Olympic Daily News: 5 August 2020
Get your daily update of Olympic news: Trivia, trends, and talking points featuring Noah Lyles in 'Athletes to Watch,' WTA tennis resumes as Nadal withdraws from U.S. Open
Four years ago today, the Rio 2016 Olympic Games began with a memorable Opening Ceremony at Maracanã Stadium.
What’s your favourite moment from those Games? Let us know @OlympicChannel on Twitter!
Noah Lyles: “I’m trying to be great, not good.”
Like so many great athletes, 200m world champion Noah Lyles isn’t one to settle.
“I’m trying to be great, not good,” says the 23-year-old American athletics star in the latest episode of the Olympic Channel original series Athletes to Watch.
“There’s tons of people who are good. There’s tons of people who have gotten to where I am now, but to be great, you have to do what most people haven’t. You have to win the gold medal,” said Lyles. “You have to do it more than once. You have to do it three times, do it three times in a row. Break a world record. Do it again. These are things that make you great.”
Lyles already has taken Youth Olympic gold in the 200m and hopes to match that feat next summer in Tokyo.
“The plan is so deeply ingrained in me that I know exactly what is going to happen.”
WTA resumes in Palermo, while Nadal says he’ll skip U.S. Open
After a five month pause, high-level tennis resumed at the WTA tour event in Palermo, Italy. The event includes social distancing protocols including handling their own towels and no handshaking. The event also allows a limited number of fans.
The top seed is Petra Martić of Croatia, who is currently ranked No. 15 in the world. She defeated Alison Van Uytvanck Tuesday and is scheduled to face Ludmilla Samsonova on Thursday.
Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the first grand slam since the coronavirus at the U.S. Open in New York. The tournament is scheduled to begin August 31, but will be without defending men’s champion Rafael Nadal.
“After many thoughts, I have decided not to play this year’s US Open,” the Spaniard wrote on Twitter. “This is a decision I never wanted to take, but I have decided to follow my heart at this time.”
The withdrawal is an opportunity for India's Sumit Nagal, who has secured direct entry to the event.
Like Nadal, women’s world No. 1 Ash Barty announced earlier her intent to skip the U.S. Open. However, Olympic champions Andy Murray and Serena Williams are expected to play in New York.
Associated Press says, ‘TV, big names make 1960 Rome Games 1st modern Olympics’
With the postponement of the Tokyo Olympic Games, the Associated Press is taking a look back at the history of the Olympics.
“Television - and gold medals - made a boxer named Cassius Clay and sprinter Wilma Rudolph household names,” the AP wrote of the 1960 Rome Games.
Those Olympics were the first broadcast on television in the United States, with footage being flown to New York for legendary broadcaster Jim McKay doing next-day voice overs. On the field of play highlights included Clay – later known as Muhammed Ali – taking boxing gold, while Rudolph picked up gold in 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay events.
For more of the AP’s Olympic look backs, click here.
Trivia time
Yesterday, we asked who was the first Japanese athlete to win Olympic gold? That distinction belongs to Mikio Oda.
Here’s today’s question.
On this day in 2012, Usain Bolt broke the Olympic record in the men’s 100m. Who owned the record previously?
- Justin Gatlin
- Tyson Gay
- Donovan Bailey
- Yohan Blake