Belarusian sprinter Kristina Timanovskaya has left Tokyo
From CNN's Taylor Barnes, Sara Turnbull and Helen Regan
Belarusian Olympic sprinter Kristina Timanovskaya, who refused to fly home fearing she would be arrested, was seen boarding a Vienna-bound flight out of Tokyo on Wednesday.
The 24-year-old athlete was set to compete in the women's 200 meters at the Tokyo Games on Monday, but instead said team officials tried to forcibly send her back to Belarus against her wishes after she criticized sporting authorities.
Her drama-filled plight has dominated global headlines around the Games and while her comments were not overtly political, her case has heightened fears of the safety of those who speak out against Belarusian officials.
Timanovskaya was seen arriving at Narita airport on Wednesday morning with luggage and wearing blue jeans and a blue sweatshirt. She later boarded Austrian Airlines flight OS52.
The athlete had been expected to travel to Warsaw, Poland, where she was offered safe refuge and a humanitarian visa by the country's Prime Minister. It is not clear if she will make a connection in Vienna on her way to Poland, or if she intends to stay in Austria, or travel elsewhere.
Another 29 Covid-19 cases linked to the Olympics have been reported
From CNN's Chandler Thornton
Olympic organizers said Wednesday that 29 more Covid-19 cases linked to the Games have been identified.
Four of those are athletes, including three members of Greece's artistic swimming team. The trio were all residents of Tokyo's Olympic Village and were the only three cases reported from the village Wednesday.
The fourth athlete was not identified.
To date, 327 coronavirus cases tied to the Tokyo Olympics have been identified, including 32 reported from the Olympic Village.
10:56 p.m. ET, August 3, 2021
Sydney McLaughlin wins women's 400 meters hurdles
Team USA's Sydney McLaughlin set a world record to win gold in the women's 400 meters hurdles, with a time of 51.46 seconds.
Fellow American Dalilah Muhammad, who won the event at Rio 2016, came second with a time of 51.58 — fast enough to beat the previous world record of 51.90, which McLaughlin set in June.
McLaughlin is the youngest Olympic medal winner in the women’s 400 meters hurdles, at 21 years and 362 days old. She's also the first holder of the world record to win Olympic gold in this event.
Dutchwoman Femke Bol won bronze in 52.03, a European record.
The stunning performances by McLaughlin and Muhammad mirror the result of yesterday's men's 400 meters hurdles final, when gold medalist Karsten Warholm and silver medalist Rai Benjamin both shattered the previous world record in the event.
10:17 p.m. ET, August 3, 2021
Olympic silver medalist Raven Saunders says her mother has died
From CNN's Jill Martin, Homero De la Fuente and George Ramsay
Just days after winning the silver medal in shot put, American Raven Saunders said on social media that her mother, Clarissa, has died.
Saunders said on Twitter that her mother was her “number one guardian angel.”
“(Hopping) off social media for a while to take care of my mental and my family,” she said in the tweet. “My mama was a great woman and will forever live through me.”
She did not say how or when her mother died.
In an Instagram post, Saunders wrote, “Our last conversation was one of the best ever. Mama I know you love me with every fiber in your body.”
Clarissa Saunders had been at a watch party at Burke High School in Charleston, South Carolina, to watch her daughter compete and was interviewed by CNN affiliate WCSC.
“Not being there is a little bummer, but hey, we’re cheering from here,” Clarissa Saunders told the station. “She knows we’re here cheering for her.”
The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and USA Track and Field each posted condolence messages on Twitter.
Saunders was vocal about her battle with depression going into the Tokyo Olympics and said she hoped to help destigmatize the topic of mental health by speaking openly.
"I always felt like in life, trying to reach people — to help people — is really my purpose," she said in an interview with CNN in May.
During the medal ceremony after Saunders won her silver, she raised her arms and formed an “X” on the podium for more than 20 seconds as a protest. According to Saunders, the symbol represented “the intersection of where all people who are oppressed meet.”
She was asked about the moment and said it was for the LGBTQIA+ community, the Black community and people dealing with mental health issues.
“My message is to keep fighting, keep pushing, keep finding value in yourself, find value in everything you do,” Saunders said at a news conference afterward. “It means a lot to be able to walk away with a silver medal because I do represent so many people. I know there are so many people that have been looking up to me, so many people that have messaged me, so many people that have been praying for me. I'm happy I get to bring this back for them, not just myself.”
8:18 p.m. ET, August 3, 2021
Simone Biles reveals her aunt unexpectedly died during the Olympics
From CNN's Jill Martin
Following her bronze medal win on balance beam Tuesday, Simone Biles revealed that her aunt had died during the Olympics.
"Two days ago my aunt unexpectedly passed, and that was something I wasn't expecting to happen at the Olympic Games either, so at the end of the day, you have to be a little bit more mindful of what you say online, because you have no idea of what these athletes are going through as well as (in) their sports," Biles said.
Biles didn’t compete in four individual finals at the Tokyo Olympics — the all-around individual competition, vault, uneven bars and floor exercise — after withdrawing during the women’s team final, citing mental health concerns.
"Every day I had to be medically evaluated by the doctors, and then I had two sessions with a sports psychologist which kind of helped keep me more level-headed,” said Biles, regarding preparations for the beam final. “I was cleared to do beam, which I honestly didn't think I'd be cleared to do last night."
9:04 p.m. ET, August 3, 2021
Brazil's Ana Marcela Cunha wins women's marathon swim in thrilling finish
From CNN's Kevin Dotson
Ana Marcela Cunha of Brazil won the women’s marathon swimming event, a 10 kilometer race, by less than a second.
Cunha swam the race, the Olympics' longest swim, in 1:59:30.8 to win her first ever Olympic medal. She has been named open water swimmer of the year by the sport's governing body FINA the last three times the award was given.
Dutch swimmer Sharon van Rouwendaal, the gold medalist in 2016, takes silver with a time of 1:59:31.7. Australian Kareena Lee finished just behind Van Rouwendaaal to claim bronze in 1:59:32.5.
6:10 p.m. ET, August 3, 2021
2 earthquakes off coast of Japan felt in Tokyo
From CNN’s Will Ripley, Chie Kobayashi and Taylor Barnes
Two earthquakes off the coast of Hasaki, Japan, were felt in Tokyo, where the Summer Olympics are currently taking place, according to a CNN correspondent on the ground.
The quakes occurred at 5:33 a.m. and 5:43 a.m. local time (4:33 p.m. and 4:43 p.m. ET).
According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquakes registered magnitudes 5.8 and 5.1 and occurred about 75 miles offshore at depths of about 6 miles.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has not issued a tsunami warning. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
3:32 p.m. ET, August 3, 2021
Here's who won gold medals at the Olympics on Tuesday
It was a day to remember in the track and field events, with Jamaica's Elaine Thompson-Herah completing a historic sprint double-double and Norway's Karsten Warholm smashing the 400m hurdles world record on his way to gold. 26gold medals in all were won Tuesday at the Tokyo Olympics. Here are the latest winners who are taking home gold: