COVID cases grow in the Olympic Village as competitions carry on

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

By Gigi Picard ’22

Sports Editor

After a year-long wait, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games have officially kicked off. Due to the rise of COVID-19 cases in Japan that led to a state of emergency, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games are not allowing spectators. Now, the athletes are paying the price — and not just from a lack of fans to cheer them on. The athletes themselves are testing positive for the coronavirus, resulting in either self-isolation from other athletes or disqualification from the Olympics altogether. CNBC reported that two days before the opening ceremony of the games, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the world is on the verge of another wave of the pandemic.

After they arrived at the Olympic Village, three members from South Africa’s football team tested positive for COVID-19. CNN reported the three as football players Thabiso Monyane and Kamohelo Mahlatsi and video analyst Mario Masha. As a result, the entire South African Olympic team went into quarantine.

The most recent example of an athlete testing positive for COVID-19 was USA pole vaulter Sam Kendricks. According to ESPN, he took home a bronze medal in the 2016 Olympics and gold at the past two world championships, and holds the American record for the highest jump at 19 feet and 10.5 inches. Kendricks will not be able to compete in the Olympics, though some of his teammates are still permitted to. He reportedly showed no symptoms and is currently isolating at a hotel. Several Australian track and field athletes were briefly told to isolate as well, as they were in contact with Kendricks. 

The Guardian reported the number of COVID-19 cases in the Olympic Village has hit 198. 

The Games themselves will feature 33 sports, with baseball, softball, skateboarding, karate, sports climbing and surfing added to the program. It began July 23, 2021 with the televised opening ceremony. One day before the ceremony took place, the creative director of the opening ceremony, Kentaro Kobayashi, was fired. CBS News reported that a video of a 1998 comedy routine he performed resurfaced, in which he seemed to “joke about the Holocaust.” The Associated Press shared a statement by Olympic Organizing Committee President Seiko Hashimoto. “We found out that Mr. Kobayashi, in his own performance, has used a phrase ridiculing a historical tragedy. We deeply apologize for causing such a development the day before the opening ceremony and for causing troubles and concerns to many involved parties as well as the people in Tokyo and the rest of the country," Hashimoto said. 

The televised event was hosted by sportscaster Mike Tirico and co-anchor of Today Savannah Guthrie. According to NBC Sports Group, Tirico said the Opening Ceremony “is a memorable part of any Olympic Games, but perhaps it has never carried more meaning given the circumstances the world has been facing.” Guthrie also offered insight, saying, “[People] want to watch that moment when someone’s life changes before your eyes. I’m excited. I think people are going to really catch the fever. There is nothing like the Olympics.”

The ceremony lasted approximately four hours. NBC Sports reported drones flying over the sky during the ceremony to create an image of the Earth, with fireworks displayed as well. The ceremony also featured tap dancers dressed as carpenters, who danced as other performers assembled Olympic rings out of wood from Japanese trees. The seeds of the trees were planted by athletes of various countries who participated in the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Additionally, athletes from 205 countries, including the Refugee Olympic Team, came out in Japanese alphabetical order, each with at least one flag bearer. The International Olympic Committee insisted on both a male and female flag bearer per country to promote gender equality; however, not all nations complied, with some having a sole male or female flag bearer. The final three teams were Japan, France and the United States, as they are either future host countries or the current host country. 

The finale of the ceremony consisted of a torch relay, concluding with Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka lighting the Olympic cauldron. 

Several major Olympic stories have come from women’s sports in judo, swimming and gymnastics. 

Japanese brother and sister judokas became the first siblings to win gold on the same day, according to Today. Uta Abe defeated her opponent in the women’s 52-kilogram category. “This was a dream for us,” Uta told reporters, when asked about achieving simultaneous gold medals with her brother. “It makes me believe dream comes true as long as I try to achieve it.” Her brother, Hifumi, won gold in the men’s 66-kilogram category, hours after Uta. 

Meanwhile, in the pool, Lydia Jacoby made headlines at NBC News as the first American from Alaska to swim in the Olympic Games. Jacoby took home gold in the 100-meter breaststroke, dethroning fellow American Lilly King, who won bronze. The Olympic pool is 50 meters, but since there is only one 50-meter pool in Alaska, Jacoby is used to training in short course yards. Still, that didn’t stop her from dominating at the Olympic scale. “I was definitely racing for a medal,” Jacoby said. “I knew I had it in me. I wasn’t really expecting a gold medal, so when I looked up and saw the scoreboard, it was insane.”

Even with major successes in the pool, the main story of this week came from women’s gymnastics. Partway through the team finals, U.S. gold medal favorite Simone Biles pulled out of the competition after the vault event, due to a medical issue she later revealed was tied to her mental health. “Warmup in the back went a little bit better, but then once I came out here, I was like, no, mental is not there, so I just need to let the girls do it and focus on myself,” Biles said.

Biles scored a 13.766 out of a possible 15.8 points during the vault because of an unexpected switch in her routine. The four-time Olympic gold medalist competed in Team USA's first rotation, bailing out of her Amanar and only completing a 1.5 twist on a 2.5-twisting Yurchenko, then taking a big stumble on the landing. Her teammates knew immediately that something was wrong when Biles seemed to lose her place in the air during the vault. In the qualifying rounds, Biles had a score of 15.183. Since her withdrawal, Biles has revealed on social media that she is struggling with a phenomenon gymnasts call “the twisties” — a dangerous kind of mid-air vertigo that can be extremely hard to shake. Last Friday, Biles said she “literally can not tell up from down.” 

Without Biles, the United States women’s team won the silver medal. Biles hoped to continue competing in the individual events, which includes the individual all-around and individual apparatus events — floor exercise, beam, vault and uneven bars. CNBC reported Biles also pulled out of the individual all-around, an event in which she won gold at the 2016 Rio Games. 

“[Biles] will continue to be evaluated daily to determine whether or not to participate in next week’s individual event finals,” USA Gymnastics commented. “We wholeheartedly support [Biles]’ decision and applaud her bravery in prioritizing her well-being. Her courage shows, yet again, why she is a role model for so many.” Her teammate Jade Carey took her place in the all-around final, alongside Suni Lee for Team USA. Carey had originally placed ninth in the qualifying rounds.

In an interview with Hoda Kotb on the Today show, Biles said, “Physically, I feel good. I’m in shape. Emotionally, it varies on the time and moment. Coming to the Olympics and being head star isn’t an easy feat.” 

During an interview with Tirico, retired Olympic USA swimmer Michael Phelps discussed how he can relate to Biles. “We carry a lot of things, a lot of weight on our shoulders. And it’s challenging, especially when we have the lights on us and all of these expectations that are being thrown on top of us,” Phelps said. 

Lee, the first Hmong American to participate in the Olympic Games, took gold in the individual all-around. Biles shared a video of Lee dancing with the medal on her Instagram with text saying: “THE QUEEN HAS ARRIVED.” 

According to the latest available updates from NBC Olympics, Biles has pulled out of the vault, floor and uneven bar individual event finals. Her teammate MyKayla Skinner will take her place in the vault finals after originally placing fourth in the qualifying rounds. In response to her choice, USA Gymnastics stated, “We remain in awe of Simone, who continues to handle this situation with courage and grace, and all of the athletes who have stepped up during these unexpected circumstances.”

Meanwhile, across other sports Olympic and world records continue to be shattered by male and female athletes alike. For example, in men’s sports, 27-year-old Shi Zhiyong of China lifted 364 kilograms in weightlifting, breaking his own world record and earning him gold in back-to-back Olympics. Then, in men’s swimming, the United States’ Caeleb Dressel and Australia’s Izaac Stubblety-Cook were two of several swimmers who set Olympic records and won individual gold medals. In women’s swimming, Zhang Yufei of China won an individual gold medal and set an Olympic record time, as well as helping China set a world record time in the women’s 4 x 200 freestyle relay event. 

The overall medal count has the United States in first place, China in second place and the Russian Olympic Committee in third. 

There’s less than a week left of the 2020 Olympic Games. To track the sports that are beginning this week, refer to the table.

The summer paralympic games will begin on Aug. 24 and end on Sep. 5, 2021.

A Record Number of Women Held on-Field Positions in Super Bowl 2021

By Gigi Picard ‘22

Sports Editor

Women have yet again made history in sports, as three women broke a record in the NFL’s 2021 Super Bowl on Feb. 7, 2021. Down Judge (a referee position) Sarah Thomas, Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Assistant Defensive Line Coach Lori Locust and Tampa Bay’s Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Maral Javadifar had on-field positions during the 2021 Super Bowl, making this another milestone year for women in the NFL.

Thomas has a history of being a monumental record-breaker in the NFL. In 2015, she earned the position of first full-time female referee. Her barrier-breaking journey began at the college football level, where she was the first woman to officiate a major college football game. Thomas was also the first woman to officiate an NFL playoff game, which took place in 2019 when the Los Angeles Chargers played against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.

Just four days prior to this year’s Super Bowl, the sports world celebrated the 35th annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day. According to the Women’s Sports Foundation, the day was signed as a proclamation on Feb. 3, 1987 by former President Ronald Reagan as a way of remembering Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman for her accomplishments as an athlete and an advocate for equality in women’s sports. Hyman passed away in 1986 as a result of Marfan syndrome. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the WSF emphasized “the importance of staying mentally and physically healthy during challenging times.” Its website read, ​”Whether virtual[ly] or other, ​we invite you to safely celebrate NGWSD in your community and to join the Women’s Sports Foundation as we Lead Her Forward in 2021.”

