August 2 Tokyo 2020 Olympics news and results

By Joshua Berlinger, Aditi Sangal and Adam Renton, CNN

Updated 12:01 a.m. ET, August 3, 2021
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4:50 a.m. ET, August 2, 2021

Simone Biles to take part in Tuesday’s balance beam final

From CNN's Aleks Klosok in London

Simone Biles is pictured competing on balance beam on July 25.
Simone Biles is pictured competing on balance beam on July 25. Jamie Squire/Getty Images

US gymnast Simone Biles will take part in Tuesday’s balance beam final, USA Gymnastics confirmed in a tweet on Monday.

A tweet from the organization read: “We are so excited to confirm that you will see two U.S. athletes in the balance beam final tomorrow - Suni Lee AND Simone Biles!! Can’t wait to watch you both!”

Biles participated in gymnastics qualifications on July 25 and then completed the United States’ vault rotation in the women’s team final on July 27 before withdrawing from competition, citing mental health concerns.

Biles did earn a silver medal as part of the US team’s second place finish in the team final.

The 24-year-old, who won four golds in the 2016 Rio Olympics, subsequently withdrew from four individual finals at the Tokyo Games -- the all-around, vault, uneven bars and floor.

Tuesday’s balance beam will be her last opportunity to secure an individual medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

4:25 a.m. ET, August 2, 2021

Germany sets stunning world record time in women’s team pursuit cycling

From CNN's Aleks Klosok

The German women's team set a world record in track cycling pursuit on August 2.
The German women's team set a world record in track cycling pursuit on August 2. Sebastian Gollnow/picture alliance/Getty Images

Germany set a world record time in the women’s team pursuit with a blistering performance in qualifying on Monday.

The team of Franziska Brausse, Lisa Brennauer, Lisa Klein and Mieke Kroeger smashed Great Britain’s previous record by almost three seconds.

The German quartet completed 16 laps, setting a time of 4:07.307.

Great Britain, whose previous world record mark had been 4:10.236, finished second quickest, with the United States in third and Italy in fourth.

4:07 a.m. ET, August 2, 2021

"I really wanted to make history." Indonesian duo win gold in women's doubles badminton

From CNN’s Jacob Lev and Ben Church

Greysia Polii (left) and Apriyani Rahayu of Team Indonesia celebrate after winning the women's badminton doubles on Monday.
Greysia Polii (left) and Apriyani Rahayu of Team Indonesia celebrate after winning the women's badminton doubles on Monday. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu of Indonesia won gold in women's doubles badminton, defeating Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan of China in straight games 2-0.

The win gave Indonesia its first gold medal of the 2020 Olympic Games and fourth medal overall.

“Twenty years ago when I was 13 years old I knew that Indonesia hadn’t made any history in women’s doubles," an emotional Polii said after the win.

"I know that I was born to be a badminton player, and I have that fate. I was 13 years old, and I really wanted to make history for Indonesia in women’s doubles.

God has given me the dreams and the fate into my heart."

Polii has overcome plenty of obstacles after being disqualified from London 2012, where she was accused of not doing her best to win a match.

But her partnership with Rahayu has given her new life and a refreshed love for the game.

“I cannot believe that this is what I’ve got. I really did not think I would have made it this far because all I’ve ever thought about is how to get through, how to keep on pushing," Rahayu said after the gold medal match.

"I really did force myself to get this far and do the best that I can. I really want to thank God and my partner.”

Heeyong Kong and Soyeong Kim from Republic of Korea won bronze.

4:03 a.m. ET, August 2, 2021

BMX veteran Daniel Dhers finally gets to show off ‘crazy tricks’ to the world

From CNN's Amanda Sealy and Elizabeth Pérez 

Daniel Dhers competes in the Cycling BMX Freestyle final on August 1.
Daniel Dhers competes in the Cycling BMX Freestyle final on August 1. (Photo by Sebastian Gollnow/picture alliance/Getty Images)

Venezuelan BMX freestyle rider Daniel Dhers has been in the game for decades, but this is the first year his sport has been part of the Olympics giving him the opportunity to demonstrate his skill and athleticism to the world.

The 36-year-old Dhers nabbed the silver medal behind Australia’s Logan Martin who is almost 10 years younger than the Venezuelan.

Fresh off his Olympic high, Dhers brought his energy to the CNN set in Tokyo describing to CNN”s Elizabeth Pérez how much this moment means to him.

“I think it’s been super important to be able to showcase freestyle BMX on the biggest stage in the world. BMX Freestyle has come a long way, we used to go out in the streets, kind of create havoc. Now, we are real athletes. The Olympics solidified that position for us.

