngest Olympian in the modern history of the games to win a medal was 10-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://olympics.com/en/athletes/dimitrios-loundras#" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dimitrios Loundras</a>, a Greek gymnast who helped his team win a bronze medal in team parallel bars at the 1896 Athens Summer Games. Loundras never competed in another Games, but did serve on Greece’s Olympic committee as an adult.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



<p>There is no universal minimum age for Olympians set by the International Olympic Committee, but individual sports have eligibility limits. Gymnasts, for example, must be 16 years old to compete at the Games, while boxers must have turned 18. Olympic skateboarding, notably, has no minimum age requirement, opening the door for young competitors like Brown and Hiraki.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>The young athletes competing in Tokyo this year are doing so during an unprecedented Games. After a year’s delay over the coronavirus pandemic, the Games are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/07/23/tokyo-olympics-opening-ceremony-in-photos-drones-fly-athletes-celebrate-in-muted-kickoff-to-summer-games/?sh=4307fcdd28ed">going forward</a>&nbsp;with strict pandemic protocols in place. On Sunday, organizers said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/25/top-golfer-jon-rahm-the-latest-to-pull-out-of-tokyo-olympics-due-to-covid---heres-the-full-list/?sh=2c142c9e2a27">137 people</a>&nbsp;connected to the Olympics had tested positive for coronavirus, including more than a dozen Olympians who have since been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/25/top-golfer-jon-rahm-the-latest-to-pull-out-of-tokyo-olympics-due-to-covid---heres-the-full-list/?sh=2c142c9e2a27">pulled from competing</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2021/07/25/see-skateboarders-and-surfers-make-their-olympic-debut-in-tokyo-photos/?sh=38389bc66e85">See Skateboarders And Surfers Make Their Olympic Debut In Tokyo</a>&nbsp;(<em>Forbes</em>)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2021/07/24/first-round-exit-for-12-year-old-table-tennis-prodigy-hend-zaza-the-youngest-athlete-at-tokyo-olympics/?sh=52e70d661cd9">12-Year Old Syrian Table Tennis Prodigy, The Youngest Athlete At Tokyo Olympics, Exits After First Round</a>&nbsp;(<em>Forbes</em>)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/25/top-golfer-jon-rahm-the-latest-to-pull-out-of-tokyo-olympics-due-to-covid---heres-the-full-list/?sh=2c142c9e2a27">Top Golfer Jon Rahm The Latest To Pull Out Of Tokyo Olympics Due To Covid — Here’s The Full List</a> (<em>Forbes</em>)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Carlie Porterfield, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Table Tennis – Olympics: Day 1

Meet The Youngest Olympians Competing At The Tokyo Games


<p><strong>TOPLINE</strong>: <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewalsh/2021/07/24/olympic-ratings-fall-sharply-nbc-says-17-million-watched-opening-ceremony-in-us/">Millions of people</a> all around the world are tuning into hours of Olympics events this week, but many athletes competing in Tokyo have taken to the app TikTok to show followers what it’s like at the Olympic Village during the Games, often going viral in the process.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



