Update on the latest sports
APOLYMPICS
American gymnast Simone Biles to return for balance beam finals
TOKYO (AP) — U.S. gymnast Simone Biles plans to compete in the balance beam finals on Tuesday.
Just a little over a week ago, the 24-year-old Biles stepped away from competition to focus on her mental health. Biles said she was dealing with the “twisties,” what happens when an athlete loses his or her awareness in the air.
Biles had opted out of the finals in the all-around, floor exercise, uneven bars and vault.
Also at the Tokyo Games:
— American gymnast Jade Carey has won the gold medal on floor exercise. The 21-year-old from Arizona bounced back from a frightening stumble during the vault final on Sunday to claim the top spot on floor with a score of 14.366. The medal is the fifth claimed by the U.S. women’s gymnastics team in Tokyo.
— The quest for gold medals is on track for the U.S. women’s basketball and volleyball teams after finishing at the top of their groups in pool play. A’ja Wilson scored 22 points and Breanna Stewart added 17 to help the U.S. beat France 93-82 in their final pool play match. The U.S. women’s volleyball team won their pool after beating Italy in five sets.
— Jessie Fleming scored on a penalty kick in the 74th minute and Canada knocked the United States out of gold medal contention in the Olympic women’s soccer competition with a 1-0 semifinal victory. Canada will face the winner of the late semifinal in Yokohama between Sweden and Australia. The gold medal match is set for Friday at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo.
— Japan has reached the Olympic baseball semifinals with a 7-6 victory over the United States that pushes the Americans to within a loss of being eliminated. Former big-league pitcher Edwin Jackson gave up the winning hit in the 10th inning.
— Jake Gibb and substitute U.S. teammate Tri Bourne lost to Germany in the beach volleyball round of 16, ending their shotgun partnership after just two weeks. Bourne was a last-minute swap after Gibb’s original partner, Taylor Crabb, tested positive for COVID-19 when he arrived in Japan. After the match, Gibb announce his retirement from international competition.
— Discus thrower Valarie Allman won the first track and field gold medal for the United States at the Tokyo Games. Allman’s winning throw went 68.98 meters (226 feet, 3 inches) to hold off Kristin Pudenz of Germany in a competition that was delayed by rain. Yaime Perez of Cuba captured the bronze.
— World track champion Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands has started her bid to win three medals at the Tokyo Games by earning gold in the 5,000 meters. Hassan pulled away with about 250 meters to go and cruised to the win in a time of 14 minutes, 36.79 seconds. Earlier in the day, the 28-year-old Hassan had a scare when she fell on the final lap in the opening round of the 1,500. She picked herself up, caught the pack and won her heat to advance.
— Germany’s Aline Rotter-Focken has beaten American Adeline Gray 7-3 in the 76-kilogram wrestling final. Gray was trying to join Helen Maroulis as the only two U.S. women’s wrestling gold medalists.
— Transgender weightlifter Laurel Hubbard made her mark by competing in the women’s weightlifting at the Tokyo Olympics but couldn’t complete a lift. Hubbard is not the only transgender athlete competing at the Tokyo Games, but she has been the focus of attention as a medal contender in weightlifting. The New Zealander is out of medal contention in the women’s over-87-kilogram division.
— Cuba’s Mijain Lopez became the first man to win four Olympic gold medals in wrestling by defeating Georgia’s Iakobi Kajaia 5-0 in the Greco-Roman 130-kilogram final. The 38-year-old was unscored upon in his four matches. He joins Japan’s Kaori Icho as the only wrestlers to claim four Olympic golds.
BELARUS-ATHLETE
Poland gives visa to Belarus Olympian
TOKYO (AP) — Poland has granted a visa to a Belarusian Olympic sprinter who said she feared for her safety and that her team’s officials tried to force her to fly home.
A Polish Foreign Ministry official says the runner (Krystsina Tsimanouskaya) received a humanitarian visa from the Polish embassy in Tokyo.
The standoff apparently began after she criticized how officials were managing her team. That set off a massive backlash in state-run media back home, where authorities relentlessly crack down on government critics.
MLB-NEWS
Heaney takes hill for Yankees
UNDATED (AP) — Two pitchers traded at the deadline make their first starts on new teams today.
Andrew Heaney was acquired by the New York Yankees with cash from the Angels on Friday for two minor league pitchers. The 30-year-old lefty will face Baltimore as the Yankees begin a seven-game homestand.
