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US gets first medals, finishing 1-2 in swimming

By Bruce Kropp Jul 25, 2021 | 8:46 AM

TOKYO (AP) — The United States has finally cracked the medal stand at the Tokyo Games.

American Chase Kalisz (KAY’-lihsh) began the U.S. medal push by taking gold in the men’s 400-meter IM finishing just ahead of teammate Jay Litherland.

Kalisz is a protege and former training partner of Olympic great Michael Phelps. He touched first in 4 minutes, 9.42 seconds.

The win ended the United States’ longest medal drought to start a Summer Olympics since 1972.

Kieran Smith of the U.S. finished third in the men’s 400-meter freestyle. Ahmed Hafnaoui of Tunisia was the surprise winner.

Yui Ohashi gave Japan its first swimming gold medal, doing it in the women’s 400-meter individual medley. Emma Weyant captured silver and fellow American Hali Flickinger the bronze.

Australia set the first swimming world record of the Tokyo Games in the women’s 4x-100-meter freestyle relay. The Aussies touched in 3 minutes, 29.69 seconds, while the Americans took third at 3:32.81.

Katie Ledecky (leh-DEK’-ee) opened her Olympic program as the top qualifier in the 400-meter freestyle, setting up a showdown with Ariarne Titmus of Australia. The American advanced with a time of 4:00:45. Titmus was third-quickest in 4:01.66. The first of their multiple showdowns in Tokyo comes in the final on Monday.

Defending 100 breaststroke champion Lilly King of the U.S. advanced to the semifinals. American Ryan Murphy, the 100 backstroke Olympic champion, moved on to the semifinals.

In other news from the Olympics:

— Lee Kiefer earned the third gold medal for the United States by beating defending champion Inna Deriglazova of Russia 15-13 in the women’s foil final. Kiefer is a four-time NCAA champion at Notre Dame. She placed fifth at the 2012 London Games and was 10th at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Kiefer is also a medical student at the University of Kentucky.

— Anastasija Zolotic won the United States’ first gold medal in women’s taekwondo by beating Russian athlete Tatiana Minina 25-17 to claim the featherweight division title. The 18-year-old is only the fourth American to reach an Olympic taekwondo final and only the second woman. Steven Lopez won the U.S. team’s only two previous Olympic golds in taekwondo.

— Amanda Chidester hit a game-ending, two-run single in the eighth inning, Monica Abbott struck out 13 and the United States beat Australia 2-1 to clinch a berth in the Olympic softball gold medal game against Japan. The top-ranked Americans have scored just six runs in four games. They play Japan on Monday in a game that will only determine which team bats last in Tuesday’s gold medal game.

— The U.S. women’s gymnastics team’s bid for a third straight Olympic title is off to a rocky start. The four-woman group led by reigning champion Simone Biles finished second to the Russian team during qualifying. That’s the first time the Americans have failed to lead at the end of any major event in more than a decade. Biles topped the all-round with a total of 57.731 points but lacked her usual precision. The 24-year-old made significant mistakes on three events. The Russian team’s score of 171.629 was more than a full point ahead of the U.S., though both teams will start from scratch in the finals.

— Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm are known for their towering drives but they won’t make it to the tee box at the Olympics. The last two U.S. Open champions became the best-known athletes to drop out of the Tokyo Games after testing positive for COVID-19. DeChambeau’s positive came before he left the United States for Tokyo. He’ll be replaced by Patrick Reed. Rahm was flagged for COVID-19 for the second time in two months. He had a six-shot lead at the Memorial in early June when he was forced to withdraw because of a positive test.

— Olympic medalists can now remove their masks — briefly — on the podium after the International Olympic Committee relaxed its health rules. Recognizing athletes want to smile and show emotion, the IOC is now letting them have 30 seconds of maskless time for photographs. The new maskless moments require athletes to stay on their own podium steps. Masks must be back on for group photos on the top step.

— Johnny Hooper has returned to his mother’s homeland for his Olympic debut and had one of the biggest U.S. goals in a 15-13 victory over Japan on the first day of the men’s water polo tournament.

— Romain Cannone won France’s first gold medal of the Tokyo Games by beating Gergely Siklosi of Hungary 15-10 in the men’s epee final. The 24-year-old Cannone was born in France but grew up in the United States.

— Ulugbek Rashitov won Uzbekistan’s first Olympic taekwondo gold medal in dramatic fashion by beating Bradly Sinden of Britain.

— Mikel Oyarzabal ended Spain’s 21-year wait for a goal and a win in Olympic soccer by clinching a 1-0 victory over Australia. In other men’s soccer results, Honduras beat New Zealand 3-2, France beat South Africa 4-3, Argentina beat Egypt 1-0 and Brazil and Ivory Coast played to a 0-0 draw.

— Hifumi Abe has won Japan’s third judo gold medal at its home Olympics with an ippon victory over Georgia’s Vazha Margvelashvili. He joins his younger sister among Japan’s gold medalists in the country’s beloved homegrown martial art. Hifumi Abe triumphed in men’s 66 kilograms shortly after Uta Abe claimed her own first gold medal in the women’s 52-kilogram division. Brazil’s Daniel Cargnin and South Korea’s An Baul won bronze at men’s 66kg.

— The U.S. women’s volleyball team’s quest for its first gold medal ever is off to a fast start. The Americans swept Argentina in their opening match, winning 25-20, 25-19, 25-20.

— Americans April Ross and Alix Klineman cruised to a straight-set victory over China in their beach volleyball opener. The Americans won the first set, 21-17, and then took the second, 21-19.

— Naomi Osaka eased past 52nd-ranked Zheng Saisai of China 6-1, 6-4 in the first round of the women’s tennis tournament. It was Osaka’s first match since she withdrew from the French Open and sat out Wimbledon to take a mental health break while revealing she has dealt with depression.

— Top-ranked Ash Barty has been upset by 48th-ranked Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-4, 6-3 in the first round of the women’s tennis tournament. Barty’s loss in her Olympic debut comes 15 days after she won Wimbledon for her second Grand Slam title. American Jennifer Brady was knocked out by Italy’s Camila Giorgi in straight sets.

— Two-time defending champion Andy Murray has withdrawn from the men’s singles tennis tournament. Organizers did not immediately say why the British player pulled out shortly ahead of his scheduled opener.

— Iranian defector Kimia Alizadeh barely missed out on the Refugee Olympic Team’s first-ever medal, losing to Turkey’s Hatice Kübra İlgün in their bronze medal taekwondo bout. Alizadeh won her first three bouts to get to the brink of a historic medal but was denied in two straight losses. After beating Iran’s Nahid Kiyani Chandeh in her opening bout, Alizadeh shocked two-time Olympic gold medalist Jade Jones.

— A contingent led by An San has captured South Korea’s ninth straight women’s archery team gold medal. South Korea hasn’t lost since the women’s team event was added to the Olympic program at the 1988 Seoul Games.

— Chen Lijun kept China’s perfect record in weightlifting intact with victory in the men’s 67-kilogram class. Chen lifted 187 kilograms in the clean and jerk for a total 332 kilograms to beat Luis Javier Mosquera of Colombia by one kilogram. China has won all three weightlifting gold medals so far in Tokyo.

— Pope Francis has offered his blessing for the Tokyo Olympic Games from Vatican City. Francis told the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the traditional papal blessing that “in this period of pandemic, these Games are a sign of hope, a sign of universal brotherhood and of a healthy competitive spirit.” He offered his blessing “to the organizers, the athletes, and all those who are collaborating for this great celebration of sport.”