<p>The first Olympic meme to go viral in Tokyo showed athletes jumping on beds in the Olympic Village in TikTok videos after rumors swirled that the bedframes were <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2021/07/19/the-anti-sex-cardboard-beds-of-the-olympics-explained/">made of cardboard</a> to prevent Olympians from having sex and breaking pandemic protocol—as Argentian basketball players Fran Caffaro and Tayavek Gallizzi proved in one viral video, the beds are <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@caffarof/video/6987334212575661317?sender_device=pc&amp;sender_web_id=6985254902423651845&amp;is_from_webapp=v1&amp;is_copy_url=0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sturdier than they appear</a>. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-tiktok wp-block-embed-tiktok"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@caffarof/video/6987334212575661317" data-video-id="6987334212575661317" data-embed-from="oembed" style="max-width:605px; min-width:325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@caffarof" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@caffarof?refer=embed">@caffarof</a> <p>Trying the Olympic cardboard beds with 480 pounds ✅ <a title="olympics" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/olympics?refer=embed">#olympics</a> <a title="olympics2020" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/olympics2020?refer=embed">#olympics2020</a> <a title="olympics2021" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/olympics2021?refer=embed">#olympics2021</a> <a title="tokyo" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/tokyo?refer=embed">#tokyo</a> <a title="tokyo2020" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/tokyo2020?refer=embed">#tokyo2020</a> <a title="tokyo2021" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/tokyo2021?refer=embed">#tokyo2021</a> <a title="argentina" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/argentina?refer=embed">#argentina</a> <a title="arg" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/arg?refer=embed">#arg</a> <a title="basketball" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/basketball?refer=embed">#basketball</a></p> <a target="_blank" title="♬ Ball If I Want To - DaBaby" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/Ball-If-I-Want-To-6973722766373570561?refer=embed">♬ Ball If I Want To &#8211; DaBaby</a> </section> </blockquote> <script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>Another Olympian to go viral on the platform was 18-year-old American diver <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@tylerdownss/video/6987483523921759494?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESMgowZOCeYM74c7smjs9j2t9d2hdqGShs15DmVJ6An2lCcWAf2bkIlxjyD4ymaqLKwRcdGgA%3D&amp;checksum=8faa4d9fa95d7d2172a291e052b5ffe615c27c2a49dc8d9d2aa96c615811a051&amp;language=en&amp;preview_pb=0&amp;sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAawoof_42mR5wsC_7K-cVTbyU_yuD_TYlZTWRUr1ihRZB__7r6cvd2kPiri1djYbt&amp;share_app_id=1233&amp;share_item_id=6987483523921759494&amp;share_link_id=EE332493-9D78-4F56-B9E4-9079FE689AC0&amp;source=h5_m&amp;timestamp=1627137553&amp;tt_from=copy&amp;u_code=d8gk1d6c01khe4&amp;user_id=6743866028382520325&amp;utm_campaign=client_share&amp;utm_medium=ios&amp;utm_source=copy&amp;_r=1&amp;is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tyler Downs</a>, who posted a relatable video about wanting to meet star gymnast Simone Biles, another member of Team USA, during the Games.</p>



<p>American rugby player Ilona Maher has posted a variety of behind-the-scenes videos of the Games to her TikTok account—in one, she describes scouting the Olympic Village for a “tall foreign demigod”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@ilonamaher/video/6988449598331292933?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESMgow7QAObZXXM7GgvVsgCfc1ajnhQ%2FTqFW4rp8tmF53rsnVvHy4Z8F%2Bgt%2Bb3YNklcdcjGgA%3D&amp;checksum=3267ca6e011fd4fbbe682bc0e8d877db285d345f7dd7b8ccc95eaeb274f61ca9&amp;language=en&amp;preview_pb=0&amp;sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAawoof_42mR5wsC_7K-cVTbyU_yuD_TYlZTWRUr1ihRZB__7r6cvd2kPiri1djYbt&amp;share_app_id=1233&amp;share_item_id=6988449598331292933&amp;share_link_id=0F65B3AE-1FC5-4C61-81BD-8CF13AD90AAB&amp;source=h5_m&amp;timestamp=1627139729&amp;tt_from=copy&amp;u_code=d8gk1d6c01khe4&amp;user_id=6743866028382520325&amp;utm_campaign=client_share&amp;utm_medium=ios&amp;utm_source=copy&amp;_r=1&amp;is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">athlete to marry</a>, and in another she shows off the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@ilonamaher/video/6987899983349468421?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESMgowcnp4waqdE1Ssr%2BGeXdaF%2Fm4Rgi0tFXODlCpQ4IScJXBB8XDE2CjnZJgU1cYXmryEGgA%3D&amp;checksum=7d197536761b74e810a6c5c8810da5b43f95d111619795531eedabd7ad12f799&amp;language=en&amp;preview_pb=0&amp;sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAawoof_42mR5wsC_7K-cVTbyU_yuD_TYlZTWRUr1ihRZB__7r6cvd2kPiri1djYbt&amp;share_app_id=1233&amp;share_item_id=6981535158310636806&amp;share_link_id=98A16295-D4F3-4037-BAD7-585089AE4336&amp;source=h5_m&amp;timestamp=1627173431&amp;tt_from=copy&amp;u_code=d8gk1d6c01khe4&amp;user_id=6743866028382520325&amp;utm_campaign=client_share&amp;utm_medium=ios&amp;utm_source=copy&amp;_r=1&amp;is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ralph Lauren and Nike gear</a>&nbsp;Team USA athletes were gifted.</p>



