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A closer look at the five sports given the go-ahead for the 2028 Olympic Games

The proposal was approved at the International Olympic Committee Session in Mumbai on Monday, with only two delegates voting against the new events.

Here, the PA news agency looks at all of the confirmed additions and picks out a few current British standouts in each.

Cricket

Cricket returns to the Games for the first time in 128 years in the form of six-team men’s and women’s T20 tournaments. It last featured as a men’s-only competition for the Paris Olympic Games in 1900, which means Great Britain’s men will somewhat be going into the competition as defending champions, while the sport’s inclusion is also hailed as a brilliant showcase for the exponentially-growing women’s game.

Leading lights: Sophie Ecclestone/Sam Curran

Squash

Squash, one of the sports debuting at LA 2028, has been overlooked by the IOC at the past three Games, and the squash community reacted with incredulity at being ignored in favour of breakdancing for Paris 2024. Monday’s announcement will be welcome news for Great Britain, with three English players currently within the men’s and women’s world top-10 rankings, boasting world and Commonwealth titles between them.

Leading Lights: Mohamed ElShorbagy/Georgina Kennedy

Baseball/Softball

Great Britain’s baseball and fastpitch softball teams have never been in a better position to qualify for an Olympic Games. Not only did the men’s baseball team qualify for and play in a maiden World Baseball Classic – a bit like the sport’s World Cup this year – they also won a game and did enough to qualify for the next edition, following that up with a third-ever European silver medal in September.

GB’s softball team were one win away from making the Tokyo 2020 Olympics – where the sports last featured – and are currently ranked 12th in the latest WBSC World Rankings. They beat a tough challenger in world number three Chinese Taipei earlier this year and, like their baseball counterparts, hold the European silver medal with promising talent in the pipeline.

Leading Lights: Harry Ford/Georgina Corrick

Lacrosse

Like cricket, lacrosse is preparing for its return to the Olympics for the first time in over a century, having last been included on the programme at St Louis 1904 and London 1908. Sixes, the format premiering in Los Angeles, has been described by World Lacrosse as a “fast-paced and compact” version of the game sometimes likened to The Hundred in cricket. Great Britain narrowly missed the podium at the 2022 World Games, placing fourth in both the men’s and women’s competitions, but could certainly be contenders in LA.

Leading lights: Tom Bracegirdle/Claire Faram

Flag Football

Flag football, a variant of American football, will also make its Olympic debut in just under five years’ time. Unlike the NFL, flag is a pacey non-contact sport where tackles are made by pulling flags off players’ hips. Great Britain’s women are ranked 20th in the world and are the reigning European champions, while the NFL this year launched its first girls’ flag league as part of ambitions to grow the game in the UK.

Leading lights: Brittany Botterill/Charlie Williams

Cricket among four new sports given go-ahead for Olympic Games in 2028

The proposal was approved at the IOC Session in Mumbai on Monday, with only two delegates voting against the new events.

Cricket returns to the Games for the first time in 128 years in the form of six-team men’s and women’s T20 tournaments, lacrosse for the first time as a medal sport since 1908 while baseball has featured at the Olympics several times.

Flag football, a non-contact format of American football, and squash are included for the first time.

MLB: Snell strikes out 15 in 6 innings in Giants' win over Rockies

Snell struck out 15 of 18 batters and induced 30 swings and misses, one shy of Tim Lincecum in the 2010 NL Division Series opener against Atlanta for the Giants’ most since pitch tracking started in 2008.

He walked two and his 15 strikeouts were the most for a pitcher this season and the most for any pitcher in an outing of six innings or fewer since at least 1901.

Bailey broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh with a two-out, opposite-field double to the left-center field gap.

Matt Chapman homered in the second for the Giants and Michael Toglia hit a tying homer in the seventh for the Rockies.

In the second game, rookie Hayden Birdsong and four relievers combined on a four-hitter in the Giants’ 5-0 victory.

Streaking Padres roll over Orioles

Michael King pitched two-hit ball into the seventh inning and Manny Machado hit a three-run homer against his former team to lead the San Diego Padres to their seventh straight win, 9-4 over the reeling Baltimore Orioles.

King gave up two runs over 6 1/3 innings with two walks and nine strikeouts to win for the fourth time in five starts.

The Padres scored twice in the second on a two-run error by Ramon Urias and went up 3-0 an inning later on Xander Bogaerts’ RBI double.

