New top story from Time: With Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka Off TV Screens, Who Will Be the New Olympic Stars?

https://ift.tt/3BNLClE

If something like this—the stunning premature absence of two global icons from the Olympics—was ever going to happen, really, it would happen here, in Tokyo, in these troubled 2020 Olympic Games.

Assuming the COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t going to completely overrun the whole affair once it began—and caution, we’re not in the clear yet— these Olympics were supposed to belong to Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka, full stop. Or Naomi and Simone—with the single-name status, in whichever order you prefer.

Gymnastics is a quadrennial television obsession, and Biles delivered like no one has before or since. She had nothing else to prove, but was back for another Olympic run to thrill an adoring audience once more. She was the surest of bets.
[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]

Biles pulled out of the team competition on Tuesday and will skip Thursday’s all-around individual competition. In a statement, USA Gymnastics said Biles had withdrawn “in order to focus on her mental health.” She could still take part this weekend’s individual event finals; USA Gymnastics said she will “continue to be evaluated daily.”

So Biles might not be gone from the Tokyo Olympics for good. But the gymnastics team and individual all-around events are the key TV draws for U.S. audiences during the first week of the Games. With Biles’ exit from the marquee events, the Olympics took a stunning turn.

And they were already reeling from Osaka’s shocking third-round loss on Tuesday to no. 42-ranked Marketa Vondrousova, of the Czech Republic, in straight sets. Normally, the Olympic tennis tournament feels like a bit of an add-on; the world’s best already gather four times a year to compete in Grand Slams. Do we really need to do it again?

But Osaka, a four-time Slam champ, was the face of the Tokyo Olympics for the home country, and she has a passionate following in the U.S. She lit the Olympic cauldron during the Opening Ceremony. And her mere presence carried even more importance after she withdrew from the French Open and skipped Wimbledon to tend to her mental health and prepare for the Games. She made a statement, heard loud around the world, on the pressing need for self-care. With that backdrop, millions were pulling for her.

“I definitely feel like there was a lot of pressure for this,” Osaka said after her exit. “I think it’s maybe because I haven’t played in the Olympics before and for the first year (it) was a bit much.”

Make no mistake; combined, Osaka and Biles have propelled mental health to the forefront of sports, and society, like no one else before them. In the long run, this will prove more valuable than any gold medal.

But that doesn’t mean fans can’t feel disappointed. If the Olympics weren’t going to mark a global victory over COVID-19, as imaged by organizers when they postponed them last March, they could at least serve as a welcome distraction from a persistent pandemic. Simone and Naomi were the key distractions.

Outside the U.S., there’s plenty to cheer. Japan, for example, has established itself as a skateboarding powerhouse and stands near the top of the medal count. China is succeeding in its quest for gold and continues to dominate sports like synchronized diving.

But who fills the superstar void for the American audience? Katie Ledecky proved human, finishing fifth in the 200-m freestyle and second in the 400-m freestyle, before winning 1,500-meter freestyle gold on Wednesday. She’s still an all-time great; maybe just not in Tokyo.

The U.S. men’s basketball team lost to France in its opening game; despite rebounding for an expectant win over Iran, Kevin Durant and Co. are vulnerable. The U.S. women’s soccer team, still trying to win a World Cup and Olympic gold back-to-back, has so far been uninspiring, going 1-1-1 in pool play.

Novak Djokovic is here, but at this point he’s practically winning machine; while his talent deserves the upmost respect, the Olympics aren’t banking on him.

Track and field starts Friday; it would have been nice to have Sha’carri Richardson in town. Noah Lyles has swagger, Sydney McLaughlin set a world record at the Olympic Trials, offering hope that she can repeat that feat. Travyon Bromell could be crowned the world’s fastest man. Allyson Felix is writing her final chapter, and chasing the all-time medals mark for a female track and field Olympian.

They all may shine. But these weren’t their Olympics. We can only wish Osaka and Biles well. And can’t help but wonder what might have been, during an Olympics we can never get back.

Comments

Raksha Bandhan 2020

Raksha Bandhan 2020 is going to be celebrated in India according to the lunar calendar month of Shravan which is August 3 this year. During the celebration women tie a variety of Rakhi on the wrist of their brothers with a wish to keep all misfortune, distress, evils away from their brothers. In return, brothers promise them for protection and to stand by her in every circumstance. During the rituals, brother offers some gifts to their sisters as a customary gesture. Raksha Bandhan is a very important festival in India. During the festival, sisters who resides far away from their brothers send them Raksha Bandhan quotes to brother through SMS or any other electronic medium. Similarly, brothers sent to their sisters Raksha Bandhan quotes to sister through these media to express their good wishes and well beings for their sisters. In this festival, Raksha Bandhan Quotes, Raksha Bandhan Images, Raksha Bandhan greetings typically trends on all social media platforms. People sen...

Trump likely to be acquitted in impeachment trial as Democrats lack numbers in Senate https://ift.tt/3omor9Z

Former US President Donald Trump is likely to be acquitted in his impeachment trial as the Democrats failed to garner enough support required from Republican Senators. The Democrats who have impeached Trump in the House charging him with "incitement of insurrection," needs two-thirds of the vote for the Senate impeachment. Currently both the Democrats and the Republicans have 50 members each in the 100-seat Senate.