"We take care of our body, we take care of our minds and we just love to do crazy tricks. I’m glad, I’m so psyched that people back at home are watching it, enjoying it because it’s a beautiful sport. To me, it means the world that we finally made it to the big event.”

Dhers was beyond excited for his first time at the Olympics getting to meet athletes from countries all over the world.

“I kept asking people, 'Hey where are you from? Kenya -- oh that’s awesome.' All sorts of crazy places that I don’t know if i’ll ever be able to go there, but those places united here and we all had a massive party in the sense of, hey we are having a sports party, so it was awesome.”

But will we see Dhers at the Paris games in. 2024? According to Dhers, yes. “You will see me in Paris. So stay tuned.”

3:43 a.m. ET, August 2, 2021

Long jump gold medal winner Miltiadis Tentoglou says he "didn't expect" to jump so far

From CNN's Matias Grez

Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece in action during the long jump final.
Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece in action during the long jump final. Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters

It was one of the most dramatic finishes of Tokyo 2020 so far.

Miltiadis Tentoglou's huge final jump of 8.41 meters snatched the gold medal away from Cuba's Juan Miguel Echevarria at the last possible moment.

Echevarria had also jumped 8.41m in the final round, but was bumped down to silver due to his second longest jump being shorter than Tentoglou's.

“Last attempt, I told myself to calm down and do a normal jump," Tentoglou said. "I didn’t expect it could be so big.

“I consider myself lucky. I was not lucky to jump 8.41m the last attempt but I was lucky to win.”

Echevarria did have one final attempt to eclipse Tentoglou's marker, but broke down on his run up due to injury.

It was very, very painful," he said. "I couldn’t do what I usually do.

"I have no words to express how I feel because I couldn’t achieve what I wanted, what I have been fighting for for so many years," Echevarria added. “I am personally not very happy with the result. I have always tried to go further.” 

He declined to share what he was thinking when he fell to the track. “What I thought when I was on the track, it’s better if I don’t say it out loud ... I don’t think it’s appropriate. I don’t think the press wants to hear it.”

Echevarria's fellow countryman Maykel Masso also struggled with injury, but was pleased with his bronze medal.

“I am very happy with the result even if I couldn’t finish," he said. "I had an injury but I am very happy with how it went.”

The three medalists have been competing consistently against each other since 2015, but that competitive edge hasn't stopped them from becoming good friends.

"It’s always satisfying to compete against each other," he said.

“Of course it’s competitive between us, but I really respect them. I am really happy to be here with them both.” 

2:29 a.m. ET, August 2, 2021

The Olympics usually give bar owners a boost. Not so in Tokyo

From journalists Aline Sauvegrain Tanabe and Hanako Sasaki in Tokyo

A sports bar near Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium sits empty on Sunday.
A sports bar near Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium sits empty on Sunday. (Aline Sauvegrain Tanabe/CNN)

Tokyo's residents may increasingly be warming to the Olympics, but sports bars in the Japanese capital do not appear to be reaping much benefit.

Before the pandemic hit, Tokyo's food and beverage industry was anticipating a big boost for business from the Games. But with overseas visitors barred from entering Japan and Tokyo under a state of emergency due to the surging number of Covid-19 cases, bars and restaurants appear to be suffering.

One local bar owner about five minutes away from the Olympic Stadium said things have been quiet since the Games kicked off last month.

“Only one or two people come to the bar to watch the Games every day," she said.

Bars and restaurants in Tokyo are being asked to close at 8 p.m., and though they can serve alcohol, the government has requested they refrain from doing so.

The owner of another nearby bar, which is serving alcohol but putting in place social distancing measures and customer limits, said his establishment was full on big days for Team Japan, but not on a regular basis.

"The Olympics has not really helped business," he said.

1:49 a.m. ET, August 2, 2021

Gold medalist Tom Daley was spotted knitting at the women's 3 meter springboard final

British diver Tom Daley works on a new creation while watching the women's 3 meter springboard final on Sunday. Daley said on Instagram that he was making a "jumper," or sweater, for a French bulldog.
British diver Tom Daley works on a new creation while watching the women's 3 meter springboard final on Sunday. Daley said on Instagram that he was making a "jumper," or sweater, for a French bulldog. (Joe Giddens/Press Association/AP)

Great Britain's Tom Daley was spotted knitting in the stands in Tokyo on Sunday as he watched the women’s 3 meter springboard diving final.

After winning gold in the men's synchronized 10 meter diving last week, Daley revealed on social media that he'd knitted a crochet case for his medal, adorned with Great Britain’s flag.

Daley says he started knitting at the beginning of the pandemic lockdown and has created an Instagram account to showcase his skills. The 27-year-old has knitted sweaters, hats, and little booties among other things, according to the photos on the page.