<p>American fencer Courtney Hurley posted a video showing the room she shares at the Olympic Village with sister and fellow Team USA fencer Kelley Hurley, pointing out how the their sides of the room&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@thishurleygurrl/video/6988762823237192965?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESMgow3JB%2F9buF7YtzxqYOACq90UfMLtmWk6%2BQ4q8vRbXcV6TCfeQb%2FAzDaErU93ho0IwIGgA%3D&amp;checksum=01b42ed0de7c93acb9da248aecaa7862df3b2a58271dd3de2d43a5a8bcc1535d&amp;language=en&amp;preview_pb=0&amp;sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAawoof_42mR5wsC_7K-cVTbyU_yuD_TYlZTWRUr1ihRZB__7r6cvd2kPiri1djYbt&amp;share_app_id=1233&amp;share_item_id=6987706776510565637&amp;share_link_id=B7CB069C-0530-49AE-AF70-FBAE97B56E8D&amp;source=h5_m&amp;timestamp=1627213849&amp;tt_from=copy&amp;u_code=d8gk1d6c01khe4&amp;user_id=6743866028382520325&amp;utm_campaign=client_share&amp;utm_medium=ios&amp;utm_source=copy&amp;_r=1&amp;is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">differ in neatness</a>.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-tiktok wp-block-embed-tiktok"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@thishurleygurrl/video/6988762823237192965" data-video-id="6988762823237192965" data-embed-from="oembed" style="max-width:605px; min-width:325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@thishurleygurrl" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@thishurleygurrl?refer=embed">@thishurleygurrl</a> <p>This will be our third Olympics together&#8230;I&#8217;m not getting any better🥲<a title="olympicgames" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/olympicgames?refer=embed">#olympicgames</a> <a title="olympics" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/olympics?refer=embed">#olympics</a> <a title="olympicspirit" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/olympicspirit?refer=embed">#olympicspirit</a> <a title="foryoupage" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/foryoupage?refer=embed">#foryoupage</a> <a title="fyp" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp?refer=embed">#fyp</a> <a title="teamusa" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/teamusa?refer=embed">#teamusa</a> <a title="tokyoolympics" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/tokyoolympics?refer=embed">#tokyoolympics</a></p> <a target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - N." href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-6807611482092751621?refer=embed">♬ original sound &#8211; N.</a> </section> </blockquote> <script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>American swimmer Regan Smith and several teammates used a spare moment during practice at a Tokyo pool to <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@regansmith40/video/6988345232916090117?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESMgowGG4HT8HB%2F4q6UjX4zzBaGsds6d1SfVwApvin%2BmEHazHHh%2F4xGCOwTmlZT8cx21gpGgA%3D&amp;checksum=7ab48b0191c49a5b3e39fd5076a853649bb0b9beba207a68efce6a6c77cd3a20&amp;language=en&amp;preview_pb=0&amp;sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAawoof_42mR5wsC_7K-cVTbyU_yuD_TYlZTWRUr1ihRZB__7r6cvd2kPiri1djYbt&amp;share_app_id=1233&amp;share_item_id=6988345232916090117&amp;share_link_id=0C9786E2-1B37-45C8-862C-14A34CC973C9&amp;source=h5_m&amp;timestamp=1627137510&amp;tt_from=copy&amp;u_code=d8gk1d6c01khe4&amp;user_id=6743866028382520325&amp;utm_campaign=client_share&amp;utm_medium=ios&amp;utm_source=copy&amp;_r=1&amp;is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">jokingly recreate</a> a video that went viral last year of a baby being <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/davidmack/viral-tiktok-of-baby-being-thrown-into-pool" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tossed into a pool</a> during an infant swimming lesson.</p>