Gunnar Henderson’s throwing error in the fourth allowed another run to score and Machado broke open the game with his 14th home run in the seventh off Cole Irvin.

Machado, who spent his first seven seasons with the Orioles, picked up his 1,000th career RBI on the homer.

Jackson Merrill drove in two runs and Machado and Bogaerts each had three hits for the Padres, who have outscored opponents 43-12 during their longest winning streak of the season.

Cedric Mullins had a two-run double and a two-run homer for the Orioles, who have lost five of six and 10 of their last 14 games but remain atop the AL East.

Yankees rally, outslug Red Sox

Austin Wells had a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the 10th inning and Gleyber Torres added a two-run double as the New York Yankees rallied for a wild 11-8 win over the Boston Red Sox.

Aaron Judge reached base a career-high six times, going 4 for 4 with his major league-leading 37th home run, three RBIs and two walks. Juan Soto and Oswaldo Cabrera also went deep as the Yankees snapped a three-game skid with their second win in seven games.

The game was tied five times, matching the most in the majors this season. New York led 3-0 and 4-3, and Boston went ahead 5-4, 6-5 and 8-6.

Tyler O’Neill hit a pair of homers and Wilyer Abreu also cleared the fence for the Red Sox, who have lost six of eight since the All-Star break.

The Red Sox were one strike away from an 8-7 win with closer Kenley Jansen on the mound, but O’Neill couldn’t catch Trent Grisham’s deep fly to left-center and the tying run scored.

After Wells’ sacrifice fly off Chase Anderson snapped a tie, Torres, who had been 0 for 5, doubled off the base of the Green Monster to score two.

Clay Holmes – the seventh pitcher used by New York – worked two hitless innings for the win.

Retired MLB Gold Glove winner Ian Kinsler plans to play for Israel at Tokyo Olympics

The release of the video came on the same day that International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound told USA TODAY Sports that the Olympics will likely be postponed until 2021.

Kinsler, eligible to play for Israel because of his Jewish heritage, announced his retirement at the age of 37 in December after a 14-year MLB career in which he earned four All-Star selections and two Gold Glove Awards.

He hit .269 with 257 home runs, 909 RBIs and 243 stolen bases in 1,888 regular-season games with the Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox and San Diego Padres. Kinsler was a member of Boston's 2018 World Series championship team.

Kinsler came up one hit short of finishing his career with 2,000, and he also posted two seasons with at least 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases. Kinsler is one of 13 players in MLB history to have at least two 30-30 seasons. That list includes fellow Jewish slugger Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Kinsler appeared in a career-low 87 games in his only season with the Padres in 2019 and hit just .217 with nine home runs and 22 RBIs. He had his season come to an end in mid-August due to a herniated cervical disc.

Tokyo Olympics Recap: Japan get breakthrough baseball gold, Cao and Yang complete Chinese diving dominance

Elsewhere, the diving board brought further Chinese success, and Sifan Hassan was among the familiar winners on the track.

Stats Perform breaks down the best of the action from Tokyo.

JAPAN JOY AGAIN AGAINST USA

Japan's women had beaten the United States 2-0 in the softball final and it was the turn of the men to achieve an identical result against the same opposition in the baseball.

The sport will not return for the 2024 Games, but the hosts seized their opportunity.

Japan stopped their major league season to make a number of leading players available and were rewarded with a first baseball gold medal.

Munetaka Murakami's third-inning home run put the hosts in control, before Tetsuto Yamada profited on an error in the eighth to complete the win.

USA manager Mike Scioscia said: "This tournament has been as intense as anything I've been a part of.

"Nineteen years managing the [Anaheim/Los Angeles] Angels, World Series and I don't know how many playoff games with the [Los Angeles] Dodgers. There's an intensity here. There's a focus."

CHINA DOMINATE BUT DALEY DELIGHTED

Cao Yuan's gold and Yang Jian's silver in the men's individual 10m platform completed a remarkable Games in the diving for China.

Cao became the first Olympic diver to win gold in three different disciplines (3m, 10m synchronised and 10m individual), while the one-two incredibly meant China won both gold and silver in every individual diving event.

Yang joined his team-mate on the podium after registering the highest score in Olympic history, with a forward four and a half somersaults in a pike position earning 112.75 points.

That performance left Tom Daley in third, but he was in awe of the dive.

