OLYMPICS ROUNDUP Valarie Allman wins gold for Team USA in discus
323 hugs and counting for US beach volleyball team
TOKYO – The American beach volleyball team of April Ross and Alix Klineman might be in position to do more than win a gold medal at the Tokyo Games.
Surely they’re capable of setting an unofficial record for hugs – that is, if they haven’t already broken the record.
Ross and Klineman hug after every point, so on Monday that was 74 hugs in their 21-17, 21-15 victory over Cuba’s Lidianny Echevarria Benitez and Leila Consuelo Martinez in the round of 16 at Shiokaze Park. “It’s so funny because we didn’t invent the hug in beach volleyball,’’ Ross said, noting that Brazilian teams also hug.
But the Americans have taken it to a new level, committed to a hug after every single point.
– Josh Peter
Sarah Robles makes history with second Olympic medal
TOKYO – Sarah Robles made history at the Tokyo Games on Monday, becoming the first American woman to win two Olympic weightlifting medals.
Robles lifted 282 kg to narrowly take third in the +87kg competition here, just missing silver when her final clean & jerk didn’t count because she failed to lock out one of her arms.
Robles also became the first American woman to medal in weightlifting at back-to-back Olympics.
“I grew up in a trailer park in the middle of the desert. I grew up as a little fat kid who got bullied all the time. I really struggled a lot throughout my career,” Robles said. “To be able to go from literally the bottom of the sport to literally the top of the sport and now making history in the sport means a lot to me.”
China’s Li Wenwen set new Olympic records in the snatch, clean & jerk and total score, finishing with 320 kg to win gold. Britain’s Emily Campbell, lifted 283 kg to take silver.
– Rachel Axon
U.S. baseball has difficult path to gold after loss to Japan
The U.S. baseball team wasted a golden opportunity – perhaps literally – and the chance to advance to the Olympic baseball tournament’s semifinals.
A victory over Japan would have pitted them against South Korea, a team they’ve already defeated, on Wednesday in the semis. Instead, after a 7-6 extra-inning loss, they will face the winner of Israel-Dominican Republic on Tuesday. – Chris Bumbaca
USWNT to face Australia in bronze medal game
After a devastating loss to Canada ended the USWNT’s hopes for gold, the team will need to rebound quickly for a rematch with group stage opponent Australia in the bronze medal game.
Sweden and Australia faced off in the second semifinal game of the day, and Sweden came out on top in the same 1-0 victory that Canada earned over the Americans. Sweden and Canada will battle it out for the gold medal, which neither nation has ever won in women’s soccer.
In the group stage, the USWNT tied Australia 0-0, though players and coaches insisted that their reserved style of play was a deliberate strategy in preparing for the rest of the tourney.
The bronze medal game will be Thursday at 4 a.m. ET. – Emily Adams
Valarie Allman won the gold medal in women’s discus on Monday, the first Olympic gold in track and field for the U.S. team at the Tokyo Games.
It’s the first discus medal by an American woman in the event since 2008. Allman won with a throw of 226 feet, 3 inches to beat Germany’s Kristin Pudenz (219-4), who took silver. – Tyler Dragon
Adeline Gray wins silver in freestyle wrestling
CHIBA, Japan — U.S. 76 kg freestyle wrestler Adeline Gray claimed silver in her loss to Germany’s Aline Rotter-Focken in the final on Monday, earning an Olympic medal for the first time in her career. Gray, 30, fell 7-3 in the final.
Jade Carey takes gold in floor exercise
TOKYO — Jade Carey, the only U.S. gymnast competing in event finals Monday, won a gold medal on floor exercise in her second event final.
Carey is the third consecutive U.S. floor exercise gold medalist following Aly Raisman in 2012 and Biles in 2016.
She is the 10th overall American to medal on floor at the Olympics.
– Jeff Metcalfe
U.S. women’s hoops team put to the test once again vs. France
TOKYO — As the U.S. women’s basketball team heads into the knockout round of the Olympics, at least they won’t be accused of having no competition this time.
If anything, the three games of group play have been unexpectedly difficult for Team USA, including Monday’s 9382 win over France.
Heading into the quarterfinals on Wednesday, Team USA’s situation seems very different from the 2016 Olympics when its closest game was 19 points.
This time, it seems like the world is ready to challenge the Americans after six straight gold medals.
–Dan Wolken
U.S. women’s volleyball team wins, but endures another injury
The U.S. beach volleyball A team of April Ross, left, and Alix Klineman defeated Cuba on Monday in their first match of the knockout round. TODAY SPORTS
TOKYO — The U.S. women’s volleyball team defeated Italy in five sets, 2125, 25-16, 25-27, 25-16, 15-12, on Monday in their final pool play match of the Tokyo Olympics. They’re currently ranked first in Pool B with four wins and one loss and are guaranteed a spot in the quarterfinals.
In the second set, the U.S. lost setter Jordyn Poulter when she rolled her right ankle after attempting to make a block. She left the arena floor in a wheelchair and did not return to action.
The U.S. team will make its quarterfinals appearance on Wednesday against a yet-to-be-determined nation. – Olivia Reiner
Keni Harrison takes silver in women’s 100m hurdles
TOKYO — Five years after heartbreak, Keni Harrison is an Olympic medalist.
Harrison won silver in the final of the 100-meter hurdles on Monday, finishing second with a time of 12.52 seconds. Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico took gold in 12.37, and Jamaica’s Megan Tapper finished third. – Tom Schad