<p>Australian water polo player Tilly Kearns responded to a video from Australian rugby player Kennedy Cherrington about athlete hairstyles,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@tillykearns/video/6985395534529940742?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESMgowZyYjpAP7r6LlAhiEvfdKQ4iPXh9D8fgCLM8yJsXnPHpGek3d4ve2IUBzEVO%2F5M2OGgA%3D&amp;checksum=a8c3128e6c627a8c52d2a021d69185bca4f8867769f2544ad6d0e04953877c38&amp;language=en&amp;preview_pb=0&amp;sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAawoof_42mR5wsC_7K-cVTbyU_yuD_TYlZTWRUr1ihRZB__7r6cvd2kPiri1djYbt&amp;share_app_id=1233&amp;share_item_id=6985395534529940742&amp;share_link_id=F0A272D2-F24D-48D2-A5C5-3A6B796B9108&amp;source=h5_m&amp;timestamp=1627215155&amp;tt_from=copy&amp;u_code=d8gk1d6c01khe4&amp;user_id=6743866028382520325&amp;utm_campaign=client_share&amp;utm_medium=ios&amp;utm_source=copy&amp;_r=1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">poking fun</a>&nbsp;at the tight swim caps water sport competitors wear.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Olympian TikTok videos give viewers an inside look at the Olympic Village during an unprecedented Games. With host city Tokyo reporting an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2021/07/22/tokyo-reports-its-highest-covid-case-count-since-january-on-eve-of-olympic-games/?sh=18e18b307e06">increase in new cases</a>, athletes undergo regular testing and follow strict protocol to prevent new infections. According to organizers,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/25/top-golfer-jon-rahm-the-latest-to-pull-out-of-tokyo-olympics-due-to-covid---heres-the-full-list/?sh=2c142c9e2a27">137 people</a>&nbsp;had tested positive in relation to the Olympics on Sunday. Most recently, top golfers Jon Rahm from Spain and Bryson DeChambeau from the U.S were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/25/top-golfer-jon-rahm-the-latest-to-pull-out-of-tokyo-olympics-due-to-covid---heres-the-full-list/?sh=2c142c9e2a27">pulled from the Games</a>&nbsp;after being diagnosed with coronavirus.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/25/top-golfer-jon-rahm-the-latest-to-pull-out-of-tokyo-olympics-due-to-covid---heres-the-full-list/?sh=2c142c9e2a27">Top Golfer Jon Rahm The Latest To Pull Out Of Tokyo Olympics Due To Covid — Here’s The Full List</a>&nbsp;(<em>Forbes</em>)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/23/at-least-100-us-athletes-unvaccinated-as-tokyo-2020-olympic-games-kick-off/?sh=1a860519617a">At Least 100 U.S. Athletes Unvaccinated As Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Kick Off</a>&nbsp;(<em>Forbes</em>)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/07/19/did-olympic-athletes-need-to-be-vaccinated-no---and-now-more-are-testing-positive-for-covid-19/?sh=6fb0b9244db7">Did Olympic Athletes Need To Be Vaccinated? No — And Now More Are Testing Positive For Covid-19.</a> (<em>Forbes</em>)</p>



<p><em><strong>By Carlie Porterfield, Forbes Staff</strong></em></p>


Opening Ceremony – Olympics: Day 0

Olympians Go Viral On TikTok For Showing Behind-The-Scenes Of Tokyo Olympics


<p><strong>TOPLINE</strong> Three foreign athletes residing in the Olympic village and 16 other people linked to the Tokyo Olympics have tested positive for Covid-19, the games’ organizers announced on Friday, marking a record daily rise in cases tied to the event just hours before the opening ceremony is scheduled to kick off.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



<p>According to the organizing committee, the three infected athletes include two from the Czech Republic and one from the Netherlands,&nbsp; who are now undergoing a 14-day period of isolation,&nbsp;<em>Kyodo News</em>&nbsp;<a href="https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/6d30a069f5aa-19-olympic-linked-covid-cases-reported-on-opening-ceremony-day.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>.</p>



<p>It’s unclear how many athletes have been identified as close contacts to the three positive cases, but they will not be required to enter isolation and will be allowed to compete if they test negative within six hours of the start of their events.</p>



<p>The 16 other people who tested positive include three contractors and three members of the media, the organizers said without offering additional details.</p>



<p>A total of 106 Covid-19 cases linked to the Olympics have been recorded since July 1, when the organizers started offering daily updates.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h3>



<p>1,979. That’s the total number of Covid-19 cases&nbsp;<a href="https://stopcovid19.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>&nbsp;in Tokyo on Thursday, the highest daily count since mid-January. After flattening out last month, cases in Tokyo began to rise in July, forcing the Japanese government to impose a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2021/07/08/japan-declares-covid-emergency-in-tokyo-olympics-likely-to-have-no-fans-in-attendance/?sh=561896294e7c">state of emergency</a>&nbsp;in the national capital.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



<p>The steady rise in the number of cases linked to the Olympics has raised questions about the adequacy of the safety measures put in place for the mega event. Experts have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/olympic-village-covid-19-infection-bubble-already-broken-health-expert-2021-07-20/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warned</a>&nbsp;that the Olympic’s Covid-19 bubble has already been breached and it could lead to a larger outbreak that may spill into the Japanese population. Visiting athletes participating in the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics are expected to follow a stringent set of pandemic-related rules which were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/archive/2021/06/?sh=47defdb81f67">unveiled last month</a>. Under the rules, all participating athletes and officials will be screened for the virus daily and are required to provide saliva samples at set times. Athletes, who can only stay in officially approved accommodations, will have their movements restricted and will be subject to GPS tracking by officials.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h3>