Josiah Gray made his major league debut for the Dodgers on July 20. He was traded by Los Angeles on Friday in a prospect-laden package to Washington for stars Max Scherzer and Trea Turner. Gray will start at Nationals Park against Philadelphia.
Elsewhere in the majors:
— The Milwaukee Brewers have acquired reliever John Axford from the Toronto Blue Jays as the 38-year-old right-hander continues his comeback attempt. Alford hasn’t pitched in the major leagues since 2018 and began this season as a studio analyst on the Blue Jays’ television broadcast crew. He signed a minor league contract in June and went 1-0 with an 0.84 ERA in nine relief appearances for the Blue Jays’ Triple-A Buffalo affiliate.
—The Tampa Bay Rays are keeping players and staff updated about the surge of COVID-19 cases in Florida. Rays manager Kevin Cash says the team’s training staff is “pretty adamant about getting messages out and keeping people aware” of the evolving situation. Florida reported 21,683 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, the state’s highest one-day total since the start of the pandemic.
—The rebuilding Texas Rangers are making more changes. Former All-Star outfielder David Dahl has been designated for assignment. The last-place Rangers then added DJ Peters to their roster after getting him on a waiver claim from the Los Angeles Dodgers. Dahl hit .210 in 63 games and missed a month with rib cage and upper back issues. Texas also selected the contract of right-hander Jimmy Herget from Triple-A Round Rock, and optioned right-hander Demarcus Evans to that team.
—The New York Giants have added depth to the running game in case star Saquon Barkley isn’t ready for the start of the regular season coming off a major knee injury. The Giants announced the re-signing of Alfred Morris. The 10-year veteran played nine games for coach Joe Judge last season and finished second on the team in rushing with 238 yards.
NFL-NEWS
Wentz out for as long as 12 weeks
UNDATED, Ind. (AP) — Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz is expected to miss 5 to 12 weeks because a broken left foot.
Coach Frank Reich made the announcement following his return to the practice field after missing all of last week’s workouts because of a positive COVID-19 test. Reich says Wentz will have surgery to remove a piece of bone Monday afternoon. Reich says doctors found Wentz had broken the foot years ago, probably in high school, and that a piece of bone came loose when he hurt the foot last Thursday.
In other NFL news:
— Nick Chubb has signed a three-year, $36.6 million contract extension with the Cleveland Browns. The deal is an indication of the team’s regard for his skills as an elite running back and his quiet, unassuming leadership. The Browns made sure they locked him up early in training camp leading into what they hope will be a special season.
— Miami Dolphins receiver Preston Williams joined three tight ends already on the team’s COVID-19 reserve list, and co-offensive coordinator George Godsey was absent Monday for medical reasons. Williams was added to the list Monday. Tight ends Mike Gesicki, Cethan Carter and Adam Shaheen went on the list Sunday. The Dolphins didn’t say whether the players tested positive or entered protocol because of contact tracing, and they didn’t specify a reason for Godsey’s absence.
— Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith is out indefinitely with a knee sprain. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner was listed as week-to-week on the injury report, so his status for Philadelphia’s preseason opener against Pittsburgh on Aug. 12 is uncertain.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Ewers skips senior year to go to Ohio State
UNDATED (AP) — The player considered to be the top quarterback prospect in the class of 2022 says he is skipping his senior year of high school in Texas and plans to enroll at Ohio State for the upcoming semester. Quinn Ewers explained in a Twitter post that he would soon be completing the course necessary to graduate from Southlake Carroll High School outside Dallas. The five-star recruit says his decision was influenced by Texas rules which prohibit him from earning money from endorsement and sponsorship deals.
In other college football news:
—Alabama coach Nick Saban will make $11.5 million in the final year under a new eight-year contract that’s worth at least $84.8 million. The university released details of Saban’s previously announced deal after the board of trustees’ compensation committee formally approved it. Saban, who has won a record seven national championships, is set to make $8.7 million this year with annual raises of $400,000.
—NFL Alumni Health announced Monday that in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention it is kicking off an outreach and education initiative to help build COVID-19 vaccination confidence. The campaign features some 40 current and retired NFL players who will encourage the public to make the decision to protect themselves, their families and their communities by getting vaccinated. Marshall Faulk says his message is for those hesitant to get the vaccine to seek their doctor’s advice and ignore all the chatter on social media.
