Axios Sports: The out Olympics

Plus: F1 unveils new concept car. | Friday, July 16, 2021

Open in app View in browser     Axios Sports By Kendall Baker ·Jul 16, 2021 👋 Happy Friday! You made it. 🍿 Now playing: Everybody get up, it's time to slam now. "Space Jam: A New Legacy," starring LeBron James, hits theaters and HBO Max today. Today's word count: 1,900 words (7 mins). Let's sports...     1 big thing: 🏳️‍🌈 The out Olympics Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios   At least 142 athletes who are publicly out as LGBTQ are headed to the Olympics, which begin one week from today, Axios' Jeff Tracy writes. Why it matters: That's more than have participated at all other Summer Games combined, per Outsports. By the numbers: Those 142 athletes include the first transgender Olympians and represent 25 different countries. The U.S. leads the way with 34, followed by Canada (16), the U.K. (15) and the Netherlands (13) as other nations with at least 10. Women outnumber men eight to one, while women's soccer has by far the most overall, with 38. The big picture: Same-sex marriage is legal in only 29 countries, but as that number has grown over the years, so has the number of publicly out Olympians. In 2012, the Olympics saw a record 23 such athletes while 11 nations allowed same-sex marriage; by 2016, athletes (56) and nations (22) both at least doubled. Of note: There are 69 countries and territories where homosexuality is outlawed, per the BBC, nearly half of which are in Africa and all but two of which (Mauritania, Gaza Strip) are sending athletes to Tokyo. What they're saying: "Being able to compete with the best in the world as my most authentic self ... shows how far we've come on inclusion in sport," Canadian swimmer Markus Thormeyer told Outsports. Sue Bird (L) and Megan Rapinoe. Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images Meet some athletes: Power couple Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe are as successful as they come, so let's highlight a few of the other athletes. Another power couple is the Dutch duo of Edward Gal and Hans Peter Minderhoud, each of whom has medaled in team dressage (equestrian), but not since they began competing together. Quinn, on the Canadian women's soccer team, came out last fall as non-binary and transgender. They play for the NWSL's OL Reign and won a bronze medal in Rio. Alexis Sablone and Alana Smith are members of the first-ever U.S. Olympic skateboarding team. Sablone is a six-time X Games medalist with a signature Converse shoe; Smith in 2013 became the youngest X Games medalist ever, winning silver at age 12. Between the lines: Examples like these 142 athletes, or Carl Nassib recently becoming the first active NFL player to come out as gay, are definitive signs of progress for the LGBTQ community. Yes, but: "There is still work to be done to ensure that ... no person has to choose between being 'out' and being an athlete," says Amit Paley, CEO and executive director of the Trevor Project, which provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth. Share this story.     2. 🏁 F1 unveils new car, debuts "The Sprint" Photo: Race Service/Formula 1 via Getty Images   Formula One on Thursday unveiled a concept car based around new regulations being introduced next year. Why it matters: The new regulations, which were supposed to be introduced this year but were delayed due to the pandemic, are aimed at creating closer, more dramatic races. Current F1 cars only retain 55% of their total downforce once they're within a car's length of the car in front, making it difficult to remain close through high-speed corners. Simulations suggest that number will increase to 86% with the new design, which means tighter wheel-to-wheel racing. Speaking of new ... F1 will debut a 100-kilometer sprint race on Saturday at England's Silverstone Circuit ahead of Sunday's British Grand Prix. Grand prix starting positions are usually determined by fastest-lap qualifiers. But this weekend, they'll be determined by the results of "The Sprint." The top three finishers in the sprint will also earn points (three for first place, two for second, one for third). The big picture: F1's popularity is soaring — particularly in the U.S. — thanks to the über-compelling Netflix series, "Drive to Survive." With new cars and a new qualifying format, F1 is seizing the moment in hopes of attracting even more fans.     3. ⛳️ Live updates: The Open Collin Morikawa in action Thursday. Photo: Charlie Crowhurst/R&A/R&A via Getty Images   Collin Morikawa is six-under through 17 holes today at Royal St. George's, putting himself firmly atop the leaderboard at nine-under (as of 7:50am ET). ICYMI: Highlights from Thursday... Golf is easy: Louis Oosthuizen (-6) led after 18 holes that played much easier than most expected. 