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sports Diamars 27 Juli 2021

Dressel wins US Olympic swimming gold; Aussie beats Ledecky

(AP) — Caeleb Dressel Ledecky said. “She definite-
got started on his quest ly swam a really smart race. The 24-year-old, tattooed
for six gold medals in She was really controlled up Floridian swam the first leg
swimming, while Katie front. I felt pretty smooth in a blistering 47.26. Blake
Ledecky found herself in a and strong going out and Pieroni and Bowe Becker
very unusual position. flipped at the 300 and it was kept the Americans out front
like, ‘Oh, she’s right there.’” before Zach Apple turned
Second place. in an anchor leg of 46.69 to
And then she was gone. leave no doubt at the end.
Dressel led off a U.S. victory
in the men’s 4x100-meter For the first time in her bril- The U.S. won in 3:08.97,
freestyle relay Monday at liant Olympic career, Ledecky the third-fastest time in his-
the Tokyo Olympics, easing felt the sting of defeat, dished tory. Italy took the silver in
a bit of America’s sting from out by a rival from Down 3:10.11, with the bronze go-
Ledecky’s first Olympic loss. Under who made it clear she ing to Australia in 3:10.22.
was not intimidated by the
Australian Ariarne Titmus American star. “The scariest part was my
— nicknamed the “Termina- leg for myself, because I had second spot on the podium catch a Katie Ledecky unpre-
tor” — lived up to her bill- “It’s probably the biggest control over that,” Dressel — a stunner for perhaps the pared. I guess I just had to
ing when she chased down thing you could pull off in said. “I knew they were going greatest women’s freestyle trust myself.
Ledecky in the 400 freestyle your sporting career,” Titmus to get the job done, I wasn’t swimmer in history.
to win one of the most antici- said, “so I’m over the moon.” scared at all. Especially when “I tried to stay as composed
pated races of the Summer Zach hit the water. I saw him Ledecky lost an individual as I could and use the easy
Games. No one else was even close. break out and I knew it was Olympic final for the first speed that I have. And to pull
The bronze went to China’s over.” time after winning the 800 it off in the back end against
Titmus, who trailed by nearly Li Bingjie in 4:01.08. free at the 2012 London someone who has an amaz-
a full body-length at the half- Apple climbed from the pool Games, then capturing three ing second half of her race,
way mark of the eight-lap Then the spotlight shifted to to an embrace from Dres- more golds in the 200, 400 I’m really proud of that. ”
race, turned on the speed to Dressel, who has been hailed sel, who is set for a grueling and 800 free at Rio de Janeiro
touch in 3 minutes, 56.69 as the successor to Michael schedule of three individual five years ago. Ledecky will get another
seconds. It was the second- Phelps. events and three relays in To- crack at Titmus in the 200
fastest time in history, sur- kyo. “I knew it was going to be a free, and the American is
passed only by Ledecky’s Dressel put the U.S. out battle to the end,” Ledecky heavily favored to repeat
world record of 3:56.46 from front, and the three who fol- One down, five to go. said. “I didn’t feel like I died. in the 800 and add another
the 2016 Rio Games. lowed him in the relay made She just had that faster 50 or gold in the 1,500 — a new
sure it stood up. Ledecky’s disappointment 75. Can’t get much better event for the women at these
The defending Olympic was a downer for the Ameri- than that.” games.
champion settled for the sil- “I felt good the whole way, I cans, who won six of 12 med-
ver this time in 3:57.36 -- the knew I had to get my hand als on Sunday but were shut Titmus was every bit the Ter- After racing each other right
fourth-fastest time ever re- in the wall first and get some out in the first two finals minator at the end. in the middle of the pool,
corded and her best perfor- clean water,” Dressel said. Monday. the swimmers clasped hands
mance in three years. “And everyone did their job. “Honestly, at the 200 I was a when it was over.
It’s a relay for a reason, it’s Torri Huske and Michael An- little bit worried,” the Aus-
Just not good enough. four guys for a reason, it’s drew just missed medals with sie said. “I knew she would They climbed out of the pool
certainly not just me. It’s cer- fourth-place finishes, then it be there. No one is going to together, giving each other a
“I fought tooth and nail,” tainly not just one guy.” was Ledecky settling for the come to the Olympics and hug.

Olympic broadcasters curb sexual images of female athletes

(AP) — At an Olympics officials push in an effort to said Monday. The International Olympic The Olympic goals go be-
aiming to set the high- reach gender equity on the Committee does not govern yond ending sexualized im-
est level of television field of play and on screen. That can be difficult with those kinds of rules for in- ages, Exarchos said.
standards, the head of state-of-the-art technology dividual sports, but it does
broadcasting at the Tokyo “You will not see in our cov- filming sports — such as run OBS and controls the More women’s and mixed
Games is trying to banish erage some things that we beach volleyball, gymnas- broadcast output from Tokyo gender events are on the
overly sexualized images have been seeing in the past, tics, swimming and track shown to the world. Olympic program and are
of female athletes. with details and close-up on — where female athletes’ scheduled more prominently.
parts of the body,” Olympic uniforms can be scant and “What we can do is to make Women’s finals are held after
“Sport appeal, not sex ap- Broadcasting Services chief skimpy. sure that our coverage does men’s finals in volleyball and
peal” is one mantra Olympic executive Yiannis Exarchos not highlight or feature in team handball.
Gymnasts from Germany any particular way what peo- It’s a theme for the Tokyo
sent a message against uni- ple are wearing,” Exarchos Olympics, whose adviser on
forms they believe exploit said. gender equality was critical of
their sexuality by competing Japanese media while sharing
in Tokyo wearing unitards To achieve this, the IOC up- the stage Monday with the
that covered their legs to the dated “Portrayal Guidelines” head of Olympic broadcast-
ankle. to steer all Olympic sports ing.
and their rights holders to-
A stronger protest was made ward “gender-equal and fair” The Tokyo Olympics have
this month away from the broadcasts of their events. been positioned as a chance
Olympics. At a European Advice includes “do not fo- to drive change in Japanese
beach handball event, Nor- cus unnecessarily on looks, society and embrace diver-
way’s women refused to play clothing or intimate body sity. Imoto said she hoped
in bikini bottoms and instead parts” and reframing or de- Japanese media and sports
wanted to wear skin-tight leting a “wardrobe malfunc- officials would talk after the
shorts. They were fined for tion ... to respect the integrity Games “about the standards
breaking clothing rules. of the athlete.” of portrayal.”