TOKYO (AP) — When you’re a swimmer from Alaska, there are some misguided stereotypes that must be laughed off.
Lydia Jacoby has surely heard them all before.
“She practically swims in iced-over lakes,” teammate Gunnar Bentz said.
Uhh, no.
Jacoby does her swimming at a pool, though even that has been a bit of a challenge during the coronavirus era.
No matter.
She’s an Olympic champion.
Jacoby, a 17-year-old who hails from tiny town of Seward, Alaska (population: 2,773), pulled off a stunning upset in the 100-meter breaststroke Tuesday, knocking off defending champion and fellow American Lilly King.
Jacoby had already distinguished herself as the first swimmer from the 49th state to make the U.S. Olympic swimming team.
She capped her remarkable journey with the biggest prize of all — before she even starts her senior year of high school.
SIMONE BILES OUT FOR OLYMPIC FINALS:
TOKYO (AP) — Reigning Olympic gymnastics champion Simone Biles is out of the team finals with what USA Gymnastics described as a medical issue.
The 24-year-old U.S. star, considered to be the greatest gymnast of all time, huddled with a trainer after landing her vault. She then exited the competition floor with the team doctor.
Biles returned several minutes later. She took off her bar grips, hugged teammates Grace McCallum, Sunisa Lee and Jordan Chiles before putting on a jacket and sweatpants. Chiles replaced Biles on uneven bars and balance bream.
The Americans will be forced to finish the rest of the competition without her, severely hampering their bid to claim a third straight Olympic title.
The U.S. began finals on vault, with Biles going last. She was supposed to do an “Amanar,” a vault that begins with a roundoff back handspring onto the table followed by 2 1/2 twists. She seemed to change her mind in mid-air, doing just 1 1/2 twist instead.
She walked off the podium and was tended to by team doctor Marcia Faustin before making her way out of the arena.
USA Gymnastics did not specify the nature of Biles’ medical issue, saying in a statement she “will be assessed daily to determine medical clearance for future competitions.”
Biles is scheduled to defend her Olympic title in the all-around final on Thursday. She also qualified for all four event finals later in the Games.
Whether she will get that opportunity remains to be seen.
Biles arrived in Tokyo as the unquestioned star of the Games but struggled, at least by her high standards, during qualifying. In a social media post on Monday, she admitted she felt like the weight of the world was on her shoulders and that the Olympics “were no joke.”
Biles won five medals in Rio de Janeiro five years ago and earned the right to win as many as six in Tokyo after making five finals.
After two rotations, the United States trailed ROC 2.5 points.