<p><a href="https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/6d30a069f5aa-19-olympic-linked-covid-cases-reported-on-opening-ceremony-day.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">19 Olympic-linked COVID cases reported on opening ceremony day</a>&nbsp;(Kyodo News)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/olympic-village-covid-19-infection-bubble-already-broken-health-expert-2021-07-20/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Olympics-Athletes&#8217; village COVID-19 isolation bubble already &#8216;broken&#8217; &#8211; health expert</a> (Reuters)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Siladitya Ray, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Nineteen New Olympic Covid-19 Cases Reported On Opening Ceremony Day Including Three Foreign Athletes


<p><strong>TOPLINE</strong>: In addition to the threat of Covid-19, athletes taking part in the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games will also face the dangers of extreme heat as soaring temperatures in the Japanese capital, spurred on by climate change, look set to make this year’s Games the hottest on record.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



<p>This year’s summer Olympics are slated to be the among the hottest ever, with peak temperatures&nbsp;<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/07/17/weather/olympics-heat-forecast-climate/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">predicted</a>&nbsp;to average around 30 degrees Celsius, or nearly 90 degrees Fahrenheit.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Combined with Tokyo’s stifling humidity, the dangerous conditions—which have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/20/tokyo-olympics-fears-athletes-could-face-hottest-games-on-record?CMP=twt_a-world_b-gdnworld" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">prompted</a>&nbsp;multiple government notices warning residents against exercising outdoors—impair&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/57255563" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">performance</a>&nbsp;and put athletes at risk from heat-related conditions like heatstroke, dehydration and burns, with beach volleyball players already&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/burning-sand-and-35c-sun-promise-hottest-olympics-ever-zlt0q65n2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">complaining</a>&nbsp;the sand is too hot to play on.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The issue was not unforeseen to organizers, who made the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/nov/01/2020-olympics-tokyo-accepts-painful-decision-to-move-marathon-to-sapporo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">decision</a>&nbsp;to change event times and move marathon and walking events out of Tokyo in an attempt to avoid the heat, but is becoming a more pressing issue for all sports events as climate change drives temperatures up.</p>



<p>Outside of the Olympics, major&nbsp;<a href="https://inews.co.uk/sport/tennis/australian-open-2020-heat-rule-temperature-hot-melbourne-suspended-matches-383229" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tennis</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/28075216" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">soccer</a>&nbsp;tournaments have had to put&nbsp;<a href="https://eu.usatoday.com/story/sports/tennis/2018/08/28/us-open-new-heat-rule-allows-players-10-minute-break/1123268002/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">policies</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/about_wimbledon/heat_rule.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">place</a>&nbsp;to protect players from extreme heat, U.S. triathlons and horse races have been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/07/19/heat-wave-prompts-cancellations-new-york-triathlon-horse-races/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">canceled</a>&nbsp;due to heatwaves and the world’s biggest sporting event, the soccer World Cup, will be held in climate-controlled&nbsp;<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/21/football/qatar-2022-fifa-world-cup-spt-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stadia</a>&nbsp;to avoid the worst of host nation Qatar’s heat in 2022.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>The effects of climate change are not restricted to extreme heat: shortening winter seasons pose an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/56972369" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">existential threat&nbsp;</a>to snowsports, severe typhoons led to several 2019 Rugby World Cup matches to be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2019/oct/10/rugby-world-cup-tournament-japan-super-typhoon-hagibis-england-scotland-france-game-live" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">canceled</a>&nbsp;and smoke from wildfires has disrupted numerous outdoor events across the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-sport-idUSKCN1UJ0OC" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S.</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/15/21065784/australian-open-wildfire-smoke-health-effects-tennis" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Australia</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h3>



<p>The International Olympic Committee told&nbsp;<em>Forbes&nbsp;</em>it “takes concerns about heat very seriously” and has taken a “wide range of measures” to mitigate the effect of temperature on athletes. These measures include scheduling longer distance athletics and cycling events later in the day, moving equestrian and triathlon events to early morning and improving access to shade and water.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



<p>Tokyo’s Medical Association has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/20/tokyo-olympics-fears-athletes-could-face-hottest-games-on-record?CMP=twt_a-world_b-gdnworld" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stressed</a>&nbsp;that holding the games in July and August was “a serious issue even before the coronavirus pandemic” and a report by the British Association for Sustainable Sport&nbsp;<a href="https://basis.org.uk/rings-of-fire" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">outlined</a>&nbsp;the likelihood of impaired performance due to heat. Heat has already been an issue in the lead up to the event—three rowers were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/aug/12/concerns-rise-with-tokyo-heat-after-rowers-treated-at-olympic-test-event" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">treated</a>&nbsp;for heat exhaustion after an Olympics test event in Tokyo in 2019—and other sporting events around the world are increasingly encountering similar problems. 28 out of 68 starters&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/49860159" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pulled</a>&nbsp;out of a World Championships marathon held in Doha, Qatar in 2019 due to the conditions, with one runner being taken away in an ambulance. The race started at midnight in an attempt to avoid the worst of Qatar’s heat.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h3>



