Tokyo Olympics

5 to Watch: Stanford's Klineman, Ross Win Gold; Felix Headlines Track Finals

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Stanford's Alix Klineman and her partner April Ross are unbeaten heading into the gold medal match Thursday evening, and Allyson Felix headlines a busy day in track and field, along with the men's and women's 4x100m relays. Here's what's on tap in the next 24 hours at the Tokyo Olympics:

April Ross, Alix Klineman win beach volleyball gold

The United States’ top women’s beach volleyball pair took down Australia’s Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy in straight sets in Thursday night's gold medal match. Ross and Klineman took the first set, 21-15, before sealing gold in the second set, 21-16. The victory completes a perfect 7-0 run to the top of the podium for Ross and Klineman, as they became the second American pair to ever go undefeated at the Olympics. Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings accomplished the feat three times (2004, 2008, 2016).

Ross and Klineman rolled through the preliminary round, dropping just one set total across three matches. That dominance carried over to the knockout rounds, where they won all four of their matches in straight sets.

Ross, who won silver in 2012 and bronze in 2016, completed her Olympic collection with the elusive gold. In doing so, the 39-year-old topped former teammate Kerri Walsh Jennings’ record as the oldest woman to ever medal in Olympic beach volleyball. Klineman, 31, was making her Olympic debut.

Alix Klineman and April Ross
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Alix Klineman #2 of Team United States and April Ross #1 celebrate as Team Switzerland hits match point out of bounds to end the game during the Women's Semifinal beach volleyball on day thirteen of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Shiokaze Park on August 05, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.
Finding a beach volleyball partner good enough to challenge for an Olympic medal can be a tricky process for sure, so when April Ross and Alix Klineman teamed up for Tokyo, they considered themselves lucky that it was like at first sight.

Allyson Felix highlights stacked track and field action

The stars will be under the bright lights of Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium on Friday.

The session, which begins at 3:50 a.m., features six intriguing finals: women’s javelin throw, men’s 5000m, women’s 400m, women’s 1500m, women’s 4x100m relay and the men’s 4x100m relay.

Allyson Felix is making her fifth Olympic appearance in Tokyo and is hoping to add to her historic medal totals. She won silver in the women’s 400m in Rio and among the medal contenders in the event once again.

The Jamaican women went a level above the American men in the 100m, sweeping the podium. Still, the American women come into the 4x100m final as the two-time defending Olympic champions and set the record at the 2012 London Games

Maggie Malone is the United States’ lone competitor in the women’s javelin final after she posted the second-best overall result in qualifying, trailing only Poland’s Maria Andrejczyk. Malone is making her second Olympic appearance and attempting to become the first American woman to medal in the event since 1976.

Paul Chelimo, who posted the second-fastest overall time in the men’s 5000m heats, will be joined by fellow American William Kincaid in the final, while there are no American racers in the women’s 1500m final.

Watch on Peacock, or stream live.

Allyson Felix, of the United States, prepares to start in a semifinal of the women's 400-meters at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021, in Tokyo.
Matthias Schrader/AP
Allyson Felix, of the United States, prepares to start in a semifinal of the women's 400-meters at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021, in Tokyo.
Allyson Felix is the most decorated woman in Olympic track and field history.

Team USA tips off against Serbia in women’s basketball semifinal

The U.S. women’s basketball has looked like a team determined to win its seventh straight Olympic gold medal so far in Tokyo.

After trailing heading into the second quarter of Wednesday’s quarterfinal matchup against Australia, Team USA took charge on its way to a 79-55 rout. The victory extended the team’s 53-game Olympic winning streak dating back to 1992 and put the team two wins away from another gold medal. Breanna Stewart continued her scorching Tokyo run with a game-high 23 points on 8-for-10 shooting.

Next up for Dawn Staley’s squad is a semifinal contest against Serbia, which went 2-1 in Group A play and handled China 77-70 in the quarterfinals. Serbia is looking for its second straight Olympic medal after earning bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Team USA is hoping to send Serbia back to the bronze medal game once again. Tipoff is at 9:40 p.m. Thursday.

Watch on NBC, or stream live.

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Marianna Tolo of Team Australia drives to the basket against A'Ja Wilson of Team USA during a Women's Basketball Quarterfinals game.
U.S. women's basketball advanced to the semifinals with its win over Australia. The win marks the team's 53rd straight win, putting the U.S. two victories away from a seventh straight gold medal.

Brooke Raboutou looks to climb Olympic podium

Brooke Raboutou has a chance to make history during the first ever Olympic women’s sport climbing final, which begins at 1:30 a.m. Friday.

The 20-year-old climber placed fifth overall in Wednesday’s qualification at Tokyo’s Aomi Urban Sports Park. She finished 12th in speed, second in bouldering and eight in lead, totaling 192 points along the way.

Raboutou has some catching up to do if she wants to win an inaugural Olympic women’s sport climbing medal. Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret, South Korea’s Seo Chae-Hyun, Japan’s Miho Nonaka and Japan’s Akiyo Noguchi finished above her in qualifying. Nonaka, who placed third overall in qualifying, had half the points of Raboutou with 96, while Garnbret held the lead with 56.

The action begins with the speed final at 1:30 a.m., transitions to the bouldering final at 2:30 a.m. and ends with the lead final at 5:10 a.m. While the climbers take on three different disciplines, the medals will be awarded to the three highest finishers on the overall leaderboard.

Stream live

Brooke Raboutou
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Brooke Raboutou of the US competes in the women's Boulder competition semi-final of the IFSC Climbing World Cup in Innsbruck, Austria, on June 26, 2021.

USA volleyball faces Serbia in women’s semifinals

The U.S. women’s volleyball team has overcome plenty of adversity in reaching the semifinals in Tokyo.

Two of the team’s top players, Jordan Thompson and Jordyn Poulter, went down during pool play with apparent injuries. Without two stars, the squad grouped together for a dominant quarterfinal win over Cuba on Wednesday. Andrea Drews stepped up at the net with 21 points, while Micha Hancock took Poulter’s spot as the facilitator and collected 37 assists.

Thursday’s match, which begins at 9 p.m., is a rematch of the semifinals in Rio. Serbia got the better of the U.S. last time, winning a tight contest in the fifth set. Serbia claimed silver, its first Olympic women’s volleyball medal, after falling to Brazil in the championship match.

Watch on USA Network, or stream live.

The U.S. women’s volleyball team advanced to the semifinals after shutting out the Dominican Republic 3-0.
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