WASHINGTON — A full slate of track and field competition led to some big surprises at the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday. And with Simone Biles sitting out, two members of the U.S. women’s gymnastics team stepped up in individual competition and battled their way onto the medal podiums.
Skinner impresses on vault
Last week, it seemed like MyKayla Skinner’s Olympics and gymnastics career was over. Now, she’s an Olympic medalist.
While replacing Simone Biles in the vault competition, Skinner landed a silver-medal winning performance.
She had the fourth-highest vault score during qualifications. But the rules allow each country a maximum of two athletes in the finals. Biles and Jade Carey finished first and second, pushing Skinner from the competition.
But with Biles struggling with what gymnasts call the “twisties,” Skinner was able to take her spot in the vault final.
Another medal for the all-around champion
After winning gold in the women’s gymnastics all-around and silver in the team competition, Suni Lee added a bronze in the uneven bars final.
Three days after winning the all-around, Lee wasn’t quite at her best on the uneven bars. Admitting she’d become distracted by the attention surrounding her triumph, connections that typically come so easily were labored during Sunday’s event finals, if they came at all. The result was a bronze-medal finish that left her disappointed.
The beach volleyball “A-Team” moves on
With a win over Cuba, April Ross and Alix Klineman advanced to the quarterfinals of the beach volleyball tournament
Next up for the Americans is one of the most familiar faces in all of beach volleyball: Four-time Olympian — and defending gold medalist — Laura Ludwig.
A gold medal tie
Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi and Mutaz Barshim of Qatar decided to skip a jump-off and instead share the gold medal in men’s high jump.
In a huddle with track officials, the athletes were given the option to settle the tie with a jump-off. Barshim had a better idea: How about two golds?
The official said that was possible.
Barshim nodded and Tamberi instantly accepted, slapping Barshim’s hand and jumping into his arms. It would be far from his last celebration.
From relative unknown to the “World’s Fastest Man”
Lamont Marcell Jacobs won the men’s 100-meter race in 9.8 seconds, bringing the sprint gold to Italy for the first time.
Jacobs topped America’s Fred Kerley and Canada’s Andre DeGrasse to take the spot held for the past 13 years by the now-retired Usain Bolt.