<p>71,000. That’s how many people sought emergency care for heatstroke between June and September 2019 in Japan. 118 of these died. A smaller number—65,000 cases and 112 deaths—occurred during the same period in 2020, though fewer people were out due to the pandemic.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR&nbsp;</h3>



<p>Qatar’s cooled stadia for the 2022 World Cup will likely give an insight into how outdoor sports events can be held in hot weather, especially if its cooling&nbsp;<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/21/football/qatar-2022-fifa-world-cup-spt-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">technology</a>&nbsp;is both ecologically friendly and effective. The event is set to be carbon&nbsp;<a href="https://www.euractiv.com/section/health-consumers/news/fifa-commits-to-carbon-neutral-2022-football-world-cup/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">neutral</a>, as are the forthcoming summer and winter Olympics’, the IOC told&nbsp;<em>Forbes</em>. Paris 2024 is&nbsp;<a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/news/paris-2024-commits-to-staging-climate-positive-olympic-and-paralympic-games" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">slated</a>&nbsp;to be the first “climate positive” games.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h4>



<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/20/tokyo-olympics-fears-athletes-could-face-hottest-games-on-record?CMP=twt_a-world_b-gdnworld" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tokyo Olympics: fears athletes could face hottest Games on record</a>&nbsp;(Guardian)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-sport-idUSKCN1UJ0OC" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Canceled races, fainting players: Climate change turns up heat on sports</a>&nbsp;(Reuters)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.rapidtransition.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Playing_Against_The_Clock_FINAL.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Playing Against the Clock: Global Sport, the Climate Emergency and the Case For Rapid Change</a>&nbsp;(Rapid Transition Alliance)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Robert Hart, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Aerial view of Munich’s Olympic stadium illuminated at night

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<p><strong>TOPLINE</strong> The plight of Black players on the England national team who were hit with a torrent of racist abuse after the team’s loss at the 2020 Euro final last Sunday has taken center stage on Instagram this week, with a particular focus on 23-year-old Marcus Rashford, who has opened up in-depth about his personal experience since the game.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



<p>Data from social media tracking firm Newship shows the 12 posts with the most comments on Instagram since Sunday all concerned at least one of the three Black players on England’s team—Rashford, Bukayo Saka, and Jadon Sancho—who have all been attacked for missing penalties during the final shootouts against Italy.&nbsp;</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/GettyImages-1328724051-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-51885" width="675" height="450" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/GettyImages-1328724051-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/GettyImages-1328724051-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/GettyImages-1328724051-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/GettyImages-1328724051-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/GettyImages-1328724051-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 675px) 100vw, 675px" /><figcaption> (Photo by Charlotte Tattersall/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<p>These posts, earning up to 4.6 million likes and hundreds of thousands of comments, ranged from reporting on the attacks by major British news outlets like BBC News and Sky Sports to more personal posts about the players.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The vast majority centered around Rashford, a Manchester United striker who has published multiple top-trending posts since England’s loss, including an in-depth reaction the day after the game which drew the most comments (230,000) of anything published on Instagram this week.&nbsp;</p>



<p>In the popular July 12 post, lauded in the comments by a number of other high-profile soccer stars, Rashford apologized to fans for missing the penalty, but said he will “never” apologize “for who I am and where I came from.”&nbsp;</p>



<p>He also highlighted the response to the defacing of a mural of his face in his hometown of Withington, Manchester, saying it brought him to the verge of tears to see fans&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/jul/16/marcus-rashford-mural-racial-police-manchester-artwork" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cleaning up the vandalism.</a></p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE&nbsp;</h3>



<p>“I’ve grown into a sport where I expect to read things about myself, whether it be the colour of my skin, where I grew up, or, most recently where I decide to spend my time off the pitch,” Rashford wrote. “I can take critique of my performance all day long, my penalty was not good enough. It should have gone in but I will never [apologize] for who I am or where I came from.”</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/GettyImages-1329410687-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-51886" width="612" height="408" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/GettyImages-1329410687-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/GettyImages-1329410687-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/GettyImages-1329410687-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/GettyImages-1329410687-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/GettyImages-1329410687-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 612px) 100vw, 612px" /><figcaption>  (Photo by Alex Livesey &#8211; Danehouse/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h3>



<p>Though neither gained as much engagement as Rashford’s, both Saka and Sancho, who are 19 and 21 years old, respectively, also posted statements on social media reflecting on the game. “There are no words to tell you how disappointed I was with the result of my penalty,” wrote Saka to over 2.5 milion likes and supportive comments from fellow Arsenal players Ben White, Joe Willock and more. Meanwhile, Sancho deemed missing the penalty “by far the worst feeling I’ve felt in my career.”&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND&nbsp;</h3>



<p>The loss at last week’s match—which marked the first time England has reached a major final since winning the World Cup in 1966—immediately sparked a torrent of racist attacks against the young trio on social media. The abuse was quickly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/12/racist-abuse-targeted-at-black-england-players-denounced-by-uks-boris-johnson-fa-and-prince-william/?sh=5a388c0d1b65">condemned</a>&nbsp;by England’s Football Association, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and even Prince William, and arrests have since been made in relation to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.espn.com/soccer/england-eng/story/4432974/arrests-made-over-racist-abuse-of-england-players" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">offensive comments.</a>&nbsp;The targeted players have pushed for meaningful action from social media companies to prevent the online hate from resurfacing.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chief-critic">CHIEF CRITIC&nbsp;</h3>



<p>“To the social media platforms @instagram @twitter @facebook I don’t want any child or adult to have to receive the hateful and hurtful messages that me Marcus and Jadon have received this week,” Saka wrote. “I knew instantly the kind of hate that I was about to receive and that is a sad reality that your powerful platforms are not doing enough to stop these messages.”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING&nbsp;</h3>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/12/racist-abuse-targeted-at-black-england-players-denounced-by-uks-boris-johnson-fa-and-prince-william/?sh=5a388c0d1b65">“Racist Abuse Targeted At Black England Players Denounced By U.K.’s Boris Johnson, FA And Prince William”</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Jemima McEvoy, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Italy v England – UEFA Euro 2020: Final

‘All I Can Say Is Sorry’: England’s Black Soccer Players’ Experiences With Racism Dominated Instagram This Week


<p><strong>TOPLINE</strong>: A Ugandan athlete training in Japan in preparation for the Tokyo Olympics went missing on Friday, triggering a search by local officials and police, in an incident that has raised doubt about the security measures put in place by the games’ organizers to keep the spread of Covid-19 in check.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



<p>Julius Ssekitoleko, a 20-year-old Ugandan weightlifter, was not found in his designated accommodation when a local official attempted to find him to receive his sample for Covid-19 testing,&nbsp;<em>Kyodo News</em>&nbsp;<a href="https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/37a6d0d3d253-urgent-ugandan-olympic-athlete-training-in-japan-goes-missing.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>.</p>



<p>Ssekitoleko was staying in the city of Izumisano in western Japan along with other members of the Ugandan Olympic team.</p>



<p>The missing athlete was last spotted by his teammates at around 12:30 am on Friday, city officials said.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



<p>The Ugandan Olympics delegation reached Japan last month and they were among the first group of visiting athletes to reach the country to prepare for the summer games. After their arrival, two members of the delegation&nbsp;<a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/06/23/national/uganda-olympian-covid/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tested positive</a>&nbsp;for Covid-19, which prevented the team from beginning their training activities. The team finally started training in Izumisano last week after undergoing a strict quarantine.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h3>



<p>Visiting athletes participating in the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics are expected to follow a stringent set of pandemic-related rules which includes regular testing and having their movement restricted. As part of the rules&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/archive/2021/06/?sh=47defdb81f67">unveiled last month</a>, all participating athletes and officials will be screened for the virus daily and are required to provide saliva samples at set times. Athletes, who can only stay in officially approved accommodations, will have their movements restricted and will be subject to GPS tracking by officials. The rulebook warns that non-compliance will result in large fines, permanent bans from the Olympics and even expulsion from Japan, depending on the severity of the breach.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h3>



<p><a href="https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/37a6d0d3d253-urgent-ugandan-olympic-athlete-training-in-japan-goes-missing.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ugandan Olympic athlete training in Japan goes missing</a> (Kyodo News)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Siladitya Ray, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Weightlifting – Commonwealth Games Day 1

Ugandan Olympic Athlete Goes Missing In Japan In Possible Breach Of Covid-19 Rules


<p><strong>TOPLINE</strong>: British politicians and football officials condemned racist abuse lobbed at a number of England soccer players Sunday after the team lost the Euro 2020 final to Italy in penalty shootouts, following a day of unrest as rowdy crowds gathered in London and across England to watch the match.  </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



<p>Torrents of racist abuse were directed at three Black England players—Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho—after the trio failed to score penalties during the game’s final shootouts Sunday night.&nbsp;</p>