Before the 2021 Super Bowl, the Women’s Sports Foundation tweeted its excitement to watch the three women make sports history.  

On Instagram, the NFL posted the following three quotes by Thomas, Javadifar and Locust to celebrate NGWSD:

“It’s just so meaningful. I never set out to be the first in any of this, but knowing the impact that I’m having on not just my daughter but young girls everywhere, women everywhere, when I get on that field, and I take it all in, I know that I’m probably gonna get a little teary eyed,” Thomas said on what it means to be part of the Super Bowl officiating crew.

“I’m grateful for my mom and dad coming here to give their kids an opportunity to flourish and live the American Dream,” Javadifar stated on being a first-generation Iranian American.

The NFL is taking more steps to involve women. Progress began in 1997 when Amy Trask was the first female CEO of an NFL team, the Oakland (now Las Vegas) Raiders. Jen Welter became the first female coach for the NFL in 2015, representing the Arizona Cardinals. Last year, San Francisco 49ers Assistant Offensive Coach Katie Sowers was the first woman to coach during a Super Bowl. The three women who coached and officiated in this year’s Super Bowl set a higher precedent for representation in the NFL to be met and surpassed in the coming years.

Team of the Week: Mount Holyoke Squash

Pictured above: a member of the Mount Holyoke Squash team. Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke College Athletics.

By Gigi Picard ’22

Sports Editor

The team of the week for the final edition of the semester is Mount Holyoke Squash. In their 2019-2020 season, the team finished with a record of 4-17 under Head Coach Erin Robson. Their wins were against St. Lawrence University, Bard College, Wellesley College and Vassar College. 

Robson entered her eighth season as head coach for Mount Holyoke in the 2020-2021 season. This year’s seniors are Emma Robson, Jennifer Mbah, Kuzivakwashe Madungwe, Nicole Lara Granados, Genesis Lara Granados and Anna Braman. 

Squash held virtual practices this semester and likely hopes for in-person practices in the spring. Traditionally, the team’s regular season goes from November to February, with championship tournaments in March. 

The Mount Holyoke News Sports section will continue to present a team of the week in the spring. 

Kim Ng becomes first woman to be general manager in MLB

Pictured above: Kim Ng. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

By Gigi Picard ’22

Sports Editor

It has almost been a month since Kim Ng was officially announced to be the next general manager for the Miami Marlins. This was groundbreaking news, as Ng is the first woman to be an MLB general manager, the first woman hired as a general manager by any professional men’s teams in North America, the highest-ranking woman in baseball operations and the fifth general manager for the Marlins. 

Joe Frisaro from MLB.com reported that Ng will be “the second person of Asian descent to lead an MLB team, following Farhan Zaidi, the former Los Angeles Dodgers GM and current president of baseball operations for the Giants.” Former first lady Michelle Obama congratulated Ng on her new position.

Miami Marlins Chief Executive Officer Derek Jeter said in a public statement, “On behalf of Principal Owner Bruce Sherman and our entire ownership group, we look forward to Kim bringing a wealth of knowledge and championship-level experience to the Miami Marlins.“ He added, “Her leadership of our baseball operations team will play a major role on our path toward sustained success. Additionally, her extensive work in expanding youth baseball and softball initiatives will enhance our efforts to grow the game among our local youth as we continue to make a positive impact on the South Florida community.”

Ng studied public policy at the University of Chicago, where she played softball for her entire college career. She even wrote her senior thesis on Title IX, a law that prohibits discrimination against women in sports programs that receive federal financial assistance. 

Ng has 30 years of experience in baseball beginning in 1990 as a research assistant for the Chicago White Sox. The team hired Ng for a full-time job in 1991. She later became the Sox’s assistant director of baseball operations in 1995. Ng also became the first and youngest woman to present a salary arbitration case in 1995 against Scott Boras, a super-sports agent, in an attempt to save the White Sox thousands of dollars on then-pitcher Alex Fernandez.

She left the White Sox in 1996, where she worked for the American League as director of waivers and records. Two years later, Ng became the Yankees’ assistant general manager until 2001. From 2002-2011, she was the assistant general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. She interviewed to be the Dodgers’ general manager in 2005, but was turned down. Nevertheless, Ng kept seeking opportunities to become a general manager and interviewed with the New York Mets in 2018. 

Ng’s position as the Marlins’ general manager will allow her to oversee the professional, amateur and international departments and work alongside Jeter and Vice President of Scouting and Player Development Gary Denbo.

“This challenge is one I don’t take lightly,” Ng said about her new role. “When I got into this business, it seemed unlikely a woman would lead a Major League team, but I am dogged in the pursuit of my goals. My goal is now to bring championship baseball to Miami. I am both humbled and eager to continue building the winning culture our fans expect and deserve.”

Kelley O’Hara’s ‘Just Women’s Sports’ Podcast Tells Stories of Untold Success

Pictured above: Kelley O'Hara on the soccer field. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

By Gigi Picard ‘22

Sports Editor

Off the field, Kelley O’Hara, a two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion, Olympic Gold medalist and defender for the Utah Royals FC in the National Women’s Soccer League, is the host of the “Just Women’s Sports” podcast. The podcast was founded by Haley Rosen and premiered last July. It aims to raise awareness of women’s untold success stories in the sports world. At its debut, the podcast hit No. 1 in sports podcasts, and it currently has over 300,000 subscribers.

The first episode featured O’Hara’s U.S. women’s national soccer teammate Alex Morgan, who had just given birth. The other guests on the first season included U.S. snowboarder Chloe Kim and WNBA star Breanna Stewart. 

The second season of the podcast premiered on Oct. 27, 2020. In the first episode, O’Hara interviewed U.S. women’s track and field star Allyson Felix. Carli Lloyd and Mallory Pugh, O’Hara’s national teammates, have also been featured. 

The podcast is newly sponsored by Heineken, a Dutch brewing company. Senior Director of Media and Creative Studio at Heineken USA Frank Amorese said in a press release, “As a brand committed to uniting fans over the love of the game — on and off the field — and with only 4 percent of sports coverage dedicated to women’s sports, Heineken is proud to be a sponsor of JWS and supports soccer star Kelley O’Hara’s vision to create more visibility for women’s sports.” My Valley News reported that Heineken’s sponsorship will “redefine visibility for women’s sports and empower female athletes to tell their own stories.” 

One of the podcast’s goals is to tell the stories of women in sports with “no more pink and glitter.” “Just Women’s Sports” continues to tell the success stories of women every Tuesday with a new sponsor, hoping to redefine women’s sports on their platform.

Vanderbilt’s Sarah Fuller Becomes First Woman To Play for Power Five Football Team

Pictured above: Vanderbilt Football Stadium in 2010 . Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

By Gigi Picard ’22

Sports Editor

Sports history was made last Saturday as Vanderbilt University Commodores football took on the Missouri Tigers with the debut of Vanderbilt’s senior goalkeeper on the women’s SEC championship soccer team, Sarah Fuller. 

With a limited number of kicking specialists due to COVID-19, Vanderbilt needed a new kicker on the field. The Chicago Tribune reported that Vanderbilt does not have a men’s soccer team that the football team could have borrowed a kicker from, and the football staff still needed to find a suitable athlete who was already observing Vanderbilt’s COVID-19 protocols. Thus, Fuller was found and traded her shin guards for football pads. 

Fuller took on the role of Vanderbilt’s starting and only kicker with her parents, best friend and boyfriend watching in the stands. She was able to practice with the team days before the game, and her farthest successful field goal kick was from 38 yards. 

Fuller’s football jersey number is 32, the same as her soccer number. She also sported a “Play like a girl” sticker on the back of her helmet in honor of the organization of the same name. “Tomorrow I will be wearing ‘Play Like a Girl’ on the back of my helmet. @iplaylikeagirl is [a] nonprofit that encourages girls to play sports and get exposure to STEM opportunities. Check them out,” she tweeted on Friday.

Before the game, Fuller received praise and wishes of good luck from former American tennis player Billie Jean King, the Dallas Cowboys from her home state of Texas, New England Patriots kicker Nick Folk, Lakers star LeBron James and many more.

Fuller didn’t get much action on the field as her only play was a 30-yard kick-off to open the third quarter of the game. She would have had more playing time if Vanderbilt attempted a field goal or an extra point after a touchdown. 

Fuller’s performance made her the first woman to play in a Power Five conference game. The Power Five consists of five top-tier athletic conferences in Division I of the NCAA, including the SEC, Big Ten Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 12 Conference and PAC-12 Conference. However, Fuller is not the first woman to play in college football. Katie Hnida, Tonya Butler, April Goss, Ashley Martin, Liz Heaston and Toni Harris have all taken the field before her. All of these women played on non-Power Five conference college teams.

At the end of the game, Fuller said to the SEC Network, “I just want to tell all the girls out there that you can do anything you set your mind to, you really can. And if you have that mentality all the way through, you can do big things.”

Since Missouri shut out the Commodores 41-0, giving Vanderbilt a 0-8 season, Vanderbilt Head Coach Derek Mason was released from his coaching position on Sunday. 

The Chicago Tribune reported that Fuller will continue kicking for the team.