47 golfers scored under par and just 20 (of 156) finished at five-over or worse thanks to calm conditions. Golf is hard: Phil Mickelson stumbled into dead last (+10). Since winning the PGA Championship, he's finished no better than 51st in four straight tournaments, and looks destined to make it five in a row. Spieth's return: The once-golden boy has turned it on this year, and he looked sharp Thursday, finishing one shot off the lead. Here's the swing move that's transformed his game. Bryson's faux pas: The DeChambeau drama never lets up. This time, he blamed his first-round woes on his Cobra driver, later apologizing after a Cobra rep said, "It's just really, really painful when he says something that stupid." The hatless wonder: Most golfers wear hats, and sponsors pay for that real estate — but they're not required on tour. Germany's Marcel Siem (-3) went hatless and let his blonde man-bun shine. Go deeper: Live updates (CBS Sports)     A message from Axios Discover what's changing in how we work, play and get around     'Axios What's Next' will guide you through the next decade of big, sweeping changes when new technologies like 5G, AI and drones will transform how we work, live and play together. Sign up for free     4. 🌎 The world in photos Photo: John Dorton/ISI Photos/Getty Images KANSAS CITY — Daryl Dike scored two goals to lead the USMNT past Martinique, 6-1, and secure a quarterfinal berth. Canada is up next in the group stage finale, and the U.S. needs a win to finish first in Group B. Photo: Thomas Samson/AFP via Getty Images LUZ ARDIDEN, France — It's Tadej Pogačar's Tour, and everyone else is just riding in it. The Slovenian won Stages 17 and 18 to increase his lead and all but ensure a repeat Tour win. The final stage is Sunday. Photo: Mark Lloyd/Getty Images PLYMOUTH, England — The Great Britain Sail Grand Prix takes place this weekend. It's the third event of the season for the global sailing league, with Spain currently in first place. Standings.     5. 💵 MLS valuations: LAFC leads the way Data: Sportico; Table: Axios Visuals The average MLS team is valued at $550 million, per Sportico, with LAFC ($860 million) topping the list and the Colorado Rapids ($370 million) ranking last, Jeff writes. The Portland Timbers ($635 million) are the only franchise outside of a top-20 market with a top-10 valuation, bolstered by their shared ownership of the NWSL's most successful team, the Portland Thorns. No relegation in MLS means teams don't see the same operating losses that European clubs do. As a result, the average MLS team is worth more than every Premier League club outside of the "Big Six."     6. 🇯🇵 Olympics venue smells "like a toilet" Photo: Akio Kon/Bloomberg via Getty Images   With a week to go before the Tokyo Olympics begin, Bloomberg reports that concerns are growing about pollution levels in Tokyo Bay, where the triathlon's swimming portion will take place, Axios' Bryan Walsh writes. What's happening: A test for the swimming part of the Paratriathlon in the bay was canceled in August 2019 after E. coli bacteria was found at more than twice the limit set by triathlon officials — and after one athlete reportedly said the bay "smelled like a toilet." But despite the efforts of organizers — which included dumping 22,000 cubic meters of sand in the bay and designing polyester screens to protect the venue from bacteria — residents have noticed a pungent smell coming off the bay in recent weeks. By the numbers: Wastewater and sewage from Tokyo's 30 million residents, combined with runoff from multiple rivers and canals, all have to be treated before flowing into Tokyo Bay. The bottom line: Water pollution is a fact of life for triathletes who compete in events in large cities, which means that arguably the most arduous Olympic event will simply involve a slightly higher — and smellier — degree of difficulty. More Tokyo headlines: Olympic athlete and staff member test positive (Axios) Tokyo virus cases at six-month high (AP) Ugandan weight lifter missing in Japan (NYT)     7. ⚡️ Lightning round Photo: Adam Hunger/Getty Images   😷 COVID hits Yanks: Thursday night's Red Sox-Yankees game was postponed after three Yankees tested positive. This is the eighth game postponed due to COVID-19 this season — and the first since April 19. 🏀 Beal out for Tokyo: Bradley Beal will miss the Olympics after being placed in health and safety protocols. Who might replace him? 