<p>England’s Football Association condemned the abuse and&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/FA/status/1414392591173492737?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;it is “appalled by the online racism that has been aimed at some of our England players on social media.”</p>



<p>Echoing the FA’s sentiment, the England team&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/England/status/1414390646169821186?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">released</a>&nbsp;a statement saying it is “disgusted that some of our squad—who have given everything for the shirt this summer—have been subjected to discriminatory abuse online after tonight&#8217;s game.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson also&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson/status/1414465103374729220?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">backed</a>&nbsp;the team, saying they “deserve to be lauded as heroes, not racially abused on social media.”</p>



<p>The Metropolitan Police&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/MetPoliceEvents/status/1414380936016318464?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;the racist abuse is “unacceptable, will not be tolerated and… will be investigated.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>The force said it <a href="https://twitter.com/MetPoliceEvents/status/1414388160595906564?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">made</a> 49 arrests during the day of the match and <a href="https://twitter.com/MetPoliceEvents/status/1414388737883131904?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">that</a> 19 officers were injured in confrontations with “volatile” crowds, <a href="https://inews.co.uk/news/england-vs-italy-police-riot-gear-break-up-england-fans-arrests-euros-final-1098789" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">including</a> those who <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/euro-2021/2021/07/11/london-descends-chaos-ahead-englands-euro-2020-final-showdown/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stormed</a> into London’s Wembley Stadium, where the match was held, trashed Leicester Square, threw bottles and set off flares in the street.   </p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I am sickened by the racist abuse aimed at England players after last night’s match. <br><br>It is totally unacceptable that players have to endure this abhorrent behaviour. <br><br>It must stop now and all those involved should be held accountable. W</p>&mdash; The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1414514323142107136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/MQoVHCYUfy">pic.twitter.com/MQoVHCYUfy</a></p>&mdash; FA Spokesperson (@FAspokesperson) <a href="https://twitter.com/FAspokesperson/status/1414388159769714690?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This England team deserve to be lauded as heroes, not racially abused on social media.<br><br>Those responsible for this appalling abuse should be ashamed of themselves.</p>&mdash; Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson/status/1414465103374729220?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/MQoVHCYUfy">pic.twitter.com/MQoVHCYUfy</a></p>&mdash; FA Spokesperson (@FAspokesperson) <a href="https://twitter.com/FAspokesperson/status/1414388159769714690?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Rashford, Saka and Sancho. <br><br>Three Lions. 🦁🦁🦁</p>&mdash; Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) <a href="https://twitter.com/SadiqKhan/status/1414361530620125184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London,&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/SadiqKhan/status/1414384625032613889?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;there is “absolutely no place for racism in football or anywhere else.” Khan called on social media companies to “act immediately to remove and prevent this hate.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



<p>British politicians from&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/OliverDowden/status/1414489436608466946?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">across</a>&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/AlexDaviesJones/status/1414471383065710594?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">political</a>&nbsp;spectrum said the online abuse underscores the need for stricter regulation for social media companies.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>England’s football players have been taking the knee before matches for the past year in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. The practice, which has led to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-57382945" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">booing</a>&nbsp;from crowds, has continued for Euro 2020 matches. England players Home Secretary Priti Patel&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/pritipatel/status/1414483365558951937?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;she is “disgusted” by the “vile racist abuse” the England players—”who have given so much for our country this summer”—have been subjected to on social media. In June, Patel&nbsp;<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/priti-patel-taking-knee-boo-england-b1865409.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">defended</a>&nbsp;the right of fans to boo England players for taking the knee in protest of racism, describing it as “gesture politics.” Over the course of the tournament, fans and politicians alike have been quick to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/hypocrite-priti-patel-celebrates-after-24488499" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">accuse</a>&nbsp;Patel of hypocrisy when showing her support for the team. English football clubs, players and organizations have previously orchestrated social media boycotts to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.itv.com/news/granada/2021-04-30/manchester-united-report-350-increase-in-online-abuse-towards-players-as-club-joins-social-media-boycott" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">protest</a>&nbsp;the abuse players face. Rashford has been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/may/27/marcus-rashford-receives-racial-abuse-social-media-after-europa-league-loss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">open</a>&nbsp;about the racist abuse he faces on social media, which he has previously reported to the police.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/fa-condemns-racist-abuse-players-following-englands-final-loss-2021-07-12/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FA condemns racist abuse of players after England&#8217;s Euro 2020 final loss</a> (Reuters)</p>



<p><strong><em>By </em></strong><em><strong>Robert Hart, Forbes Staff</strong></em></p>


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