Knitting is the “one thing that has kept me sane throughout this whole process,” he said in an Instagram video.

Daley is due back in action on Friday in Tokyo in the men's 10 meter platform diving.

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1:18 a.m. ET, August 2, 2021

Meet Su Bingtian — the fastest man in Asia

From CNN's Steve George in Hong Kong

China's Su Bingtian celebrates after winning his 100 meter semifinal on Sunday.
China's Su Bingtian celebrates after winning his 100 meter semifinal on Sunday. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

Chinese sprinter Su Bingtian made Olympic history Sunday night, becoming the first Asian athlete to line up in the men’s 100 meter final since Takayoshi Yoshioka in the 1932 Los Angeles Games.

The 31-year-old arrived in Tokyo as a rank outsider, having previously been eliminated twice at the semifinal stage in London and Rio.

But in an extraordinary night of high drama, which saw American medal favorite Trayvon Bromell fail to qualify for the final, Su appeared to defy all expectations, scorching across the finish line of the third semifinal in first place — and setting a new Asian record of 9.83 seconds.

The time — the fastest of all semifinalists — positioned 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) Su as an unlikely favorite heading into the Tokyo 2020 final. On the night though, it wasn’t to be for him. Su finished sixth, clocking in at 9.98 seconds, with Italy's Lamont Marcell Jacobs taking gold in 9.80 seconds.

On Weibo, China’s heavily-censored Twitter-like platform, five of Sunday night's top 10 trending topics referenced Su’s sprint final, amid an outpouring of pride for his record-breaking achievement.

“Su Bingtian, you’re a miracle of the entire Asia! The pride of all of Asia!” said a top comment with nearly 300,000 likes.

After the race, Su told Chinese state media that stepping on the track had fulfilled his Olympic dream.

“I ran out of my energy in the semifinal. Finishing the final under 10 seconds is not an easy thing for me,” he added.

Indeed, Su was the first Asian-born athlete to officially break the 10-second barrier, the traditional measure of a truly world-class sprinter. Only a select group of Asian athletes have since achieved the feat.

USA's Ronnie Baker, Italy's Lamont Jacobs and China's Su Bingtian compete in a 100 meter semifinal heat on Sunday, August 1.
USA's Ronnie Baker, Italy's Lamont Jacobs and China's Su Bingtian compete in a 100 meter semifinal heat on Sunday, August 1. (Morry Gash/AP)

By way of comparison, Su’s semi-final time of 9.83 seconds would have been enough to win Olympic gold in Barcelona in 1992 (9.96 seconds, Linford Christie); Sydney, 2000 (9.87 seconds, Maurice Greene); and Athens, 2004 (9.85 seconds, Justin Gatlin). Usain Bolt holds the fastest ever 100 meter time with 9.58 seconds at the World Championships in 2009. Bolt also holds the Olympic record with 9.63 seconds at London 2012.

Editor's note: A version of this story appears in CNN's Meanwhile in China newsletter, a three-times-a-week update exploring what you need to know about the country's rise and how it impacts the world. Sign up here.

1:03 a.m. ET, August 2, 2021

High jumpers Mutaz Essa Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi share Olympic gold in emotional final

From CNN's Rhea Mogul

They both cleared the highest bar, but when it came to deciding a winner, two Olympic high jumpers opted not to take it to a tie-breaker.

Instead, they asked to share the gold medal — prompting cheers beyond their home countries of Qatar and Italy.

During the long competition, 30-year-old Mutaz Essa Barshim from Qatar and Italy's Gianmarco Tamberi, 29, executed the first six jumps up to 2.37 meters (7 feet 8 inches).

Both then attempted to match the Olympic record of 2.39 meters for sole ownership of the title.

However, after three attempts, neither succeeded.

The two athletes were then approached by a Games official. "Can we have two golds?" Barshim asked.

The official nodded, prompting the overjoyed athletes to high five, before Tamberi embraced Barshim in an elated display of celebration.

Despite the ban on spectators due to Covid restrictions, loud cheers rang out from the small crowd in the stadium as the two men ran toward their coaches and teammates. Tamberi, overcome with emotion, collapsed on the track. In the stands, both coaches broke down in tears.

Barshim's gold medal has completed his Olympic set -- he won bronze at London 2012 and silver at Rio 2016. He claimed two World Championship titles in 2017 and 2019.

"It is unreal, it is crazy. I am so happy, man. It was the only thing missing (from his high jump career). Now, I am complete, I am so happy," Barshim said. "It is amazing, man. To share it with Marco is an amazing feeling. It is a great feeling. I'm really happy."

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