July 23 Tokyo 2020 Olympics news and results

By Joshua Berlinger, Adam Renton, Aditi Sangal, John Sinnott, Matias Grez, Melissa Mahtani and Meg Wagner, CNN

Updated 12:17 AM ET, Sat July 24, 2021
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12:06 p.m. ET, July 23, 2021

German cyclist Simon Geschke is the latest athlete to test positive for Covid-19

Simon Geschke of Germany crosses the finish line during the Tour de France 2021 on July 3 in Le Grand Bornand, France.
Simon Geschke of Germany crosses the finish line during the Tour de France 2021 on July 3 in Le Grand Bornand, France. (John Berry/Getty Images)

German cyclist Simon Geschke is the latest athlete to test positive for Covid-19 at the Tokyo Olympics. According to the German Olympic Sports Confederation, Geschke tested positive in a hotel outside the Olympic Village and will not participate in the team’s race on Saturday. 

“It is really tough to be taken out of the race so shortly before the competition,” Geschke said in a statement. “I have complied with all hygiene rules to the best of my knowledge and belief. I feel good physically, but emotionally it's a very black day for me. All I can do now is to wish the guys a very strong race tomorrow.” 

Geschke was staying in the hotel with 12 other athletes on the Radsport Straße team, according to Friday’s announcement. All 12 have since tested negative and will be allowed to take part in the race. Geschke’s roommate will still be required to test negative in order to be approved.  

As of Friday, at least 110 positive Covid-19 cases have been linked to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. 

 

11:50 a.m. ET, July 23, 2021

IOC president calls Opening Ceremony "moment of hope" and praises teams for overcoming challenges to compete

From CNN's Jaide Garcia

President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach delivers a speech during the Opening Ceremony on July 23.
President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach delivers a speech during the Opening Ceremony on July 23. (Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images)

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach emphasized the need for more solidarity within and among societies during his speech at the Olympic Opening Ceremony Friday night in Tokyo. 

"Without solidarity there is no peace ... solidarity means more than just respect or non-discrimination. Solidarity means helping. Sharing. Caring," Bach said, stating that the Olympic community is "standing in solidarity to make the Olympic Games happen."

Addressing the year-long delay of the Tokyo 2020 Games due to Covid-19, the IOC president said, "the pandemic forced us apart, to keep our distance from each other, to stay away even from our loved ones. This separation made this tunnel so dark. But today, wherever in the world you may be, we are united in sharing this moment together."

Bach signaled that Friday’s opening ceremony was “a moment of hope," and praised the athletes for overcoming challenges to compete at the Olympics. 

"You struggled, you persevered, you never gave up, and today you're making your Olympic dream come true. You are true Olympic athletes," Bach said.  

His speech included thanking the unsung heroes of Japan, including doctors, nurses, and people working to contain the pandemic. A special thanks was given to the thousands of volunteers who he called the "best ambassadors for Japan." 

Bach concluded by reiterating his gratitude to the athletes for their commitment to the new Olympic oath, which includes "solidarity, non-discrimination, sport without doping, inclusion and equality."

1:02 p.m. ET, July 23, 2021

The Olympic events you'll want to watch on Saturday in the US

From CNN's Alyssa Kraus

Taiwanese gymnast Shiao Yu-jan prepares to represent the Chinese Taipei team during a practice session at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre ahead of the Olympic Games on July 21, in Tokyo.
Taiwanese gymnast Shiao Yu-jan prepares to represent the Chinese Taipei team during a practice session at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre ahead of the Olympic Games on July 21, in Tokyo. Julian Finney/Getty Images

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics are officially underway. As the Games ramp up following the opening ceremony, there are several opportunities to watch your favorite events live despite the time difference.

  • Football: The US women's football team will play New Zealand live at 7:30 a.m. ET on Saturday.
  • Gymnastics: The qualifying rounds for men's gymnastics will be streamed live at 6:30 a.m. ET.
  • Skateboarding: The men's skateboarding street qualifiers will be live at 7:30 p.m. ET, and then the men's street finals will be live at 11:25 p.m. ET.
  • Softball: The US softball team will face Mexico at 1:30 a.m. ET on Saturday. And later, you can catch the team's game against Australia at 9 p.m. ET.
  • Swimming: The swimming qualifying heats will be broadcast live at 6 a.m. ET. The swimming finals will then be broadcast at 9:30 p.m. ET.
  • Tennis: The US men's and women's tennis singles teams will face Russia and Switzerland respectively at 2 a.m. ET. Later, another round of singles matches will be broadcast live at 10 p.m. ET.
  • Volleyball: The US men's volleyball team will face France live at 8:45 a.m. ET. Later, NBC will also broadcast the US women's beach volleyball team in their competition against China at 8 p.m. ET.

In case you miss the live broadcasts, replays of each sporting event can be found on NBC's programming schedule.

11:48 a.m. ET, July 23, 2021

IOC statement stands by rule limiting of athlete expression following Olympians' petition

From CNN's Seamus Fagan and David Close

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has acknowledged receiving an open letter calling for amendments to the IOC rule that threatens to punish athletes for protesting or demonstrating on medal podiums at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The IOC issued a statement saying they are standing by the organization’s recent amendment which loosened previous guidelines to allow some forms of protest expression – but not on medal podiums, ceremonies and during play.

