Outdoor Sports

American professional BMX racer Connor Fields was carried off the Ariake Urban Sports Park course on a stretcher after he was involved in a three-bike crash at the Tokyo Olympics.

A spokesperson for the American cycling team provided an update to Martyn Herman of Reuters among other reporters.

"We can confirm that Connor Fields is awake and awaiting further medical evaluation. We will share additional updates as they become available."

Mark Anderson of the Las Vegas Review-Journal also relayed an update from Fields' father, Michael. 

Connor Fields, according to his dad, is being evaluated for a possible concussion. Spine and abdomen checked out clear.

— Mark Anderson (@markanderson65) July 30, 2021

The Associated Press provided more information on the injury, which occurred during the third and final qualifying heat during the men's BMX racing semifinals. 

Fields was fourth after his opening two heats and landed hard off a jump heading into the first turn in the second heat. The 28-year-old from Las Vegas slammed into the turn and lay on the track as medical personnel rushed out to help him.

Fields was attended to for several minutes before being carried away. He qualified for the finals, but will not be able to race.

The other two racers involved were Twan van Gendt of the Netherlands and Sylvain Andre of France, both of whom were able to get up on their own power.

Les Carpenter of the Washington Post later reported that Fields was placed in an ambulance waiting outside the course.

Chrös McDougall, reporting for Team USA, provided an update about 20 minutes after the initial crash.

"I'm told it should be a while until we get an update," McDougall wrote. "It also sounds like the rain was likely not a factor. It's BMX, so crashes just happen."

Per Reuters, the semifinals were delayed by 45 minutes due to "heavy rain and thunder."

Fields won the gold medal at men's BMX racing during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio De Janeiro. He's also won a pair of gold medals at the UCI BMX World Championships.

Another crash also happened soon afterward, as Australian BMX cyclist Saya Sakakibara was also stretchered off the course during the third qualifying heat of the women's semifinals for the BMX racing event.

Australian sports reporter Mark Gottleib provided a report with encouraging news that Sakakibara would be OK:

Saya is conscious but shaken after that crash according to reports on the ground. She was moving her arms. That is a relief but really scary scenes. #Tokyo2020

— Mark Gottlieb (@MarkGottlieb) July 30, 2021

Saya Sakakibara being interviewed now. She's in tears saying she's let everyone down including her brother. Couldn't be further from the truth. #BMXRacing #Tokyo2020

— Mark Gottlieb (@MarkGottlieb) July 30, 2021

Sakakibara was competing in her first Olympic Games. 

Softball has made its return to the Olympics after a 13-year hiatus.

The sport even kicked off the athletic competition at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, with host country Japan taking on Australia to begin the round-robin group stage.

Six teams are in the Olympic competition: Japan, Australia, the United States, Italy, Mexico and Canada. A round-robin is underway, with each team facing the others one time apiece.

The top two teams will play each other in a gold-medal game, while the third- and fourth-place teams will battle for the bronze medal.

As for Day 1 of the festivities, Japan, which won gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, earned a 8-1 mercy-rule victory over Australia.

The United States, which fell to Japan in the 2008 gold-medal game, followed up the host's win with a 2-0 victory over Italy.

Canada, which has never medaled in Olympic softball, beat Mexico 4-0 as well.

Here's a recap of all three games alongside some highlights.

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Japan 8, Australia 1

Fujita Yamato, Naito Minori and Yamamoto Yu hit home runs as Japan defeated Australia 8-1.

Starting pitcher Ueno Yukiko, who won gold for Japan at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, earned the win. She and Goto Miu allowed just two hits over five innings.

Australia had a chance to break this game open in the first inning, loading the bases and scoring one on a hit-by-pitch with one out. Ueno limited the damage to one run, however, getting the last two outs.

Yamamoto evened the game with an RBI single in the first.

Naito plated the go-ahead run after smacking a two-run homer:

The first home run of the #TokyoOlympics belongs to the host nation, Japan 🇯🇵

📺 NBCSN
💻 https://t.co/DAJ1HTV40X
📱 NBC Sports App pic.twitter.com/L5W3Ezy0Il

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 21, 2021

Fujita crushed her homer in the fourth, a two-run blast for a 5-1 lead.

