| | | | | | | | | | | Axios Sports | | By Kendall Baker ·Jul 27, 2021 | | 👋 Good morning! Lots to get to this morning. - 🚨 Breaking: Simone Biles pulled out of the team competition this morning (nighttime in Tokyo). The entire Olympics just changed.
- ⚽️ USWNT survives: The Americans are through to the next round after drawing 0-0 with Australia.
Today's word count: 1,838 words (7 minutes). Let's sports... | | | | | | 1 big thing: 🥇 Katie Ledecky can't stop swimming |  | | | Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images | | | | Most swimmers who compete in an epic, 400-meter battle for gold get to take the rest of the day off. But for Katie Ledecky, her manic Monday was just getting started, Axios' Jeff Tracy writes. By the numbers: Michael Phelps never swam more than 600 meters in a single day at the Olympics. On Monday, Ledecky swam 2,100 meters. What they're saying: "More than anything, it's just being mentally prepared for it and ... making sure going into [each] session I have a plan for warm down and recovery," Ledecky told WSJ (subscription). The state of play: Ledecky's hectic schedule is a result of sheer dominance, TV scheduling and the long overdue debut of her best event. - The reigning gold medalist in the 200-, 400- and 800-meter freestyle was always going to attempt to defend those titles, and NBC's scheduling meant she was bound to have some packed days.
- But the 1500 was a men's-only Olympic event until this year, and Ledecky dominates "the mile." She has the 11 fastest times ever, and her world record is 18 seconds ahead of the next-fastest woman.
📆 Tonight: The 24-year-old Maryland native will swim live on NBC, as she attempts to repeat her success from last month's trials, when she won the 200 and 1500 just 70 minutes apart. - 9:41pm ET: 200-meter freestyle finals
- 10:54pm: 1500-meter freestyle finals
Looking ahead: If Ledecky reaches the finals of every event she's entered in, which also includes the 800 and 4x200 free relay, she'll swim 6,200 meters across six days — almost twice as many as Phelps in 2008, when he won a historic eight golds. |     | | | | | | 2. 🏈 Aaron's "Last Dance" |  | | | Photo: Harry How/Getty Images | | | | Aaron Rodgers landed in Green Bay late Monday night, as he and the Packers prepare to embark on a Chicago Bulls-like "Last Dance." Driving the news: The two sides reportedly reached an agreement this weekend that will bring the QB back for at least next season. - The deal includes greater say on personnel moves, a removal of the final year of Rodgers' contract (2023), and the freedom to leave as early as 2022.
- The Packers will reportedly "review" the situation after the season, implying that the team will trade Rodgers if he isn't happy.
Of note: Assuming he plays, this will be Rodgers' 17th season in Green Bay, a feat no Packers QB has ever accomplished. Go deeper: "Last Dance" approach comes with obstacles (ESPN) | | | | | | | | 3. 🥇 Poll: The deep divide over trans athletes |  Data: Momentive; Chart: Connor Rothschild/Axios Americans are deeply divided over how transgender athletes should compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, according to a new Axios/Momentive poll, Axios' Oriana Gonzalez writes. By the numbers: 39% of respondents say trans athletes should compete against those who share their gender assigned at birth. - 20% feel trans athletes should compete against the gender with which they identify, while 14% think they shouldn't be allowed to compete.
The political divide: 35% of Democrats say trans athletes should be allowed to compete as the gender with which they identify, compared to 8% of Republicans. The state of play: The IOC in 2015 updated its guidelines on transgender athletes, saying those transitioning from female to male are eligible to compete in the male categories without any restrictions. - Those transitioning from male to female can compete in female categories as long as they meet certain conditions, including identifying as female, demonstrating low levels of testosterone and agreeing to testing.
