July 28 Tokyo 2020 Olympics news and results

American pole vaulter Sam Kendricks has dropped out of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after he tested positive for Covid-19, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee confirmed on Thursday morning in Japan.

The 28-year-old athlete, a US Army reservist who won bronze at the Rio 2016 Olympics, has been transferred to a hotel and placed in isolation in alignment with the local rules and protocols, the USOPC further said in a tweet.

"Sam is an incredible and accomplished member of Team USA and his presence will be missed," the organization added.

The number of Covid-19 cases linked to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games has risen to 198, according to Tokyo 2020 organizers on Thursday.

Four new cases were reported from Tokyo's Olympic Village, bringing total infections connected to the village to 24. 

Three of the new cases were identified as athletes and were all residents of the village.

The other new cases were identified as Games-related personnel and contractors. 

While the Games have kept case numbers relatively low, Tokyo itself reported a record day of new Covid-19 cases Wednesday, adding more than 3,000 new infections, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

China's Zhang Yufei won gold in the women's 200-meter butterfly on Thursday in Japan, setting an Olympic record with a time of 2:03.86.

She beat USA's Regan Smith, who took home the silver with a time of 2:05.30. USA's Hali Flickinger won bronze with a time of 2:05.65.

Caeleb Dressel has won the men’s 100-meter freestyle final with a time of 47.02 seconds, an Olympic record.

It’s Dressel’s first individual Olympic gold medal. He previously had earned three relay gold medals, including the men’s 4x100-meter freestyle relay earlier in these Games.

Australia’s Kyle Chalmers takes the silver medal in 47.08, while Russian Kliment Kolesnikov won bronze in 47.44.

Australia’s Izaac Stubblety-Cook has won gold in the men’s 200-meter breaststroke, setting an Olympic record with a time of 2:06.38.

Arno Kamminga of the Netherlands won silver with a time of 2:07.01, while Finland’s Matti Mattsson earned his country’s first medal of the 2020 Olympics, winning bronze with a time of 2:07.13.

The Russian Olympic Committee’s Anton Chupkov, the world record holder in the event, missed out on the podium, finishing fourth with a time of 2:07.24.

Stubblety-Cook’s triumph gives Australia its sixth gold medal and 16th total medal of the Tokyo Games.

Simone Biles acknowledged the "outpouring love & support" she's received since announcing she would not compete in the women's individual all-around competition at the Tokyo Olympics to focus on her well-being.

It remains unclear if Biles, the five-time Olympic medalist, will compete in other events.

Read the tweet:

Tokyo is experiencing a hot and humid first week of the Olympics, but the high temperatures are not unusual for Japan's capital in mid-summer.

The average high temperature for late July in Tokyo is 31 degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit). Over the past five days, highs have ranged from 29.8 to 34.4 degrees Celsius (86 to 94 F) — an average of roughly 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 F) above usual high temperatures.  

Compounding the heat is the usual high humidity. Humidity values have ranged from 66% to 84%, making it feel much hotter, and limiting the body’s ability to cool down through sweat and evaporation.

Though Tokyo is not officially in a heat wave, the hot weather is having an impact on Olympic athletes, particularly in the tennis. Organizers said Wednesday they are pushing back matches so they will begin later in the day.

It came after Spain’s Paula Badosa was forced to retire from her women’s singles quarterfinal match and left the court in a wheelchair due to heatstroke on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Russian Olympic Committee player Daniil Medvedev told the chair umpire that he could finish his men’s singles third-round match — but wanted to know whether the International Tennis Federation would take responsibility if he died.

What athletes can expect in the next week: The forecast in Tokyo is for more of the same — temperatures will continue to be in the low 30s in degrees Celsius (86 to 92 F) over the next seven days, potentially reaching 33 to 34 degrees Celsius (92 to 93 F) over the weekend. There are not currently any heat advisories in effect for the Greater Tokyo region, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. 

American swimmer Robert Finke won gold in the men's 800-meter freestyle event on Thursday morning in Japan with a time of 7:41.87.

This is the first time the event has been held at the Olympics.

Finke, who goes by Bobby, beat Italy's Gregorio Paltrinieri, who took silver with a time of 7:42.11. Ukraine's Mykhailo Romanchuk won bronze in 7:42.33.

Italians Valentina Rodini and Federica Cesarini have won gold in the lightweight women’s double sculls rowing event.

The 2021 European champions in the event edged out the field by 14-hundredths of second with a time of 6:47.54.

The triumph gives Italy its second gold medal and 17th total medal at the Tokyo Games.