A 30-year-old Uzbek man was arrested Sunday on suspicion of raping a woman in the Tokyo Olympic Stadium last week just days before the Games begin, according to police and media reports. The man, a university student identified as Davronbek Rakhmatullaev, allegedly raped the victim in her 20s on Friday night, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police […]
OLY
Syria eyes Olympic success in Tokyo despite huge challenges
Syria is aiming to secure the war-battered country’s fourth-ever Olympic medal in Tokyo, but one of its few world-class athletes is less optimistic after struggling to access coaching and facilities for the past four years. The decade-long civil war and the effects of the coronavirus pandemic have drained Syria’s resources and left elite sport low […]
For Iraq’s Olympians, the Tokyo dream is just taking part
For the four Iraqi athletes who have made it to Tokyo, there is no realistic talk of medals. Having overcome war, politics and pandemic, their dream is simply to participate. With state financial support cut off by political infighting for most of the run-up to the Games and their locked-down foreign coaches unable to offer […]
New Zealand say ‘huge focus’ on trans trailblazer at Tokyo Olympics
New Zealand’s team said on Saturday they were helping weightlifter Laurel Hubbard cope with the “huge focus” as she prepares to become the first transgender Olympic athlete. Hubbard, who was born male but transitioned to female in her 30s, has sparked debate with her selection, which came after she met the qualification criteria for transgender […]
Ugandan weightlifter missing in Japan before Olympics
A Ugandan weightlifter has gone missing during an Olympic training camp in Japan after learning he would not be able to compete, Japanese and Ugandan officials said Friday. Authorities were searching for Julius Ssekitoleko, 20, who failed to show up for a coronavirus test and was not in his hotel room, host city Izumisano said […]
Evans drops out of Olympics after positive Covid-19 test
Dan Evans, the top-ranked British man, said on Wednesday that he has withdrawn from the Olympics after testing positive for Covid-19. “I will not be able to prepare and get myself ready for the Olympic Games in Tokyo,” Evans posted on social media. The 31-year-old is 28th in the ATP rankings. “I am hugely disappointed […]
China table tennis boss says Olympic Covid rules ‘extremely difficult’
China’s table tennis chief has bemoaned Covid-19 safety rules at the Tokyo Olympics, saying they are making life “extremely difficult” as his team looks to sweep the golds once again. China have won 28 of the 32 table tennis titles awarded at the Olympics, dominating a sport in a way that has rarely been matched. […]
Afghan cyclist paves the road for refugees at Olympics
Afghan refugee Masomah Ali Zada hopes to be a beacon for women forced to quit their country or abandon their sporting dreams when she crosses the start line at the Tokyo Olympics. The 24-year-old road cyclist had stones thrown at her and was physically attacked in her homeland for daring to don sportswear and ride […]
US Olympians seek ‘corporate knowledge’ says Budenholzer
US Olympic basketball coach Gregg Popovich’s struggling group of NBA stars is having to build the “corporate knowledge” that became a trademark of Popovich’s NBA championship teams in San Antonio. So says Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer, who spent 17 seasons as an assistant to Popovich with the Spurs, being on his staff for four […]
Not just Covid: earthquakes, typhoons pose threat at Tokyo Olympics
The coronavirus might top the risks at the Tokyo Olympics, but organisers in Japan have other deadly, unpredictable threats to contend with: natural disasters. Japan is regularly rattled by earthquakes and battered by typhoons, and experts warn that disaster preparation for a major event like the Games should not take a back seat because of […]