The big picture: This year's Games include more athletes (142) who are publicly out as LGBTQ than all previous Summer Olympics combined, including three who are openly transgender. | | | | | | | | A message from Axios | | Sign up for Axios' Referral Program | | |  | | | | When you refer your family, friends, colleagues, or anyone to any Axios newsletter you can earn free Axios swag. Better yet, if you refer 5 or more new subscribers by July 31st, you'll be entered for a drawing to win a 13" MacBook Pro and AirPods Pro. Start sharing. | | | | | | 4. 🇯🇵 Photos from Tokyo | | Photo: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images Lydia Jacoby is 17. She's the first U.S. Olympic swimmer from Alaska, which has just one 50-meter pool in the entire state. And now, she's a gold medalist in the 100-meter breaststroke. Photo: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images Filipino weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz broke a 97-year drought to win her country's first ever Olympic gold. Her winning lift was 493.8 pounds — a new Olympic record for her weight class. Photo: Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images Carissa Moore, born and raised in Hawaii, won the first-ever gold medal in women's surfing. Brazil's Ítalo Ferreira took gold for the men. - The backdrop: A tropical storm led organizers to cram the quarterfinals, semifinals and medal matches into one day.
Photo: David Ramos/Getty Images Naomi Osaka lit the torch to start the Tokyo Games, but she won't end it with a medal, losing in the third round to Marketa Vondrousova, 6-1, 6-4. | | | | | | | | Bonus: 🥇 Olympics dashboard |  | | | Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios | | | - 📆 Coming up: Today's key events include the women's gymnastics team final, multiple swimming finals and softball's gold-medal game between the U.S. and Japan. Full schedule.
- 🥇 Medal tracker (as of 7:30am ET): Team USA (21) has the most medals, followed by China (20), Japan (16) and Russia* (16). Full list.
Stories: - 🇺🇸 50 straight wins: The U.S. women's basketball team beat Nigeria, 81-72, to win its 50th straight game in Olympic competition.
- 🌪 Typhoon watch: Japan's sweltering heat has already been brutal for athletes. Now, they must prepare for an incoming typhoon.
- 🇷🇺 Banned? Russia was banned from the Olympics for its state-sponsored doping scheme, yet its athletes, playing as the "Russian Olympic Committee," have the third-most medals so far.
Highlights: - 🏀 Clutch Plum: Kelsey Plum nailed a game-winner against China in 3x3 basketball to clinch a spot in Wednesday's semis for Team USA.
- 🇺🇸 Skeet sweep: Amber English and Vincent Hancock each set Olympic records and won gold, giving the Americans a sweep in the shotgun events.
- 👶🏼 1 cute thing: This little girl being in awe of women's weightlifters is exactly what you need this morning. "They are so strong! They can lift heavy fings."
Go deeper: Time for the end of the teen gymnast (FiveThirtyEight) | | | | | | | | 5. ⚾️ Stat du jour: No projected 100-win teams |  Data: FiveThirtyEight; Table: Axios Visuals No MLB teams are currently projected to win 100 games, per FiveThirtyEight. - Why it matters: If projections hold, this will be the first full 162-game season since 2014 without any 100-win teams.
The backdrop: This comes on the heels of the top-heavy 2019 campaign, which produced four 100-win teams for the first time in MLB history: Astros (107-55), Dodgers (106-56), Yankees (103-59), Twins (101-61). | | | | | | | | 6. 🎮 EA Sports: We want 500 million players |  | | | Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios | | | | The biggest player in sports video games has plans to get even bigger, EA Sports general manager Daryl Holt told Axios in an exclusive interview. The state of play: EA Sports — known for its success with football ("Madden"), soccer ("FIFA") and hockey ("NHL") — says it reaches 230 million sports gamers, with plans to reach 500 million over the next five years, Axios' Stephen Totilo writes. - EA announced plans earlier this year to get back into golf, college football and baseball. It also recently extended its UFC deal and bought a studio that makes Formula One games.
- The competition isn't resting: Rival Take-Two is ramping up its golf offering and plans to resume making NFL games after many years off.
- The most conspicuous hole in the EA Sports portfolio is basketball, where its once-annual "NBA Live" console series has skipped five of the last 10 years. Meanwhile, Take-Two dominates with "NBA 2K."
What's next: EA Sports' long-running business model involves annual releases, but much of gaming is moving toward fewer releases that are expanded upon more often — hence why there's always new "Fortnite" content but never a "Fortnite 2." - Don't expect the cessation of annual "Madden" games soon, but Holt said EA is mindful of this shift, just as it is aware that there's an annual cyclicality to the sporting calendar.
