OLY-Tokyo Olympics Digest

US-Olympics The Extra Pressure (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Here are AP’s Olympic coverage plans. All times are Eastern. For questions, please email Shelley Acoca at sacoca@ap.org. Find the latest Olympics coverage plans on Coverage Plan. For expanded content, visit AP’s Olympics hub on AP Newsroom. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport@ap.org or call 877-836-9477.

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TOP STORIES

OLY-THE EXTRA PRESSURE — Naomi Osaka Simone Biles Both are prominent young Black women under the pressure of a global Olympic spotlight that few human beings ever know. Both have faced major career crossroads at the Tokyo Games. Both cited pressure and mental health. The glare is even hotter for these Black women given that, after years of sacrifice and preparation, they are expected to perform, to be strong, to push through. They must work harder for the recognition and often are judged more harshly than others when they don’t meet the public’s expectations. SENT: 1,300 words and photos. By Aaron Morrison, Astrid Galvan and Deepti Hajela.

OLY—SWM-PAUL NEWBERRY-BRINGING UP THE REAR — As the world’s greatest open water swimmers jostled for the lead at Tokyo Bay, my eyes kept drifting to the tiny little figure falling further and further behind everyone else at Tokyo Bay. While so much of the emphasis is on gold, silver and bronze, the stories that make the Olympics truly special are often at the back of the pack. Souad Nefissa Cherouati knew she had no chance of winning. The Algerian just wanted to finish. By Sports Columnist Paul Newberry. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 4 a.m.

OLY—BKO-BUBBLE REMINDERS — Wake up. Take a coronavirus test. Go to an empty arena. Practice or play a game. Return to the hotel. FaceTime family and friends who they’ve been separated from for weeks. Watch other games on television. Sleep. Such is the typical itinerary for basketball players at the Tokyo Olympics. For those who were in the NBA and WNBA bubbles in Florida last summer, it seems familiar. There are clear similarities between what basketball players are having to endure at these Tokyo Olympics and what went on last summer for NBA and WNBA players. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 3 a.m.

OLY—BKO-NEXT INTERNATIONAL WAVE — There were 51 NBA players at the Tokyo Games when the Olympics started. Make it 52. The San Antonio Spurs agreed to terms with Australia center Jock Landale to a two-year contract on Wednesday -- one day before Spurs coach Gregg Popovich the coach of the U.S. men’s national team, faces Landale and the Australians in the Olympic semifinals. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. SENT: 774 words, photos.

OLY—ATH-WOMEN'S 400 HURDLES — Sydney McLaughlin broke the world record. Dalilah Muhammad broke it, too. Only one of the world’s best hurdlers could win the Olympic gold medal — and McLaughlin came out ahead in the latest installment of the best rivalry in track. By National Writer Eddie Pells. SENT: 928 words, photos.

KARATE DEBUT — The half-century-long quest to get karate into the Olympics ends this week when the brightest talents in modern karate step onto the tatami at the iconic Nippon Budokan martial arts hall for its debut. But will casual sports fans like what they see? This won’t look much like the All Valley Tournament on “Cobra Kai,” and it’s definitely not a Chuck Norris movie. By Greg Beacham. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 2:30 a.m.

OLY--CYC-TRACK CYCLING — The men’s team pursuit is decided as the track cycling program reaches its midway point at the Tokyo Olympics. The men’s sprint and women’s keirin also gets started. By Dave Skretta. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos. Racing starts 4:30 a.m.

OLY—CAN-WOMEN'S CAN — The women’s canoe sprint 200 is making its Olympic debut on Wednesday with optimism about gender equity in the sport, and a nagging sense of skepticism about how one gold medal favorite got to Tokyo. By Sports Writer Jim Vertuno. SENT: 694 words, photos.

OLY--VOL-VOLLEYBALL — The banged-up U.S. women’s volleyball takes on the Dominican Republic in the quarterfinals as the Americans look to keep their quest alive for their first Olympic gold medal in the sport. By Josh Dubow. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos. Match begins at 12 a.m.

OLY—VOL-BEACH VOLLEYBALL — Even with the pandemic keeping most family at home, Norwegian beach volleyball player Anders Mol has plenty of people in Tokyo to support him. Mol’s father, Kaare, is his coach, and his uncle is at the Olympics as the team’s assistant coach. Mol’s brother and cousin are here as training partners. SENT: By Sports Writer Jimmy Golen. SENT: 460 words, photos.

OLY—BKL-SERBIA CHINA — Ana Dabovic found a way to provide just the spark Serbia needed to keep its medal hopes alive. Standing closer to the Olympic rings logo at half-court than the 3-point arc, Dabovic knocked down a huge shot, keying the rally the helped Serbia beat China 77-70 Wednesday to reach a second straight semifinals. By Sports Writer Teresa M. Walker. SENT: 509 words, photos.

OLY—SKB-SKATEBOARDING-WOMEN'S PARK — The Olympic debut of skateboarding is quickly becoming an all-Japanese affair. Making it three gold medals from three events, with just one more left to go, Sakura Yosozumi led a Japanese 1-2 in the women’s park event on Wednesday, solidifying the host country’s dominance in the sport’s Olympic debut. By John Leicester. SENT: 668 words, photos.

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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

OLY-SUMO SCARE — Riders say a life-size sumo wrestler positioned next to an obstacle on the Olympic equestrian course may have distracted several horses in qualifying for the individual jumping final. By Sports Writer Jake Seiner. SENT: 572 words, photos.

OLY-EQU—SPRINGSTEEN — Jessica Springsteen had no luck going solo in Tokyo. Perhaps she’ll do better with a band. The daughter of famed rocker Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band wife, Patti Scialfa, failed to qualify for the Olympic individual jumping finals at Tokyo’s Equestrian Park. SENT: 556 words, photos.

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EXPLAINERS

OLY-BELARUS EXPLAINER — A feud between Belarusian Olympic sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya and her team officials that prompted her to seek refuge in Europe has cast a new spotlight on the repressive environment in the ex-Soviet nation where authorities have unleashed a relentless crackdown on dissent. The AP offers a brief look at the situation in Belarus and the dangers faced by those who dare to challenge authorities. By Yuras Karmanau and Vladimir Isachenkov. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos by 2 a.m.

OLY-EXPLAINER-OLYMPICS AND DIPLOMACY — For all the International Olympic Committee talks of staying neutral, its games have long proven to be essentially and sometimes overtly political — for the Games overall, and often for the athletes who are intended to entertain the world in a two-week show. Case in point: diplomatic eruptions. Hundreds of athletes have come to an Olympic Games and never returned to the home nation they represented in the pool, on the mat or on the track. Their stories since the Olympics resumed in 1948 in London from an enforced pause during World War II confirm that when the world meets for sports, politics is always there. By Graham Dunbar. UPCOMING: 770 words, photos by 2:30 a.m.

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DAILY FIXTURES

— OLYMPICS ROUNDUP — Highlights of the day from the 2000 Summer Games.

— TOKYO OLYMPICS-THE LATEST — Real-time updates and photos from every venue around the 2020 pandemic-delayed Summer Games.

— TOKYO OLYMPICS-WHAT TO WATCH — A guide to key storylines each day. Moves after 1 a.m.

— MEDAL BRIEFS — A roundup of the day's gold medals.

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GRAPHICS

— TOKYO OLYMPICS-MEDAL COUNT — Keep track of who’s ahead in the medal race with our nation-by-nation medal tabulation.

— TOKYO OLYMPICS-MEDAL BRIEFS — A roundup of the day’s medals at the Tokyo Summer Olympics.

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FEATURED IMAGES

OLYJJ175 — Lisa Jahn, of Germany, left, competes in the women’s canoe single 200m quarterfinal.

OLYJR184 Jakob Schubert, of Austria, participates during the lead qualification portion of the men’s sport climbing competition.

OLYCK173 Syrian Arab Republic’s Ahmad Saber Hamcho, riding Deville, falls from his horse as he competes during the equestrian jumping individual qualifying.

OLYJL112 Netherlands’ Xan Gerdien de Waard (7) falls over Britain’s Lily Owsley (26) during a women’s field hockey semi-final match.

OLYJH122 Ashley Twichell, of the United States, competes in the women’s marathon swimming event.

OATH267 Damian Warner, of Canada, competes in the shot put of the decathlon.