"Honestly, Yang Jian is almost superhuman; he does the hardest dives in the world," Daley said. "I think if lots of other people tried to do that dive, you'd see quite a few catastrophes, so it's very impressive to see him do that dive."

Daley, who took gold in the 10m synchronised, was delighted all the same, telling BBC Sport: "I am so happy this Olympics has gone the way it has.

"I feel I am a different athlete and to finally get here... I always dreamed I would but if someone told me I was going to win a gold and a bronze I would have laughed in their faces."

HASSAN 'NEEDED' BRONZE HEARTBREAK

Hassan was going for an outstanding hat-trick at these Games, aiming to triumph in the 1500m, 5000m and 10,000m.

The Dutchwoman made a fine start in the 5000 but then had to settle for bronze in the 1500 on Friday, meaning she was determined to top the charts in her last outing.

A time of 29:55.32 ensured Hassan did just that, and she said: "Today I'm grateful for [the bronze], because yesterday I was number three. That was not what I wanted, but what I needed.

"If I had won yesterday – if I raced smart and won the race – today I [could not have finished]. It was so hot. From the beginning I was really tired. I felt like I was sprinting.

"I was thinking about yesterday the whole race, and I've never gone deep like I did today."

BOWING OUT ON A HIGH

Allyson Felix was asked whether she had passed the torch after her Olympic career wound down in typical fashion with victory as part of a star-studded United States 4x400m team, their time of 3:16.85 the quickest since 1993.

"I just came out really at peace and wanting to soak it all in," she said after a record-extending 11th medal. "Obviously, I had complete confidence in the team.

"I think that is a really special team because we're not 400-metre runners – I don't see myself as a 400-metre specialist.

"We all do different things and it was really cool to come together, to get to close out the Olympic Games and, for me, my Olympic career."

Sydney McLaughlin added: "I think we were excited. An amazing group of women right here, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I think we all just knew going in it's going to be fast and just have fun."

BOOMERS BREAK THE BARRIER

After the United States won yet another gold earlier in the day, it was time for a new medallist in the men's basketball.

Olympic debutants Slovenia, led by Luka Doncic (22 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, eight turnovers), went down 107-93 to Australia, who have had far more experience of this stage.

The Boomers reached the semi-finals for the fifth time in Tokyo but only now collected a medal.

Dante Exum said: "We're just ecstatic to get that one out of the way. Getting on the podium is not only huge for us as a team but for Australian basketball.

"We're definitely going to set this standard, that that's where we've got to be, and we're expected to be there every time."

Patty Mills contributed an outstanding 42 points to conclude his fourth Games, and Exum added: "Patty, I mean what do you say about Patty Mills?

"It's unbelievable what he brings on the court, off the court, to the culture of the Boomers. I hope that I can just carry that on when he steps down."

Tokyo Olympics: Games chiefs make contingency plans as tropical storm approaches

Strong winds and heavy rain are expected to either hit Japan's east coast directly or skirt close to making landfall.

It was already known that the final round of women's golf could be shifted from Saturday to Sunday, if conditions are unsuitable for play.

Now it has been confirmed that other alterations to the programme may be in the offing, with Games chiefs bracing themselves for all eventualities.

Masa Takaya, spokesperson for the organising committee, said: "At this point in time we just watch the situation closely."

Addressing media in a news conference, he said: "Of course the organising committee is making preparations for the unexpected, but I don't think it's appropriate for us to tell you all the state of preparation for unexpected situations that the organising comiitee is making, because it will only create speculation among yourselves.

"We are giving you possibly the warnings about the situation."

Takaya added: "According to the current strength of the storm, it is categorised as a tropical storm, not a typhoon.

"We just have to share the information, not overstating the strength of the typhoon too much."

Outdoor events over the closing weekend include the baseball and men's football gold medal games in nearby Yokohama, Saturday's final day of athletics in the Olympic Stadium, and the marathon events in Sapporo.

Tokyo Olympics: Skateboard stars, karate kids and climbing for gold - the Games get a makeover

You can guarantee the Games will achieve that triple-whammy, because sport climbing, surfing and baseball are all part of Japan's big show.

The Games of the 32nd Olympiad have been hit hard by the pandemic, but the diversity of 'new' sports on offer means a feast of entertainment is beckoning, designed to attract younger audiences.

Skateboarding an Olympic sport? After snowboarding proved a raging success at the Winter Games, it was a banker that kickflips and Caballerials would be coming to the summer programme.

