Fencer Lee Kiefer is the first US woman to win gold in individual foil
American fencer Lee Kiefer is the first US woman to win a medal in individual foil.
Kiefer won gold after defeating Inna Deriglazova of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), who claimed silver, 15-13 at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
United States captured its third gold medal of the Summer Games and the nation's ninth overall.
ROC's Larisa Korobeynikova took bronze.
9:12 a.m. ET, July 25, 2021
Simone Biles on US women's gymnastic team's errors in qualifying: "there are little things we need to work on"
Gymnast Simone Biles commented after she and her teammates faltered in the early rounds of women’s artistic gymnastics qualifications at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on Sunday.
“I feel we did a pretty good job. Obviously, there are little things we need to work on, so we’ll go back and practice and work on that, just so we can do our best performance at team finals (on Tuesday), because that’s what matters. We’re really striving for top three (finish).”
The US team currently stands in second place behind ROC after three of five subdivisions.
US high-performance team coordinator Tom Forster said the team "had great performances today and some not-so-great ones, but the errors we made are mental."
"These girls have been training incredibly well, so it’s things we have some time to work on before finals, and we’ll do it," he said.
On the reasons for the USA team’s errors, which included some extra steps and unsteady landings, Forster said, “If you’ve ever been in competition, it’s just nerves of being in competition.”
Forster said that Biles' errors, including taking three large steps on her balance beam dismount, was a "surprise," adding, "I’ve never seen her do that before."
“That was a surprise. She’s been incredibly consistent and I’m sure she feels bad, but I’m super proud of the way she trained. She’s been a great leader for us. Sometimes, just like in other sports, great athletes drop the ball in the end zone or a quarterback throws an interception. It happens. Those steps are mental errors.”
He said the second-place position in qualifying could be "a great awakening" for the US team.
8:26 a.m. ET, July 25, 2021
Stefanos Tsitsipas hopes to emulate gold medal-winning grandfather
From CNN's Matias Grez
Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas is hoping to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, who won a gold medal the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne.
Sergei Salnikov, Tsitsipas' paternal grandfather, was a footballer and part of the Soviet Union national team that was crowned Olympic champion 65 years ago.
“I never had the opportunity to meet him," Tsitsipas said of Salnikov, who passed away in 1984. "My mom told me stories of his career and how he got it [gold] ... he kind of inspires me in a way. I know what kind of athlete he was, with all the achievements and all the trophies. I’m proud of him. “It’s something good, a legacy that is being carried on in the family. I’m happy to be the next in the family to be competing at the Olympics.”
Tsitsipas came through a tough opening round match against Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber, winning 6-3 3-6 6-3 to become the first Greek man to win a singles match at the Olympics since 1924.
“I’m happy with the way the game evolved," he said. "I got the game back into my hands, especially after having such a poor first set.”
Players are banned from receiving on-court coaching at matches, something Tsitsipas doesn't agree with.
“Many people say it’s an individual sport and we should be finding solutions on our own, but you have Formula One and other individual sports that get not just coaching, but loads of coaching," he argued. “I see no reason to have a specific time during a match when you can have your coach come and coach you. “There are so many people watching [tennis matches]. Sometimes I feel anyone can hire anyone and coach you without the umpire knowing. Things like this can happen, trust me.”
7:10 a.m. ET, July 25, 2021
Abe family wins two gold medals for Japan
From CNN's Matias Grez
Sunday is proving to be a fruitful day for Japan at its home Games, but in particular for the Abe family with siblings Uta and Hifumi crowned Olympic champions within an hour of each other.
Uta took gold in the women's -52kg category while her older brother Hifumi topped the podium in the men's -66kg category.
It takes Japan's gold medal haul to five -- and six medals overall.
In the men's -66kg, Georgia's Vazha Margvelashvili took silver and the bronze medals went to An Baul of South Korea and Brazil's Daniel Cargnin.
France's Amandine Buchard took silver in the women's -52kg category, with Chelsie Giles of Team GB and Italy's Odette Giuffrida taking the bronze medals.
6:39 a.m. ET, July 25, 2021
Two-time Olympic taekwondo champion says she was impacted by family absence in shock defeat
As athletes get used to no fans in attendance at the majority of Tokyo 2020 events, some are also finding it tough without the support of family members at the Olympics.
