Tokyo Olympics Coverage Advisory
Today is day one of the Tokyo Summer Games. The AP plans coverage from all events. All times bellow are U.S. Eastern. There are no medal ceremonies on Friday.
Find our latest plans in Coverage Plan. For the latest stories, video and photos, visit the Olympics hub in AP Newsoom.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Rowing 7:30 p.m.
Beach Volleyball 8 p.m.
Badminton 8 p.m.
Table Tennis 8 p.m.
Volleyball 8 p.m.
Handball 8 p.m.
Fencing 8 p.m.
Hockey 8:30 p.m.
Equestrian 8:30 p.m
Archery 8:30 p.m.
Weightlifting 8:50 p.m.
Baseball Softball 9 p.m.
Artistic Gymnastics 9 p.m.
Taekwondo 9 p.m.
Basketball 3x3 9:15 p.m
Tennis 10 p.m.
Judo 10 p.m.
Cycling Road 10 p.m.
Boxing 10 p.m.
Water Polo 1 a.m. Saturday
Soccer 3:30 a.m. Saturday
Swimming 6 a.m. Saturday
UPCOMING ENTERPRISE:
OLY--GYM--THE SIMONE AND GABBY EFFECT — Simone Biles will begin her quest for a second Olympic gold on Sunday. Seven thousand miles away, dozens of young female gymnasts of color will compete at Grambling State University in Louisiana as part of a conference hosted by Brown Girls Do Gymnastics. The foundation is focused on finding -- and keeping -- young women of color in the sport. By Will Graves. UPCOMING: 900 words by 6 p.m.
OLY--BKO--DIFFERENT GAME— The rules are different. The game goes more quickly. Basketball is basketball, but American NBA players are quickly learning that the game played under international rules at the Olympics is far from what they are used to at home. Quarters are 10 minutes long instead of 12, games have fewer time-outs, the 3-point line is closer, the level of physicality is higher and much of what happens on defense under FIBA rules simply doesn’t fly in the NBA. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. Upcoming: 700 words, photos by 2 p.m.
OLY--VOL-US WOMEN-LONG WAIT — For the U.S. women’s volleyball team, the road to this Olympics and a quest for the country’s first gold medal in the sport began in the hours after frustrating semifinal loss to Serbia in the Olympics five years ago. By Josh Dubow. UPCOMING: 650 words, photos by 12 p.m. and updated with men’s matches.
SENT:
OLY-THE-GAMES-BEGIN — The Tokyo Games are arriving at last, after a yearlong delay. They’re a multinational showcase of the finest athletes of a world fragmented by disease. They’re also steeped in the political and medical baggage of the relentless pandemic. Japanese are deeply divided on whether they should be taking place. But organizing officials hope an opening ceremony that will be viewed by the world, but by almost no one in the stadium where it occurs, can overcome those hesitations. The ceremony kicks off two weeks of athletic events that will be held in front of thousands of empty seats, just like the opening. By Foster Klug. SENT: 1000 words, photos. With TOKYO OLYMPICS-THE LATEST
OLY--PANDEMIC IN MINIATURE — The Olympics are often billed, enthusiastically, as a glimpse of the world in miniature -- the very best of humanity on display. But for these weeks in Tokyo, the whole affair feels more like humanity’s last 18 months in miniature -- a pandemic with all its challenges and fears, irritations and surreal landscapes, all jammed into a single metropolitan area during a brief moment in history that is being watched by a COVID-wearied world. By National Writer Ted Anthony. SENT: 1000 words, photos.
OLY--ARC-ELLISON’S TARGET--TOKYO — Brady Ellison is the top-ranked archer in the world and the favourite at the Tokyo Games. A few years ago, he wasn’t sure if he would even shoot another arrow again. He was dealing with nerve pain down his arm each time he released an arrow. He was thinking of hanging it up. The arm pain is gone and the three-time Olympic medallist has his sights set on adding to his collection. By Sports Writer Pat Graham. SENT: 750 words, photos.