- "I think it is an evolution that is happening around the gaming industry," Holt said. "How we unlock the big beat of sports into that type of a service, I think we'll see over the course of the future."
Sign up for Axios Gaming, our daily newsletter covering the multibillion-dollar gaming universe. | | | | | | | | 7. ⚡️ Lightning round |  | | | Chris Hogan. Photo: Austin McAfee/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images | | | | 🏈 Back to football: After trying his hand at professional lacrosse this summer, veteran WR Chris Hogan is returning to football and has signed with the Saints, ESPN reports. 🎓 NCAA shakeup: Amid rumors of a move to the SEC, Oklahoma and Texas have officially notified the Big 12 that they will not renew their media rights after their expiration in 2025. We'll go deeper tomorrow. 🏀 NBA trade: The Grizzlies are sending Jonas Valančiūnas and 2021 Nos. 17 and 51 picks to the Pelicans for Steven Adams, Eric Bledsoe, 2021 Nos. 10 and 40 picks, and a protected 2022 first-round pick. | | | | | | | | 8. 📆 July 27, 1986: LeMond wins Tour de France | | Photo: Jean-Yves Ruszniewski/Corbis via Getty Images 35 years ago today, Greg LeMond became the first American to win the Tour de France. Why it matters: He'd go on to win twice more (1989-90), and because Lance Armstrong's titles were later stripped, LeMond remains the only American ever to win the famous race. The backdrop: LeMond's teammate, France's Bernard Hinault, is an all-time cycling great, having won a record five Tours. - Hinault and LeMond finished 1-2 in 1985, with Hinault winning thanks in part to LeMond's dedication to the team and its star.
- Hinault, nicknamed "the Badger" for his tenacity, promised to return the favor in 1986 and help LeMond win the yellow jersey. But it wasn't quite that simple.
What happened: As the 2014 ESPN documentary "Slaying the Badger" explores, Hinault had trouble relinquishing the throne. - Though LeMond won, it wasn't without a real challenge from Hinault, who told reporters with five stages left that, "The Tour is not finished ... Why don't we let the final time trial decide?"
The big picture: French cyclists won 36 of the first 72 Tour de France titles, but they haven't won again since Hinault's victory in 1985. 🎥 Watch: "Slaying the Badger" trailer (YouTube) | | | | | | | | 9. ⚾️ MLB trivia |  | | | Photo: Nic Antaya/Getty Images | | | | Miguel Cabrera now has 1,100 career extra-base hits, the 21st player all-time to reach that mark. - Question: Who has the most extra-base hits in MLB history with 1,477?
- Hint: Won the 1957 World Series.
Answer at the bottom. | | | | | | | | 10. 🍿 Countdown: Best Olympics movies (No. 4) |  | | | Photo: Chris Large/Disney Pictures via Getty Images | | | | Miracle (2004) tells the true story of the U.S. men's hockey team, led by coach Herb Brooks, that pulled off one of the biggest upsets in sports history and won the gold medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics. - Runtime: 2 hours, 16 minutes
- In five words: Do you believe in miracles?
- Preview: Trailer
- Stream: Disney+
What makes it great: It's full of cliché and montages like any classic sports movie, but "Miracle" is also truly inspirational. Kurt Russell shines as the intensely-driven Brooks, and delivers an all-time movie speech. "Great moments are born from great opportunity, and that's what you have here tonight, boys. That's what you've earned here tonight." "You were born to be hockey players — every one of you. And you were meant to be here tonight. This is your time. Their time is done. ... Now go out there and take it." ICYMI: "Foxcatcher" came in at No. 5. | | | | | | | | A message from Axios | | Sign up for Axios' Referral Program | | | | | | | | When you refer your family, friends, colleagues, or anyone to any Axios newsletter you can earn free Axios swag. Better yet, if you refer 5 or more new subscribers by July 31st, you'll be entered for a drawing to win a 13" MacBook Pro and AirPods Pro. Start sharing. | | | | Talk tomorrow, Kendall "Not the news you want to wake up to" Baker Trivia answer: Hank Aaron 🙏 Thanks for reading. Don't forget to refer friends (axios.com/referral) and follow us on Twitter: @thekendallbaker and @jeffreytracy. |  | | It'll help you deliver employee communications more effectively. | | | | | | Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here.
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