"Usually I have my whole family there, so when I am scared when I come out it gives me that extra push to go for it, so I got trapped in that fear mode today," two-time Olympic taekwondo champion Jade Jones told the BBC after the Briton suffered a shock defeat to Kimia Alizadeh of the Refugee Olympic team.
“I just think I put too much pressure on myself. Coming out I felt scared and too much pressure and then the whole tournament has been so different to what I’m used to," added an emotional Jones, who was aiming to become the first British woman to win Olympic gold at three consecutive Games.
Fellow Briton Bianca Walkden, who will compete in the +67kg category and is Jones' housemate in Manchester, England, was left in tears by her teammates' defeat as she watched from the sidelines.
6:33 a.m. ET, July 25, 2021
Tokyo reports more than 1,700 new Covid-19 cases amid Olympic Games
From CNN's Arthur Syin in Tokyo
Tokyo reported 1,763 new Covid-19 cases Sunday, the second official day of competition for the Olympic Games, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
Last Sunday, the Japanese capital reported 1,008 new Covid-19 cases.
There have been 137 Covid-19 cases linked to the Tokyo 2020 Games, according to organizers.
Additionally, below is the list of athletes CNN has reported so far who have dropped out of Tokyo 2020 due to a positive Covid-19 test or were placed in Covid-19 protocol in recent weeks.
Total number of athletes who tested positive in Japan: 13
Total number of athletes who tested positive or placed in protocol prior to departing for Japan: 12
Not clear where the athlete tested positive: 1
(*players tested positive in Japan)
Team USA: 6
Katie Lou Samuelson - Women's 3x3 Basketball
Coco Gauff - Women's Tennis
*Kara Eaker - Women's Gymnastics
*Taylor Crabb - Men's Beach Volleyball
Bradley Beal - Men's Basketball
Bryson DeChambeau - Golf
Rest of the World: 20
*Simon Geschke - German Cyclist
Frederico Morais - Portuguese surfer
*Finn Florijn - Dutch Rower
Amber Hill - Great Britain Shooting
Dan Evans - Great Britain Tennis
Johanna Konta - Great Britain Tennis
Hector Velazquez - Mexico Baseball
Sammy Solis - Mexico Baseball
Alex de Minaur - Australia Men's Tennis
Ilya Borodin - Swimmer on Russian Olympic Committee (ROC)
Here's a photo animation of the Olympics on day two:
6:55 a.m. ET, July 25, 2021
Spanish golfer Jon Rahm tests positive for Covid-19 for a second time, taking him out of Tokyo 2020
From CNN's Chandler Thornton
Spanish golfer Jon Rahm, the world No. 1 one of the favorites for Olympic gold, has tested positive for Covid-19 for a second time, this time ending his chances to participate at Tokyo 2020.
Rahm tested positive on his third Covid-19 test prior to departing for Tokyo, according to the Spanish Golf Federation.
Rahm was required to undergo three tests in compliance with guidelines for those who have recently been in the United Kingdom.
The 26-year-old later won the US Open at Torrey Pines in June, his first major victory, after recovering from the virus.
Rahm will not be replaced for the Games, the federation added, given the lack of time.
Adri Arnau will be the only member representing Men's Spanish Golf.
4:45 a.m. ET, July 25, 2021
Austria's Anna Kiesenhofer produces stunning upset in women's road race to win gold
From CNN's Matias Grez
Austrian cyclist Anna Kiesenhofer put in the ride of a lifetime to stun a field of big names and take the gold medal in the women's road race.
The 30-year-old broke away from the other two riders in the leading group more than 40 kilometers from the end, seemingly far too early to hold onto the lead she had established, but Kiesenhofer held firm to win Austria's first cycling gold medal since 1896!
It's not only on the road where Kiesenhofer excels, having also studied for a master’s degree in mathematics at the University of Cambridge, England and a PhD in applied mathematics at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia in Barcelona, Spain.
Remarkably, Kiesenhofer, who only took up the sport in 2014, doesn't currently have a professional contract -- that seems likely to change very soon.
According to the Olympics website, Kiesenhofer said her ambition was "to compete at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo."
It's fair to say she's done a bit more than that.
Dutch rider Annemiek van Vleuten, who was one of the heavy favorites to win, took silver and Italy's Elisa Longo Borghini took bronze for the second Olympics in a row.