🏈 Brady had torn MCL: Tom Brady reportedly played the entirety of last season with a torn MCL in his left knee, which required offseason surgery. ⚾️ Pederson to Braves: The Cubs sent Joc Pederson to the Braves for a minor league prospect. The firesale in Chicago is officially underway. 🇨🇳 Viral video: A 7-foot-4-inch 14-year-old Chinese basketball player named Zhang Ziyu is being compared to Yao Ming. Here she is dominating China's U15 National Basketball League.     8. 📆 July 16, 1950: Largest soccer crowd ever The Maracanã Stadium. Photo: Ullstein Bild via Getty Images   71 years ago today, Uruguay pulled off one of the biggest upsets in soccer history, beating Brazil, 2-1, in Rio de Janeiro to win the 1950 World Cup. Why it matters: An estimated 200,000 fans were in attendance at the Maracanã, which remains the largest crowd to ever see a soccer match. The backdrop: The World Cup had not been staged since 1938 due to World War I, and much of Europe lay in ruins in the aftermath of the war. FIFA had difficulties finding a host country before Brazil stepped up, and nations like Germany (still occupied) and Hungary (refused to participate) didn't send teams. Defending champion Italy had seen multiple players perish in the Superga air disaster a year earlier. The Italians attended the World Cup, but traveled to Brazil by boat rather than plane. Format: The field featured 13 countries. Unlike other World Cups, the four group winners (Brazil, Spain, Sweden and Uruguay) played in a round-robin format to determine a winner, rather than a knockout stage. Group 1: Brazil (5), Yugoslavia (4), Switzerland (3), Mexico (0) Group 2: Spain (6), England (2), Chile (2), U.S. (2) Group 3: Sweden (3), Italy (2), Paraguay (1) Group 4: Uruguay (2), Bolivia (0) Alcides Ghiggia in 2010, standing front of a print depicting the packed stadium. Photo: Panta Astiazaran/AFP via Getty Images The final: Brazil was a heavy favorite after thrashing Sweden 7-1 and routing Spain 6-1, and they only needed a draw against Uruguay to claim the title in front of the home crowd. But Uruguay prevailed, scoring two second-half goals to win the World Cup for a second time (also won the inaugural event in 1930). Alcides Ghiggia scored the game-winner in the 79th minute. He was the last surviving player from the game, and died on July 16, 2015 — exactly 65 years after the goal. "Only three people managed to silence the Maracanã," said Giggia. "Frank Sinatra, the Pope, and me." 🎥 Watch: Match highlights (YouTube)     9. 🍿 "Space Jam" trivia Source: Giphy In the original "Space Jam," five NBA players have their talent stolen by the Nerdlucks/Monstars. Question: Can you name all five? Hint: Three of their last names start with "B." Answer at the bottom.     10. ⚾️ Free ideas: MLB skills competitions Illustration: Lazaro Gamio/Axios   The MLB All-Star festivities are great, but we think they'd be even better with the addition of skills competitions. On Thursday, we asked you to submit your ideas. A few of our favorites: Baserunning: This would measure time from first to third, with each player having to round second base. Runners could slide at the end, if they think that'd be advantageous. (Donald from Bardonia, N.Y.) Hitting: Pitchers Home Run Derby. No Ohtani. (Dan from Downey, Calif.) Fielding: Fastest 6-4-3 double play (shortstop-second baseman-first baseman). (Bill from Chapel Hill, N.C.) Pitching/hitting: Place targets behind the plate and in the field to test pinpoint command for pitchers and bat control for hitters. (Luke from San Francisco) Pitch speed: Set up a thin square of plywood (or maybe even glass!) in front of home plate. Keeping adding one layer at a time as pitchers compete to see whose fastball can penetrate the most layers. (Jerome from NYC)     A message from Axios Discover what's changing in how we work, play and get around     'Axios What's Next' will guide you through the next decade of big, sweeping changes when new technologies like 5G, AI and drones will transform how we work, live and play together. Sign up for free   Enjoy the weekend, Kendall "Seven days 'til Tokyo" Baker Trivia answer: Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson, Muggsy Bogues, Shawn Bradley 🙏 Thanks for reading. Don't forget to refer friends (axios.com/referral) and follow us on Twitter: @thekendallbaker and @jeffreytracy. Like this email style and format? Learn more about Axios HQ. 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. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon B‌lvd, Suite 1300, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.   Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get Axios in your inbox.   Follow Axios on social media: