Chasing Gold: Novak Djokovic loses bid for 'Golden Slam'; off to the races at track and field
Happy Friday, and welcome back! Can you believe it’s only been one week since the opening ceremony? We’re about halfway through the Tokyo Games, but that doesn’t mean the action is slowing down.
The Olympics have a way of surprising people. Novak Djokovic, the world’s No. 1 tennis player, was aiming to add a gold medal to his three Grand Slam titles of 2021 as he attempted to become the first men's tennis player to win the "Golden Slam" following women's great Steffi Graf in 1988. Instead, it was No. 4 seed Alexander Zverev of Germany who upset him in the semifinals, leaving Djokovic to play for bronze. Don't feel too bad for Djokovic, though. The Serbian still has a good chance to claim the calendar-year Grand Slam with the U.S. Open looming next month. .
Track & field started today, and the first medals were already awarded in the men’s 10,000-meter event. Team USA’s Grant Fisher came in fifth, just over three seconds after gold-medalist Selemon Barega from Ethiopia.
There will be plenty of events for the United States to add medals in the next week., and American athletes’ 41 medals have put their country at the top of the count. One of those track medals could come from the 4x400 mixed-gender relay now that the U.S. team has been reinstated after a preliminary win and subsequent disqualification.
USWNT moves on to semis: The U.S. women's soccer team experienced a little bit of déjà vu in its quarterfinal match against the Netherlands. The U.S. relied on penalty kicks to get the win and move on to the next round. They’re one step closer to a medal, thanks to goaltender Alyssa Naeher’s clutch performance.
What’s up in women’s gymnastics: Suni Lee won gold in the women’s all-around competition and she’s celebrating by…going to college. But with individual events coming up, all eyes are one Simone Biles. The 24-year-old gymnast opened up about suffering from the twisties, raising doubts about whether she will compete again starting Sunday. This led to an extended stay in Tokyo for MyKayla Skinner, who decided to stay and train in the event she is called upon to replace Biles in the vault final.
Poolside drama: In a country where 80% of citizens were against the Games being held as scheduled, medal-less Michael Andrew is one of Team USA’s most famous unvaccinated athletes, but did he cross the line by refusing to wear a mask while talking to journalists in the mixed zone?
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2021 Olympics: Novak Djokovic upset in tennis; track and field begins
