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Osaka lights Olympic cauldron What a moment for Naomi embattled Haiti because that’s Japan because of her race, Naomi Osaka Osaka. For the new Japan. where her father is from; and with her family having moved lights the Olympic For racial injustice. For female surely in the United States, be- to the U.S. when she was 3. fl ame during the athletes. For tennis. cause that’s where the globe’s Her emergence as a top ten- opening ceremony The four-time Grand Slam highest-earning female ath- nis player has challenged in the Olympic winner lit the cauldron at the lete lives and where she has public attitudes about iden- Stadium at the opening ceremony of the To- been outspoken about racial tity in a homogeneous cul- 2020 Summer kyo Olympics on Friday. injustice. ture that is being pushed to Olympics, on It was a choice that could Plus, everywhere in be- change. July 23, in Tokyo, be appreciated worldwide: In tween, because Osaka is a It’s always a mystery until Japan. (AP) Japan, of course, the country superstar. the last moment who gets the where Osaka was born and But she has often received honor of lighting the cauldron. the nation that she plays for; in an uncomfortable welcome in (AP) ARAB TIMES, SUNDAY, JULY 25, 2021 Page 15 China’s Yufei, McKeon of Australia tie in women’s 100 butterfl y Japanese star Seto misses in 400 IM as Olympic swim starts TOKYO, July 24, (AP): Daiya Seto was so confi dent of advancing to the 400-meter individual medley fi nal in his home Olympics, the Japanese star made a costly mistake. He didn’t go fast enough. Seto surprisingly failed to qualify, fi nishing ninth on the opening night of swimming on Saturday. He missed the eighth and last spot for Sunday morn- ing’s fi nal by 32-hundreds of a second. He touched in 4 minutes, 10.52 sec- onds. “Even in the last hundred, I didn’t let it all out,” Seto said through a trans- lator. “Even when the other swimmers were coming near me.” Seto was the bronze medalist at the 2016 Rio Games and a three-time Sweden’s Magdalena Eriksson world champion in the event. He goes for a header against Austral- was trying to deliver Japan a second ia’s Sam Kerr (2) during a women’s straight gold medal in the event won in soccer match at the 2020 Summer Rio by Kosuke Hagino. Olympics, on July 24, in Saitama, “Five years ago, I went too fast Japan. (AP) in the prelims and couldn’t go fast enough in the fi nals,” Seto said. “I tried to avoid that.” Instead, the opposite happened and now Seto will have to focus on his two remaining events. Brendon Smith of Australia topped the men’s 400 IM qualifi ers in 4:09.27. Lewis Clareburt of New Zealand was second-quickest in 4:09.49. American Chase Kalisz, the silver medalist in Rio, qualifi ed third in 4:09.65. David Verraszto of Hungary, the oldest swimmer in the event at age 32, moved on in fourth. Also advancing was Jay Litherland of the U.S. SWIMMING Brendon Smith, of Australia, swims during a heat for the men’s 400-meter individual medley at the 2020 Summer Olympics, on July 24, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP) Without fans in the 15,000-seat To- kyo Aquatics Centre, masked teams had ample room to spread out in so- Netherlands midfi eld Xan Gerdien cially distanced seats above the deck. de Waard, (left), and India midfi eld Carapaz wins men’s road race The U.S. contingent waved tiny Amer- Monika (4) battle for the ball dur- ican fl ags and pounded red-white-and- ing a women’s fi eld hockey match blue Thunderstix, while the Germans at the 2020 Summer Olympics, on spread their large-sized fl ag over two July 24, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP) rows of seats. Waiting for the session to begin, Britain beat SA for Ecuador 1st cycling medal the Americans chanted “Dr. Biden, Dr. Biden” and clapped. The U.S. fi rst lady, sitting across the pool, stood and Belgium’s Van Aert claims Silver, Pogacar of Slovenia take bronze waved back. The U.S. team was easily Belgium top the most spirited, on its feet, whistling and cheering for its swimmers. OYAMA, Japan, July 24, But none of the usual electric- ity that typically courses through the Netherlands (AP): Richard Carapaz Olympic pool was present. Teams TOKYO, July 24, (AP): Not even rode away from the biggest Kuwait athletes ready as shouted the names of their swimmers Alexander Hendrickx knew he could names in cycling to win the during the races, and the sound of score like that. Olympic road race