And soon enough we will all have a tight grip on the technicalities of lead climbing, speed climbing and bouldering.

The Olympics are getting a radical facelift, and you'll want to take a close look.


Sport climbing

Given the Olympic motto is 'faster, higher, stronger', perhaps it is a wonder that climbing has not been a part of the Games before now.

Yet this version of the sport is a relatively modern phenomenon, having first become established in the 1980s.

Climbing walls are as prevalent in many parts of the world as ice rinks or bowling alleys, becoming a fashionable leisure activity but a competitive sport for some.

Complicated routes to dizzying heights, seeking the highest controlled hold possible, are the hallmark of lead climbing, while speed climbing is an attack on the senses for competitor and viewer alike, with elite men having been known to hurtle up a 15-metre wall in barely five seconds.

Bouldering is a test of problem-solving expertise as well as skill, a true examination of the climber's wit and athleticism.

At Tokyo's Aomi Urban Sports Park, the climbing competition for men and women will cover all three disciplines, with combined scores deciding the medals.

Surfing

Sailing, canoeing and kayaking have been mainstays of the Olympic Games, and now surfing joins as a high-octane addition to the roster of sports.

The daredevil nature of surfing means it should prove one of the outstanding spectacles, assuming Mother Nature brings the Pacific coast waves Games organisers are looking for.

Each of the 20 men and 20 women competing will be allowed to ride up to 25 waves in 30 minutes, with their two highest scopes from the five judges being counted, so choosing the right moment for a high-tariff manoeuvre is all important.

Surf stars will be assessed on their "commitment and degree of difficulty, innovative and progressive manoeuvres, combinations of major manoeuvres, variety of manoeuvres, and speed, power and flow", the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said.

American John John Florence is a man to watch out for, with the 28-year-old two-time former world champion having built up his skills riding the waves of his native Hawaii. He suffered a worrying knee injury in Perth, Australia in May, but has recovered in time for the Games.

Skateboarding

Once largely portrayed as the preserve of weed-smoking punk kids, and certainly still patronised by the disaffected youth, skateboarding now comes with a highly professional element too.

Washington Square Park, Venice Beach and the undercroft of London's Southbank Centre have been epicentres of the growing subculture, but now the focus turns to Tokyo, where separate street and park disciplines will test the elite boarders.

Competitors will be assessed on the difficulty level, the originality and the execution of their displays at the Ariake Urban Sports Park.

This will be skateboarding's coming-out party as a major competitive sport, with the eyes of millions across the world setting their eyes on the stars who put themselves in more danger of injury than most Olympians.

Japan's Yuto Horigome and Aori Nishimura won gold in the men's and women's Street World Championship in Rome just a matter of weeks ago, ramping up the interest at home.

British 12-year-old Sky Brown, poised to become her country's youngest summer Olympian, will also be one to watch after recovering from a horror skateboarding accident last year that saw her suffer skull fractures. They are a tough set in this sport, with surely nobody braver than Brown.

Karate

Of course karate needed to be in any 21st century Olympics hosted by Japan, and it may be a surprise to many that this marks its debut at the Games.

The sport has Japanese roots and there seem sure to be home gold medals, while global exposure to karate is perhaps at an all-time high thanks to the popularity of Karate Kid spin-off Cobra Kai, the Netflix series.

Spain are a mighty force too, with Damian Quintero and Sandra Sanchez prime contenders for gold in the kata discipline, both being ranked number one in the world.

In the combat element, known as kumite, the jargon may take some getting used to for newcomers. One point, known as a Yuko, is awarded for a punch to key areas of an opponent, including the head, back or torso, while a Waza-ari is worth two points and will be given for a kick to the body.

An Ippon, for three points, is achieved by landing a high kick to the head or a punch to a grounded opponent.

Karate will take place at Tokyo's famous Nippon Budokan, which as well as being a famous martial arts venue also famously played host to The Beatles for a series of shows in 1966.

Rock acts including Bob Dylan and Cheap Trick recorded legendary live albums at the Budokan, which was built for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and has also staged Muhammad Ali fights, one a standard boxing match in 1972 and the other a bizarre hybrid clash in 1976 with wrestler Antonio Inoki.

Baseball and softball

Baseball was an Olympic medal-awarding sport from 1992 to 2008 and softball had that status from 1996 to 2008, so you would be forgiven for not feeling any huge rush of enthusiasm about its return to the Games.