OLY--SWM-PAUL NEWBERRY-WASTEFUL VENUES -- The Tokyo Aquatics Centre is a site to behold -- a towering, 15,000-seat venue that will host swimming and diving at the pandemic-delayed Summer Games. It’s also one of the most glaring examples of Olympic costs run amok, especially since very few of those 15,000 seats will actually be needed in these most unusual of Olympics. By Sports Columnist Paul Newberry. SENT: 750 words, photos by 5 a.m. EDT.
OLY--TOKYO-REMEMBER 1964 — The 1964 Tokyo Olympics highlighted the resiliency of an innovative country that was showing off bullet trains and miniature transistor radios just 19 years after devastating defeat in World War II. By Sports Writer Stephen Wade. SENT 900 words, photos.
EXPLAINER-RISING SUN FLAG — Japan’s “rising sun” flag is a focus of anger at the Olympics, with some in the Koreas, China and other Asian nations calling for it to be banned during the Tokyo Games. Japan considers the flag part of its history. But its neighbors say the flag is a reminder of Japan’s wartime atrocities, and is comparable to the Nazi swastika. Some experts say the COVID-19 restrictions that have banned spectators at many Olympic-area stadiums may prevent the flag dispute from further growing. By Hyung-jin Kim and Mari Yamaguchi. SENT: 900 words, photos.
OLY--SWM-PAUL NEWBERRY-WASTEFUL VENUES — The Tokyo Aquatics Centre is a site to behold -- a towering, 15,000-seat venue that will host swimming and diving at the pandemic-delayed Summer Games. It’s also one of the most glaring examples of Olympic costs run amok, especially since very few of those 15,000 seats will actually be needed in these most unusual of Olympics. By Sports Columnist Paul Newberry. SENT: 850 words, photos.
OLY--JUD-BELOVED BUDOKAN — An astounding amount of history has occurred at Nippon Budokan, the graceful arena built within a park in 1964 to host the Olympic debut of judo at the previous Tokyo Games. Although Budokan has built a remarkable second life as one of the world’s most important music venues ever since the Beatles took its stage 55 years ago, the spiritual home of modern martial arts returns to its primary purpose. Another Olympic judo tournament begins this weekend, followed by the Olympic debut of karate. By Sports Writer Greg Beacham. SENT: 780 words, photos.
OLY--BOX-PROFESSIONAL PROLIFERATION — Professional boxers will fight at the Olympics this month for the second time after a century of exclusively amateur competition in the sport. More than 40 fighters with pro experience are listed in the Tokyo Olympic field. That is a sharp increase from just three pros in Rio de Janeiro. Yet this tournament won’t be dominated by hardened pros fighting amateurs. Nearly all the prizefighters in the Tokyo field have very limited pro résumés. The majority have fewer than three recorded pro bouts. Most are getting a head start on their pro careers while maintaining the skills necessary for the Olympic sport. By Greg Beacham. SENT: 1254 words, photos.
OLY--SWM-AUSTRALIA’S RELAY DYNASTY — A constantly refilling pool of talent. Well-rehearsed changeovers. And plenty of speed. There are many reasons why the Australian women are heavily favored to win a third straight gold medal in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay at the Tokyo Olympics. None bigger than the trust that they’ve developed in each other while winning gold at three of the past four Games. Bronte Campbell says the team has “built that through many years of competing together” and it’s “the glue that holds the whole team together.” By Andrew Dampf. SENT: 700 words, photos.
OLY-SWM-WARMUP-CHAOS — Swimming warmup at major competitions like the Olympics can be a “nightmare.” That’s the word that Australian veteran Cate Campbell used to describe the 90 minutes before competition where hundreds of swimmers dive into the pool at once and share lanes to prepare for their races. Campbell learned that the hard way when she was involved in a head-on collision with Michael Phelps at the 2009 world championships. She says it’s “everyone for themselves.” Having so many swimmers in the water at once could also be considered a health hazard amid a pandemic. By Andrew Dampf. SENT: 650 words, photos.
