Day 5 Olympic roundup: Ledecky on Biles, men's hoops wins big, dancing horses
There's a whole lot going on every day at the Tokyo Olympics. Here, we'll keep you up-to-date with everything you need to know.
Olympic story of the day
The fallout from Simone Biles' stunning withdrawal from the team and individual all-around competitions continues. But what about another GOAT at the Games, Katie Ledecky? How did she feel about Biles and the challenges of mental health in an athletic setting? As Henry Bushnell writes, "Greatness, and the attitude it requires, Ledecky explained, 'is a real blessing and a curse' ... The headline is never 'Katie Ledecky wins silver.' It’s 'Katie Ledecky settles for silver,' or 'Katie Ledecky loses.' Biles has had similar experiences. Journalists once told her they’d written stories about her victories before competitions even started. At times, first-place finishes wouldn’t bring happiness, only relief."
Read the full story on the price that greatness exacts right here.
Throwback beatdown
If you're longing for the days of the old Jordan-Magic-Bird Dream Team, this year's model did a pretty good imitation Wednesday, destroying Iran 120-66. Every single player on the U.S. roster scored at least four points, and the team as a whole didn't show much weakness. That's the good news. The bad? It won't be anywhere near this easy for the rest of the Olympics. Next up: the Czech Republic.
'Inhuman' quarantine conditions
We've heard plenty about athletes who tested positive for COVID-19 and couldn't make the trip. But what about those already in-country? Dutch skateboarder Candy Jacobs was forced to quarantine for eight days, missing her event while stuck in a room without windows that could open. In a since-deleted Instagram post, she decried her living conditions ... while perpetuating the widespread belief that these Games are a protocol fiasco.
Dance, horsie, dance
Look, even the hardest-core Olympic fans have a little trouble defending dressage — i.e. horse dancing — as a sport. But as Hannah Keyser learned, a little music can go a long way in making a visually odd event that much more appealing. "'Cool' might be a bridge too far. We’re still talking about stodgy horse ballet done mostly by rich middle-aged Europeans that looks an awful lot like just going into circles to the untrained eye. But viral? Now that’s something Olympic dressage can aspire to. And for a sport that struggles to attract the admiration, or even attention, of the demographic that dictates internet trends, going viral could be key to the future."
That's one way to get FIRED UP
German judoka Martyna Trajdos ended up making headlines before her match against Szofi Özbas on Monday. Her coach pumped her up with a good shaking and slapping:
Trajdos ended up losing her match, which led her to say, "looks like this was not hard enough." It goes without saying, but please don't fire up athletes like this at home.
Is it hot in here, or is it just Japan?
Bowing to the reality that Japan is hotter than the surface of the sun in July, Tokyo organizers have begun moving tennis matches to later in the day. Multiple players have complained about the high-90s heat, and Daniil Medvedev asked what the protocol would be if he happened to die on the court. (Fortunately, he did not.) We'll see if the International Tennis Federation's decision to move the times will inspire other sports to do the same.
Photo of the day
Absolute mastery: Giovanna Scoccimaro of Germany thumped Aoife Coughlan of Australia in the women's -70kg round of 16 judo match at the Nippon Budokan. Triumph and devastation all in one photo.
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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter at @jaybusbee or contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com.
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