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sports Diabierna 6 augustus 2021

US women earn bronze medal with 4-3 win over Australia

(AP) — Although the col- American counterparts since on a stunning volley in the
or of their medal wasn’t 2001. 21st, and it became obvi-
what they wanted, the ous that the Australians were
mettle of the team came The U.S. team that came out missing defender Ellie Car-
through in the end. against Australia looked com- penter, who was handed a red
pletely different. card late in the Matildas’ 1-0
The United States salvaged semifinal loss to Sweden.
a rocky tournament by win- “That was the U.S. mental-
ning bronze in women’s soc- ity,” Lloyd said. “We played Lloyd made it 3-1 in first-
cer at the Tokyo Olympics well, we strung some re- half stoppage time when her
on Thursday. Megan Rapi- ally good sequences together, left-footed shot got past Aus-
noe and Carli Lloyd scored scored some great goals. And tralia goalkeeper Teagan Mi-
two goals each in a 4-3 win I’m extremely proud of the cah. She added another on
over Australia after opening way we persevered, they way a break in the 51st minute,
the Tokyo Games with an we turned things around. giving her a U.S. record 10
uncharacteristic 3-0 loss to We’re going home with a career Olympic goals. She is team to win an Olympics af-
Sweden. medal, and there’s no greater the first American woman to “Being so close and really tak- ter a World Cup title by their
feeling than that.” score in four Olympics. ing it to one of the top teams Canadian rivals. Jessie Flem-
“It’s very satisfying. I think in the world, and out-playing ing scored on a penalty kick
we all realized we didn’t play Rapinoe scored directly from Lloyd made her 312th ap- them at times and getting so in the 74th minute for the
the best this entire tourna- a corner kick in the eighth pearance for the national close to scoring in certain game’s lone goal.
ment,” U.S. captain Becky minute to give the Americans team in the match, passing moments, it just feels like we
Sauerbrunn said. “So to have an early lead. It was the sec- Christie Rampone for sec- were right there and it’s been The players said Thursday
the response that we did after ond time Rapinoe has scored ond on the all-time list. Kris- snatched from us,” Australia they had a team meeting after
a very disappointing semifi- an Olimpico, as goals from tine Lilly leads the career ap- defender Steph Catley said. the loss to Canada.
nal, to show the USA men- corners are known: She also pearances list with 354. “It’s definitely tough to take.”
tality and the resiliency, to had one in the semifinals of “I felt like we just had a good
put the performance in that the 2012 Olympics against Lloyd is 39 and likely playing The Australians had already vibe going into the game.
we wanted to be playing the Canada. in her last major tournament. met the United States at the We’ve done, as you can imag-
entire time, and to finally When she was replaced in Tokyo Olympics, holding the ine, lots of talking and meet-
find it in a game like that — Sam Kerr pulled the Austra- the 81st minute, teammates Americans to a scoreless draw ings and hashing it all out and
very satisfying.” lians even with a goal in the ran over to offer handshakes in the final game of the group doing the autopsy,” Rapinoe
17th minute that got past and high-fives, and the bench stage. Australia was also the said. “But I felt like we just
The loss spoiled the Austra- U.S. goalkeeper Adrianna gave her a standing ovation. only team in the group to got to a good place.”
lians’ first-ever trip to the Franch. score on the Swedes, who are
medal round at the Olym- Lloyd said afterward that headed for the gold medal The United States has
pics. No Australian soccer Franch got her first start in she had not made a decision match Friday against Canada. reached the gold medal
team, men or women, has a major tournament in place about her future just yet. match at the Olympics five
ever won a medal. of Alyssa Naeher, who in- The U.S. team’s tourna- times. The Americans have
jured her right knee in the Caitlin Foord kept the Aus- ment-opening loss to to four gold medals, more than
The Matildas were the un- U.S. team’s semifinal loss to tralians in the game with a Sweden snapped a 44-match any other team since wom-
derdogs against the United Canada. goal in the 54th minute be- unbeaten streak. After a re- en’s soccer became an Olym-
States, the top-ranked team fore Emily Gielnik scored to bound victory over New pic sport in 1996.
in the world and the defend- Just 27, Kerr became the all- narrow it further in the 90th, Zealand came the scoreless
ing World Cup champions time leading scorer for the but ultimately the Matildas draw with Australia. In the But it is the second Olym-
who came to Japan vying Australians with 48 goals. couldn’t make up the differ- quarterfinals, the U.S. got pics they have failed to reach
for gold. But the Americans She led all scorers remaining ence. past the Netherlands inn a the gold medal match. They
struggled at times, including in the tournament with six penalty shootout. were beaten by Sweden in
in a 1-0 loss to Canada in the goals. Kerr sat alone on the field the quarterfinals five years
semifinals. The Canadians for a long time after the final But they were thwarted in ago in Brazil.
hadn’t defeated their North Rapinoe’s second goal came whistle. a quest to become the first

Belarus runner used quick thinking to avoid being sent home

(AP) — A Belarusian Olympic said she was told to pack her bags. from the Belarusian officials. “It was the whole world, and these
sprinter who feared reprisals Team officials told her to say she was people make me much stronger,”
back home after publicly criti- injured and had to go home early. As the drama unfolded, European she said. She added that she feels safe
cizing her coaches at the Tokyo countries offered to help her, and the now.
Games used quick thinking to get On her way to the airport, she spoke runner ended up at the Polish embas-
help, using her phone to translate briefly to her grandmother, who ex- sy, where she received a humanitarian She also had a message for her fellow
a plea and show it to Japanese plained that there was a massive back- visa. Many of Belarus’ activists have Belarusians.
police as she tried to avoid being lash against her in the media in Be- fled to Poland to avoid a brutal crack-
forced onto a plane. larus, including reports that she was down on dissent by President Alex- “I want to tell all Belarusians not to
mentally ill. Her grandmother, she ander Lukashenko’s government. be afraid and, if they’re under pres-
Krystsina Tsimanouskaya described said, advised her not to return. Her sure, speak out,” said the runner, who
on Thursday a dramatic series of parents suggested she could go to Po- The European Union’s foreign policy spoke in both English and Russian at
events at the Olympics that led her land. chief, Josep Borrell, tweeted to say he the news conference.
to decide not to return to Belarus, was “Reassured to see that the athlete
where an authoritarian government At the airport, she sought help from Krystsina #Tsimanouskaya arrived Still, she expressed concern for the
has relentlessly pursued its critics. police, using Google translate to con- safe in Poland.” He deplored, how- safety of her family back home. Her
She fled instead to Poland, arriving vey her plea in Japanese. At first, they ever, that “One more proud Belaru- husband, Arseni Zdanevich, fled Be-
Wednesday. didn’t understand, and a Belarusian sian has however been forced to flee larus this week shortly after his wife
official asked what was going on. She her own country due to the actions of said she would not be returning. Po-
After posting a message on social me- claimed she forgot something at the the Lukashenko regime and Olympic land has also granted him a visa.
dia that criticized the way her team Olympic village and needed to re- truce been violated.”
was being managed, Tsimanouskaya turn. Police eventually took her away