Athletes need more say on major issues, not boycotts – Rapinoe

Tokyo residents react after two athletes tested positive for Covid-19 in the Tokyo Olympic Village, raising fears of a cluster just days ahead of the opening ceremony.

Athletes from teams across the globe were filmed arriving at Tokyo's Haneda airport on Thursday, ahead of the Olympic games. Footage shows delegations from USA, Great Britain, Brazil and others greeted by the organising committee employees. The Tokyo 2020 games will be held between July 23 and August 8 after being postponed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Tokyo residents share their support for athletes and coronavirus concerns as Olympic Games enters its Day 4 and Japan taking leading positions on the medal table. "So as long as we try to minimise contaminations, I want to see the athletes perform," said one resident.

At a serene zen garden in a Tokyo park, abstract lines inspired by the movements of Olympic athletes are carefully traced in the gravel -- not by monks, but by robots. The newly installed artwork, titled "The Constant Gardeners", features four large industrial robotic arms that work together to sculpt a traditional Japanese rock garden.

Members of the women's national football team were among a group of female athletes successfully evacuated from Afghanistan. The news was confirmed by FIFAPRO, the association for professional footballers, on Monday.

Allyson Felix says she is proud of fellow sports stars speaking out on mental health issues, although more has to be done to support athletes including those with young children. Felix was speaking shortly before being confirmed as Sportswoman of the Year at the Annual Salute to Women awards in New York. Tennis player Naomi Osaka, who spoke about her mental health problems earlier this year, was given the Wilma Rudolph Courage Award. Felix, 35, is now the most decorated female track and field athlete of all time at the Olympics, and no American has won more than her 11 medals, which included a gold and a bronze in Tokyo.

Athletes travelling to next month's Beijing Olympics were warned on Tuesday (January 18) about speaking up on human rights issues while in China for their own safety by speakers at a seminar hosted by Human Rights Watch. Rights groups have long criticized the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for awarding the Games to China, citing the treatment by the Chinese government of the Uyghurs and other Muslim minority groups, which the United States has deemed genocide.

Anti-vax enthusiasts claim that at least three athletes have dropped out of the 2022 Australian Open tournament due to chest problems related to Covid-19 vaccination. We take a closer look in this edition of Truth or Fake.

Sunday's inaugural Miami Grand Prix Formula One race lived up to its billing as a heavyweight battle between the series' two points leaders -- Charles Leclerc of Ferrari and Max Verstappen of Red Bull. Verstappen came away with the victory, the second in a row and third of the year for the 2021 F1 drivers' champion. His earlier wins had come in Saudi Arabia and Italy.

Swimming's world governing body will only allow transgender athletes who transitioned before age 12 to compete in elite women's competitions. Some support a desire for inclusion, others say it would make races unfair.

The sport's authority cited "welfare, legal and reputational risk" for the decision. Over the weekend swimming's world governing body FINA voted to restrict transgender athletes in elite women's competitions.

We look at the political headache that awaits French President Emmanuel Macron after the disastrous parliamentary election results for his centrist bloc. Some papers warn that he may need to seek support for each individual bill. Also, after global swimming, rugby league authorities provisionally ban transgender female athletes amid claims that they possess physical advantages. Finally, a Spanish local council is now imposing fines for urinating in the sea!