Their full statement reads:

"The IOC acknowledges receipt of the letter. After a global consultation, involving 3500 athletes from 185 NOCs, the IOC Athletes’ Commission (IOC AC) has put forward a set of recommendations in regard to Rule 50.2 of the Olympic Charter and Athlete Expression at the Olympic Games. Rule 50.2 provides a framework to protect the neutrality of sport and the Olympic Games. While asking for more opportunities for athlete expression during the Olympic Games, global athlete representatives expressed their support for keeping the podium, the field of play and the ceremonies free from any form of protest. The IOC Executive Board (IOC EB) accepted all the recommendations. The details about the process and the results can be found here. As part of the implementation of the IOC AC’s recommendations, the EB then has approved revised Rule 50.2 Guidelines for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 which extend the opportunities for athlete expression in Tokyo."

Some background: US hammer thrower Gwen Berry, along with famed 1968 medalists Tommie Smith and John Carlos, are three of over 150 athletes, human rights and social justice experts, and sports organizations who cosigned an open letter to high-ranking International Olympic Committee members on Thursday, calling for amendments to the IOC rule that threatens to punish athletes for protesting or demonstrating on medal podiums at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. 

The letter calls upon the IOC to, “refrain from imposing sanctions on athletes protesting and demonstrating in accordance with internationally-recognized human rights frameworks… in any Olympic/Paralympic sites, venues or other areas – including the podium” for the Tokyo and Beijing Games. 

After a 10-month consultation process with over 3,500 athletes who represent 185 different National Olympic Committees and all 41 Olympic Sports, the IOC decided to uphold the rule 50 ban on protests in April. On July 2, the IOC amended rule 50 by adding section 50.2, which loosened previous guidelines, allowing athletes to express their views in mixed zones, press conferences, during interviews, as well as prior to the start of competition. 

You can read more about this here.

3:59 p.m. ET, July 23, 2021

These are the Team USA events first lady Jill Biden will attend on Saturday

From CNN's Betsy Klein

First Lady Jill Biden arrives for the Opening Ceremony on July 23.
First Lady Jill Biden arrives for the Opening Ceremony on July 23. Dylan Martinez/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

The White House released more details of first lady Jill Biden's schedule at the 2020 Tokyo Games Saturday.

Here's a look the Team USA games and races she will be attending, according to the White House:

  • 2:15 p.m. JST (1:15 a.m. ET) : The first lady will host a US vs. Mexico softball watch party with foreign service officers and their families at the US Embassy.
  • 6:00 p.m. JST (5:00 a.m. ET): Biden will cheer on Team USA at the US vs. France women's 3x3 basketball game. 
  • 7:00 p.m. JST (6:00 a.m. ET): The first lady will cheer on Team USA at the swimming races. 
  • 9:00 p.m. JST (8:00 a.m. ET): Biden will cheer on Team USA at the US vs. New Zealand women's football game. 

After that busy day, she’ll depart for Honolulu, where she’ll visit a vaccination clinic and greet military families.

Today, the first lady attended the Opening Ceremony that officially kicked off Tokyo 2020. Biden is leading the US delegation at the the Games, and was one of just 950 VIPs to attend the ceremony.

This is not Biden's first time at the Olympics in support of America's athletes. As second lady in 2010, she and then-Vice President Joe Biden attended the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada.

CNN's Kate Bennett contributed reporting in this post.

11:12 a.m. ET, July 23, 2021

Naomi Osaka lights the Olympic cauldron

From CNN's Adrienne Vogt

Naomi Osaka of Team Japan lights the Olympic cauldron with the Olympic torch during the Opening Ceremony.
Naomi Osaka of Team Japan lights the Olympic cauldron with the Olympic torch during the Opening Ceremony. Maja Hitij/Getty Images

Tennis star Naomi Osaka, who is competing for Japan in the Games, lit the cauldron at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The relay to the cauldron, the Olympic torch's final destination, has been largely spectator-free in isolated events due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The cauldron stays lit during the entire Games.

More on Osaka: Born in Osaka, Japan, to a Japanese mother and Haitian-American father, the four-time Grand Slam tennis champion moved to the United States at age 3.

Tennis journalist Akatsuki Uchida has called her "an icon of a new generation in Japan, which is more diverse."

In May, Osaka withdrew from the French Open, citing her mental health. She revealed she had "suffered long bouts of depression" since winning her first Grand Slam title in 2018.

Osaka was fined $15,000 for not participating in any news conferences there.

In an essay for TIME magazine, she said the press conference format between journalists and athletes is "out of date."

"I feel uncomfortable being the spokesperson or face of athlete mental health as it's still so new to me and I don't have all the answers. I do hope that people can relate and understand it's OK to not be OK, and it's OK to talk about it," she wrote.

10:47 a.m. ET, July 23, 2021

The Tokyo Olympics torch is now lit

Torch carriers exchange the flame of the Olympic torch during the Opening Ceremony.
Torch carriers exchange the flame of the Olympic torch during the Opening Ceremony. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

The Olympics torch was lit after the Games were declared open and the flag was raised.

Arriving from Greece, it is designed in the shape of a Sakura, or a cherry blossom.

10:30 a.m. ET, July 23, 2021

The Olympic flag is now raised next to Japan's flag

The Olympic flag is raised alongside the Japanese flag during the Opening Ceremony.
The Olympic flag is raised alongside the Japanese flag during the Opening Ceremony. Patrick Smith/Getty Images

After Japan's Emperor Naruhito declared the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games open, the Olympic flag was raised next to Japan's flag.

10:25 a.m. ET, July 23, 2021

Japan's emperor declares the Tokyo 2020 Games open

Japan's Emperor Naruhito declares the Olympic Games open.
Japan's Emperor Naruhito declares the Olympic Games open. Jamie Squire/Getty Images

After athletes from around the globe paraded at the Opening Ceremony, Japan's Emperor Naruhito declared the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games open.

The Games are slated to go on until Sunday, Aug 8, 2021.