New top story from Time: How Spirited Away Changed Animation Forever

https://ift.tt/3xVoGP5 Twenty years ago, on July 20, 2001, a film that would become one of the most celebrated animated movies of all time hit theaters in Japan. Directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli, Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi, titled Spirited Away in English, would leave an indelible mark on animation in the 21st century. The movie arrived at a time when animation was widely perceived as a genre solely for children, and when cultural differences often became barriers to the global distribution of animated works. Spirited Away shattered preconceived notions about the art form and also proved that, as a film created in Japanese with elements of Japanese folklore central to its core, it could resonate deeply with audiences around the world. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The story follows an ordinary 10-year-old girl, Chihiro, as she arrives at a deserted theme park that turns out to be a realm of gods and spirits. After an overeating incident ...

India's second-quarter GDP data to be released today https://ift.tt/2JfXhDl

The second-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) data on India will be released today with the industry expecting positive news. The data will be released by the National Statistical Office.

Govt proposes capping surge pricing by cab aggregators at 1.5 times of base fare https://ift.tt/37iLQ5R

The government on Friday proposed to cap surge pricing charged by cab aggregators like Ola and Uber at 1.5 times of the base fare. The development assumes significance in the backdrop of a long-pending demand of citizens to cap the pricing of ride-hailing services.

New top story from Time: We’re in the Third Quarter of the Pandemic. Antarctic Researchers, Mars Simulation Scientists and Navy Submarine Officers Have Advice For How to Get Through It

https://ift.tt/2MtohAV McMurdo Station, an Antarctic research base 2,415 miles south of Christchurch, New Zealand, is a strange place to ride out the COVID-19 pandemic. But it’s been a home of sorts for Pedro Salom since he took a dishwashing job there in 2001, when he was 24. Now an assistant area manager with more than a dozen Antarctic deployments behind him, Salom has grown accustomed to the ebb and flow of life on the ice. There’s the surge of excitement when new arrivals join the camp, the feeling of isolation from the rest of the world when earth and sea disappear in the endless night from April to August; and the joy when the sun finally appears behind the mountains once again. He’s also been around long enough to know that, as people reach the end of their deployments, many begin to struggle—whether they’ve been at McMurdo for over a year, or even just a few months. “One of the things I look for is dramatic changes in people’s habits,” says Salom. “If somebody has...

New top story from Time: Matt Damon Shines in Stillwater, an Uneven Thriller Inspired by a Real-Life Murder Case

https://ift.tt/3iYwyJq In Tom McCarthy’s somber thriller Stillwater, Matt Damon plays the ultimate ham-fisted American in France, doing such a good job of it that he helps disguise the flaws of this sometimes compelling but often frustrating movie. Damon plays Bill Baxter, an out-of-work Oklahoma oil-rig worker who travels to Marseille to visit his estranged daughter, Allison ( Abigail Breslin ), who’s serving a prison sentence there for a murder she claims she didn’t commit. Though he speaks no French and is generally known to make a mess of things, Bill attempts to investigate new evidence in Allison’s case, drawing a local single mom, Virginie (Camille Cottin), and her young daughter Maya (Lilou Siauvaud) into an increasingly tangled net. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Stillwater was loosely inspired by the case of Amanda Knox —who spent nearly four years in an Italian prison after being convicted of the 2007 murder of a fellow exchange student—though the movie foll...

With 12,689 new COVID-19 cases, 137 deaths in a day; India's tally jumps to 1,06,89,527 https://ift.tt/2YjtH3C

India's COVID-19 tally mounted to 1,06,89,527 with 12,689 new cases in a day, while 1,03,59,305 people have recuperated from the infection so far pushing the national recovery rate to 96.91 per cent on Wednesday, according to the Union Health Ministry's data.

New top story from Time: ‘Judge Me By My Actions.’ Trevor Lawrence Discusses the 2021 NFL Draft and Questions About His Work Ethic

https://ift.tt/3vvFjiL Trevor Lawrence, the former Clemson star quarterback and presumptive top overall selection in the 2021 NFL draft—which begins Thursday—has had one hectic month of April. He’s prepping for the most important night of his football life. He married his longtime girlfriend, Marissa Mowry. (The honeymoon will have to wait). He signed endorsement deals with Gatorade, Topps, which has offered both physical trading cards and NFTs with his likeness, and the cryptocurrency investment app Blockfolio —his signing bonus was paid in crypto. On Wednesday morning, Lawrence announced he signed an endorsement deal with Adidas. He’s also received a taste of the ridiculous headaches a franchise quarterback must endure. Quarterback, more than perhaps any position in all of pro sports, unmasks the obsessiveness of sports fans. Especially a player like Lawrence, whom ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. rates as the fourth-best quarterback draft prospect since 1979, trailin...

New top story from Time: 11 Moments From Asian American History That You Should Know

https://ift.tt/330kaRq More than 30 years after President George H.W. Bush signed a law that designated May 1990 as the first Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month , much of Asian American history remains unknown to many Americans—including many Asian Americans themselves. Often the Asian-American history taught in classrooms is limited to a few milestones like the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the incarceration of people of Japanese descent during World War II, and that abridged version rarely includes the nearly 50 other ethnic groups that make up the fastest-growing racial and ethnic group in the U.S. in the first two decades of the 21st century . To many, the resulting lack of awareness was highlighted after the March 16 Atlanta spa shootings that left six women of Asian descent dead. The killings fit into a larger trend of violence against Asians failing to be seen or charged as a hate crime , even as leaders lamented that “racist attacks [are]… no...

My precise view

Search This Blog