OLY--SWM-ANDREW-VACCINE DEBATE — A debate is fomenting between retired gold medalist Maya DiRado and current members of the U.S. swimming team involving Michael Andrew’s decision not to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus on the eve of competition at the Tokyo Olympics. By Beth Harris. SENT: 650 words, photos.
OLY--SOC-SWEDEN’S ANCHOR — Sweden’s anchor is a 38-year-old mother of two who has taken it upon herself to make sure athletes at the Olympics are environmentally conscious. Hedvig Lindahl is the longtime goalkeeper for Sweden’s national team, a veteran of four World Cups and five Olympics. By Anne M. Peterson. SENT: 600 words, photos.
OLY-TV--NBC-CROWD NOISE — One of Molly Solomon’s favorite memories from the 2018 PyeongChang Games was cameras focusing in on skier Lindsey Vonn in the start house before her races while microphones picked up on her breathing while listening to final instructions. With no spectators in the stands during the Tokyo Games, Solomon is hoping to pick up on more of those moments. The NBC Olympics executive producer said that the network will not add additional crowd noise to its coverage and that they are hoping that fans will be able to hear the games like they haven’t been able to before, whether it is the action in the pool during swimmer or conversations between competitors and coaches during gymnastics. SENT: 840 words, photos.
OLY--CYC-ROAD RACES — The men’s and women’s Olympic road races that begin the cycling program at the Tokyo Games are similar only in their finish at Fuji International Speedway. The men climb Mt. Fuji twice whereas the women do not, instead tackling a much shorter course with far less climbing. But a far bigger difference is this: The men’s race Saturday is wide open while the women’s race Sunday should come down to the four-woman Dutch team against everyone else. SENT: 800 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-JAPAN — Japan’s prime minister met with Pfizer’s CEO in an unusually high-profile setting Friday to make sure the drugmaker would deliver the COVID-19 vaccine as promised by this fall as the nation faces supply concerns and a growing outbreak. SENT: 400 words, photos.
OLY-USOPC-VACCINATIONS — About 100 of the 613 U.S. athletes descending on Tokyo for the Olympics are unvaccinated, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s medical chief said. The IOC has estimated around 85% of residents of the Olympic Village are vaccinated; they base that on what each country’s Olympic committee tells them but have not independently verified the number. By National Writer Eddie Pells. SENT: 430 words, photos.
OLY--WADA-RUSSIA — Some Russian athletes were denied places on the country’s Olympic team of 335 athletes for the Tokyo Games because they are under suspicion of doping. SENT: 450 words, photos.
OLY--ARC-HEAT-UNCONSCIOUS ARCHER — Russian officials say archer Svetlana Gomboeva lost consciousness during a competition at the Tokyo Olympics in intense heat. Coach Stanislav Popov says in comments via the Russian Olympic Committee that Gomboeva collapsed shortly after completing the qualifying round. SENT: 250 words, photos.
OLY-WPO-US-SMITH-OPENING-CEREMONY — U.S. men’s water polo captain Jesse Smith says he is skipping the opening ceremony for the Tokyo Olympics after the USOPC limited how many players from his team could participate in the festivities. SENT: 200 words, photos.
OLY--PROTEST LETTER— Tommie Smith, John Carlos and Gwen Berry are among the more than 150 educators, activists and athletes who signed a letter Thursday urging the IOC not to punish participants who demonstrate at the Tokyo Games. By AP National Writer Eddie Pells. SENT: 500 words, photos.
OLY--GUINEA WITHDRAWS — The West African country of Guinea has reversed an earlier decision to pull out of the Olympics over virus fears. SENT: 300 words, photos.
— The AP
Read More
As many as 100 CIA officers have now suffered from ‘Havana Syndrome’
US launches airstrikes amid Taliban calls for Afghan president to resign