Unlike in basketball, the United States do not bring their baseball A-listers to the Games, relying on a group largely formed of minor-leaguers and free agents, and South Korea were the last Olympic champions.

This year the competition will feature the Dominican Republic, Israel, Japan, Mexico, South Korea and the United States, while the women's softball event will be contested by Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Mexico and the USA.

Japan's baseball stars are reportedly each in line for bonuses worth 10 million yen (£65,000) if they carry off the gold medal.

They won an exhibition event at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, beating the United States in the final, and have since claimed a silver and two bronze medals.

Tokyo Olympics: What to look out for on Tuesday

Plenty of focus will be on the Tokyo Aquatics Centre once again, where four medals are on the line, while the women's triathlon will also take centre stage.

Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka and Katie Ledecky are just some of the superstar names that will be in action on the fourth full day of the 2020 Games.

Stats Perform picks out of some of the standout action to look out for.

CAN BILES PUT BLUNDERS BEHIND HER?

Biles struggled to find top gear in her Games entrance on Sunday, albeit making it through to each of her finals, and there is no room for any slip-ups in the women's team final.

The Russian Olympic Committee finished above the United States at a major event for the first time since 2010 in qualifying, setting up an intriguing battle in the final.

The pressure is on Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Grace McCallum and indeed Biles, the latter of whom is aiming to add to the four golds won in Rio five years ago.


USA-JAPAN MEET IN SOFTBALL FINAL

Team USA's women's softball team recovered from behind to beat Japan 2-1 in their final round-robin game and finish top of the standings.

Japan finished second and the two sides are therefore set to face off in a huge gold medal match at Yokohama Baseball Stadium.

Mexico and Canada meet in the bronze medal contest earlier on Tuesday in a tasty warm-up match for the main event.


LEDECKY AND TITMUS RESUME RIVALRY

After winning four golds in Rio five years ago, Ledecky had the chance to add four more to her collection in Tokyo.

She fell short in the first of those events, however, with Australia's Ariarne Titmus taking gold in Monday's gripping 400m freestyle final.

While a medal is not on the line on Tuesday, Ledecky will be eager to lay down a faster time than her rival in the 200m freestyle heats ahead of Wednesday's showpiece.

OSAKA GOES AGAIN

Face of the Games Okaka followed up lighting the Olympic cauldron on Friday with victories over Zheng Saisai and Viktorija Golubic in her first two matches in the tournament.

The four-time grand slam winner has a quick turnaround in matches as world number 41 Marketa Vondrousova awaits in the third round on Tuesday.

Fellow home favourite Kei Nishikori is also in action in the men's event, with Marcos Giron standing between him and the last 16.

WOMEN'S TRIATHLON TOUGH TO CALL

There was drama before the men's triathlon had even officially got underway on Monday, with an inflatable boat carrying photographers causing a false start.

Norway's Kristian Blummenfelt won the competition and now it is over to the women, with 54 athletes in contention to claim gold.

The field is wide open this time around, though the likes of Katie Zaferes and Georgia Taylor-Brown, of Team USA and Great Britain respectively, will have their eyes on the top prize.

We know we have to play better' – Kerr not satisfied after USA clinch top seed

Team USA stayed perfect by beating Puerto Rico 104-83 on Saturday, ensuring they sealed the top seed for the last eight.

That means the four-time reigning Olympic champions will take on the seventh seed, Brazil, for a place in the semi-finals.

Anthony Edwards led the USA with 26 points, while Joel Embiid chipped in with 15 and Kevin Durant delivered another fine substitute performance, scoring 11 points from the bench.

And while the USA have tallied up 317 points in their three wins so far, Kerr believes there is much more to come.

"I think we got done what we wanted to accomplish, winning all three games and securing the top seed," said Kerr.

"We know we have to play better. Part of this tournament is it gets harder as you go."

LeBron James added 10 points for the star-studded USA, and he knows it is now do-or-die.

"We know it's going to be difficult, it's going to be challenging," he said. "We better be ready to go."

In Group C's other game, Nikola Jokic scored 22 points and finished with 13 rebounds, while Bogdan Bogdanovic had 28 points, as Serbia saw off South Sudan 96-85.

While Serbia clinched the fourth seed to set up a meeting with Australia, South Sudan's inaugural Olympics campaign is over, with Greece scraping in as one of the two best third-placed teams.

Giannis Antetokounmpo's team will take on second seed Germany, who like the USA, won their three group games.