Women triumphant in Tokyo as Biles spotlights mental health at Games

TOKYO, July 28 (Reuters) – With the Olympics nonetheless digesting U.S. gymnast Simone Biles’s gorgeous exit from the workforce occasion, champion ladies made a splash in Tokyo on Wednesday as Australian Ariarne Titmus, American Katie Ledecky and Japan’s Yui Ohashi all clinched gold in swimming.

Their highly effective exhibiting underscored how ladies have emerged as probably the most commanding figures of the primary week of the Tokyo Video games, at a time of rising concern in regards to the immense pressures on athletes and whether or not they’re getting sufficient assist for psychological well being.

The Video games are happening with out spectators and beneath a state of emergency in Tokyo, unprecedented measures within the historical past of the trendy Olympics. Tokyo recorded a document 2,848 new circumstances on Tuesday, the very best because the pandemic started and native governments in three prefectures close to Tokyo had been more likely to see a brand new state of emergency, media reported.

Simone Biles despatched shockwaves by means of the Summer time Video games on Tuesday when she dropped out of the workforce competitors on her opening vault after receiving a low mark.

The 24-year-old stated the stress of dwelling as much as expectations and her quest for a document gold medal haul had left her no alternative however to drop out for her personal psychological well being.

She didn’t rule out a return to competitors beginning with Thursday’s all-around occasion, the place she would defend her Olympic title.

Her withdrawal from the workforce occasion got here hours after tennis famous person Naomi Osaka misplaced in her Olympic singles occasion on Tuesday, her first match since pulling out of the French Open in Could, when she stated she had been affected by despair for practically three years.

“Extra may very well be achieved” on athlete psychological well being, the spokesman for the Worldwide Olympic Fee Mark Adams informed reporters on Wednesday.

He stated psychological well being remained a giant challenge and stated it was a matter that the organisation had been engaged on for a while.

WOMEN TRIUMPHANT

Within the pool on Wednesday, ladies as soon as once more stole the present. Ariarne Titmus received a second gold medal in Tokyo, her first Olympics. Dubbed the “Terminator”, she accelerated within the ultimate metres to complete forward of Ledecky, whom she beat for a second time after profitable the 400m freestyle on Monday.

“I am simply from a small city in Tasmania and it simply goes to point out when you imagine you are able to do one thing, you may 100% do it when you work for it,” she informed Australia’s ABC Information.

American Ledecky took gold within the 1500m freestyle, the primary time the occasion has been held for ladies. Range is a spotlight for the Tokyo Olympics with ladies’s occasions being added in different sports activities, together with boxing.

Swimmer Yui Ohashi additionally took her second gold medal within the 200m medley after victory within the 400m medley on Sunday.

The pandemic has continued to hold over the Olympics, notably after the host metropolis introduced a record number of day by day COVID-19 circumstances on Tuesday. read more

Although Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga shut down any chance of cancelling the Olympics late on Tuesday, organisers are more likely to stay on excessive alert for any main breach of its bubble, the place athletes and others concerned within the Video games keep away from any public contact.

Organisers have up to now reported 169 COVID-19 circumstances associated to the Video games, a miniscule quantity given the tens of 1000’s of individuals visiting for the occasion.

Governors of three prefectures close to the host metropolis are more likely to ask the federal government to declare states of emergency for his or her areas, media stated. read more

Japan’s baseball workforce warmed up early Wednesday beneath a partly cloudy sky in disaster-struck Fukushima forward of a recreation with the Dominican Republic to open the six-team competitors within the sport.

Reporting by Simon Evens, Steve Keating; Extra reporting by Reuters Olympics workforce; Writing by David Dolan; Modifying by Stephen Coates and Michael Perry

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.