Czech road cyclist Michal Schlegel has tested positive for COVID-19 and will no longer be able to participate in Saturday's road race, the Czech Olympic Committee announced in a statement Thursday.
What they're saying: Schlegel is "[t]he fourth athlete and the sixth Czech member of the team, who did not avoid a positive test for COVID-19 at the Tokyo Olympics..."
Olympic athletes were not subject to the usual, rigorous standards of the world anti-doping code during the 16-month period leading to the Games, according to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Why it matters: For approximately three months during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, virtually all drug-testing programs were suspended, which may have opened the door for athletes to engage in performance-enhancing drug use, AP notes.
The NFL told teams Thursday that postponed games due to coronavirus outbreaks among unvaccinated players or staffers will not be rescheduled this coming season and teams responsible for delays will automatically forfeit, according to NFL Network.
Why it matters: The league hasn't mandated vaccines for players, but this rule incentivizes teams to pressure unvaccinated players to get inoculated.
Shohei Ohtani is an MVP candidate on the field, and his new exclusive memorabilia deal with Fanatics reflects his exploding off-field value.
By the numbers: Ohtani's $6 million in annual endorsements is already tops in MLB, per Forbes, thanks to his two-way stardom and popularity in two of the world's biggest markets.
Texas and Oklahoma have made serious inquiries with the Southeastern Conference about leaving the Big 12, and the SEC is interested in adding the two schools, per multiple reports.
Why it matters: Such a move would reshape college football — and college sports as a whole — adding two of the nation's biggest athletic powerhouses to a conference that's already full of them.
They’ve endured a delayed Olympic Games, rigorous COVID-19 testing requirements and logistical hurdles. But the next biggest test for Olympians may be competing without anyone in the stands.
Driving the news: Psychologists don't know for sure how a spectator-less Olympics will impact athletes' performance, but Olympians are already expressing concern about what it will be like to compete without hearing the cheers of their families and fans.
Athletes from more than 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are primed to compete in Tokyo — some making their Olympic debuts, and others overcoming obstacles like lack of training facilities, money for equipment or violence at home.
Why it matters: The athletes come from countries where most Olympic sports are underfunded and sponsorships were hard to come by even before the pandemic. Add a new challenge this year: The coronavirus continues to run rampant in their countries.
The director of the Games' opening ceremony was fired Thursday over his past comments about the Holocaust during a comedy performance, the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee announced.
Why it matters: Kentaro Kobayashi's removal came a day before the opening ceremony of the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games was due to start. Organizing committee president Seiko Hashimoto said at a news conference Thursday, "How we're going to handle the ceremony is currently being discussed."
ESPN and sports reporter Maria Taylor jointly announced Wednesday that the host is leaving the network after the two sides failed to reach an agreement to extend Taylor's contract.
Why it matters: Taylor's departure comes just weeks after the New York Times published leaked audio of basketball reporter Rachel Nichols suggesting Taylor, who is Black, was promoted because ESPN was "feeling pressure" on diversity.
The U.S. and Swedish women's soccer teams took a knee ahead of their match Wednesday to protest racism and discrimination.
The big picture: The International Olympic Committee issued new guidelines allowing athletes to "express their views" more freely than in the past. The organization relaxed its protest rules in the wake of 2020's global racial reckoning, Axios' Jeff Tracy reports.
Nearly 90% of the University of Alabama's football team has been vaccinated for COVID-19, head coach Nick Saban said at a press conference Wednesday.
Why it matters: The high percentage of vaccinated players on the team stands in contrast to the overall low vaccination rates in Alabama, where only 42.4% of people over the age of 18 have been fully vaccinated, according to the New York Times.
Veteran women's basketball star Sue Bird and baseball player Eddy Alvarez will be the flag bearers at the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony on Friday, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee announced.
Driving the news: The International Olympic Committee, calling this year's event the "first gender-equal Olympic Games ever," encouraged teams to have one woman and one man serve as their flag bearers.
The U.S. women's soccer team lost 3-0 to Sweden on Wednesday in the team's first appearance in the group stage of the 2020 Olympics.
Why it matters: The stunning defeat marks the first loss for the U.S. team in 44 matches, the first loss under head coach Vlatko Andonovski and it raises the stakes for the next two games if the U.S. team wants to get out of Group G.
It's not the start that organizers had once imagined, but the delayed 2020 Olympics are underway with softball and women's soccer beginning competition Wednesday ahead of Friday's opening ceremonies.
Why it matters: Originally scheduled to take place in 2020, the Olympics remain in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Games are being played without spectators and a number of athletes have already had to withdraw from competition after testing positive for the coronavirus.
The International Olympic Committee awarded the 2032 Olympics to Brisbane, Australia, on Wednesday, capping a new one-city selection process meant to minimize costly bidding wars between countries.
Why it matters: It will be the third time that Australia hosts the Olympics, following the popular 2000 Summer Games in Sydney and the 1956 Summer Games in Melbourne.
Olivia Breen, a British double Paralympic world champion is speaking out after an official said her competition bottoms were "too short and inappropriate" during the English Championships over the weekend.
Why it matters: The issue of womenswear in sport has come to the fore ahead of the Olympic Games. The European Handball Federation fined Norway's women's beach handball team for wearing shorts, like men are allowed to, instead of the required bikini bottoms during a match.
Breen told broadcaster LBC on Tuesday she was left "baffled" after the official told her to consider buying shorts instead of sprint briefs. The Welsh athlete questioned in a tweet whether a male competitor would be similarly criticized.