Satur- water splashing was easily heard and The Belgium defender knocked in Tokyo Oly get underway music played. three goals during a fi ve-minute stretch day before one of the few Defending Olympic champion and late in the third quarter Saturday to help TOKYO, July 24, (KUNA): Kuwaiti Men’s Skeet shooter, said world recordholder Adam Peaty of crowds at the Tokyo Games, Kuwait’s contingent of athletes “concentration” is key to excel in his team beat the Netherlands 3-1 in the giving Ecuador just its third Britain easily qualifi ed in the men’s men’s Olympic fi eld hockey tourna- participating in the Tokyo 2020 a precision sport such as shooting, 100 breaststroke in 57.56 seconds. ment. medal ever and the fi rst of Olympic Games said on Saturday adding that his recent participation U.S. teammates Michael Andrew and The Netherlands led 1-0 before they are fully “ready” to represent in similar events, which include a Andrew Wilson moved on in third and any color in the sport. their country just as the marquee pan-Arab contest in Egypt, had Hendrickx scored on a penalty corner, Embracing his nickname of “The fourth. a penalty stroke and another penalty event overshadowed by the COVID prepared him well for the show- It wasn’t as easy for Katinka Hosszu Locomotive,” Carapaz powered pandemic opened in a city under a down on Monday. of Hungary. corner. He credited his teammates with away from American breakaway creating the opportunities. state of emergency because of a Expecting “stiff competition” She barely qualifi ed for the wom- It was a matchup of powerhouses on buddy Brandon McNulty as they resurgence of new cases. ahead of the contest, Al-Rashidi en’s 400 IM fi nal, claiming the the opening day of men’s fi eld hockey. approached the fi nish at Fuji Inter- Men’s Skeet shooter Abdullah said he looked forward to delight- seventh spot in 4:36.01. At 32, the Belgium, which beat the Netherlands national Speedway. Carapaz was Al-Rashidi, making his seventh ing Kuwaiti fans and giving them defending Olympic champion and for the world title in 2018, is No. 2 in far enough ahead at the line that he appearance at the Olympic Games, a reason to celebrate, pointing out fi ve-time world champion was the the FIH world rankings while the Neth- was able to slap his handlebars in Richard Carapaz of Ecuador com- said his participation this year that he was ready to prove his oldest woman in the fi eld. Emma erlands is No. 3. petes in the men’s cycling road came by mere happenstance as he mettle with some of the world’s Weyant, a 19-year-old American, led celebration and mug for the camer- was chosen to replace his fellow best Olympic shooters. Belgium squandered a lead before as, sticking his tongue out in play- race at the 2020 Summer Olym- the way in 4:33.55. losing to the Netherlands in the Euro- pics, on July 24, in Oyama, Japan. athlete Saud Al-Kanderi, who Swimmers Lara Dashti and In the women’s 100 butterfl y, Chi- Hockey semifi nals last month, so hold- ful disbelief. pulled out of the event for person- Abbas Qali, with the former being na’s Zhang Yufei and Emma McKeon ing on for the victory on Saturday was The only other Olympic medals ever al reasons, seeing the incident as a the first Kuwaiti female athlete to of Australia tied for the fastest qualify- important. CYCLING won by his small South American na- silver lining that would allow him have lifted the national flag at an ing time of 55.82. Netherlands coach Max Caldas said tion have come in race walking. Jeffer- to chalk up more accomplishments Olympic opening ceremony just a Defending Olympic champion Sa- it’s too early in pool play to worry. The son Perez captured gold at the 1996 At- in his Olympic career. day earlier, both said they were rah Sjöström of Sweden advanced to Dutch are looking forward to Sunday The chasing group rounded the cor- lanta Games and added a silver medal Al-Rashidi, who won bronze in equally prepared for their respec- the semifi nals in third at 56.18. Her night’s match against South Africa. ner in sight of him at the fi nish line, at the 2008 Games in Beijing. the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, tive competitions on July 29-30. training was disrupted after she broke “This says nothing about the tourna- then played a game of cat-and-mouse Dutch rider Bauke Mollema was promised to do everything in his The Kuwaiti athletes haven her right elbow in February, slipping ment yet,” Caldas said.

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