Team Japan is on a roll.

The second home run of the game goes to the host nation. #TokyoOlympics

📺 NBCSN
💻 https://t.co/DAJ1HTV40X
📱 NBC Sports App pic.twitter.com/FRshCnJIO5

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 21, 2021

Japan scored one more run before Yamamoto's shot ended the game via the seven-run, fifth-inning mercy rule.

HR x 2

Japan with another 2-run home run. #TokyoOlympics

📺 NBCSN
💻 https://t.co/DAJ1HTV40X
📱 NBC Sports App pic.twitter.com/ZTjxLOxoqn

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 21, 2021

Both teams play Wednesday: Japan's next matchup is against Mexico, and Australia will play Italy.

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United States 2, Italy 0

Starting pitcher Cat Osterman and closer Monica Abbott combined to throw a one-hitter as the United States shut down Italy 2-0.

Osterman was dealing throughout the game, registering her fifth strikeout on this fourth-inning pitch:

.@catosterman with her 5️⃣th strikeout of the game.@TeamUSA x #TokyoOlympics

📺 NBCSN
💻 https://t.co/BqCdPeorGm
📱 NBC Sports App pic.twitter.com/LLRLJSnQDZ

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 21, 2021

In the bottom half of the inning, Michelle Moultrie gave the United States all it needed with an RBI single that scored Valerie Arioto.

.@TeamUSA 🇺🇸 scores their first run at the #TokyoOlympics!

📺 NBCSN
💻 https://t.co/BqCdPeorGm
📱 NBC Sports App pic.twitter.com/MBphYLNl8w

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 21, 2021

Janie Reed's fifth-inning sacrifice fly plated Aubree Munro for an insurance run:

Team USA goes up 2-0 on the sac fly! #TokyoOlympics | @USASoftball pic.twitter.com/aRAOsl0wUm

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 21, 2021

Abbott shut the door in the seventh by painting the black with this strikeout:

It's a 2-0 win for @TeamUSA! #TokyoOlympics | @USASoftball pic.twitter.com/hmszRITpMn

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 21, 2021

Both teams play again Wednesday: Canada is up next for the United States, and Italy will draw Australia.

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Canada 4, Mexico 0

Team Canada pitchers Sara Groenwegen, Jenna Caira and Danielle Lawrie allowed just two hits collectively in a 4-0 shutout of Mexico early Wednesday morning.

The trio struck out a total of six Mexican players and walked just one, getting Canada off to a dominant start at the 2021 Summer Olympics.

Canada jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back. The Canadians also tacked on insurance runs in the third and fourth innings.

First baseman Jenn Salling was the offensive star for Canada, going 2-for-2 with two RBI, including a solo home run in the third:

A homer for @teamcanada 🇨🇦 extends their lead by 3. #TokyoOlympics

📺 NBCSN
💻 https://t.co/MbC97jH7ye
📱 NBC Sports App pic.twitter.com/WTcRbhOEjz

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 21, 2021

The top of Canada's batting order did a ton of damage in the game, as each of the first five hitters in the lineup had at least one hit and four of them finished with two hits.

Canada made life difficult for Mexico starting pitcher Dallas Escobedo, who was chased after four innings on the heels of allowing seven hits and four earned runs, while walking five.

The Canadians will look to keep rolling Wednesday when they face the United States, while Mexico will attempt to bounce back against Japan on Wednesday.

Triathlete Chris Nikic will be awarded the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the 2021 ESPYs in July.

Last November, Nikic became the first competitor with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman triathlon. 

"Wow, what an honor to receive the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance and to be included with such an amazing group of people," Nikic said. "As a Special Olympics ambassador, I represent millions of athletes around the world who can now believe that inclusion is real for all of them. Thank you for me, but more importantly for the Down syndrome community and my fellow Special Olympics athletes."

Nikic completed the 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile marathon run in 16 hours, 46 minutes and 9 seconds. Ironman competitors are given a limit of 17 hours to complete the event.

Down syndrome is a developmental disability that occurs when a child is born with an extra copy of their 21st chromosome. 

The Jimmy V Award was named after former NC State men's basketball coach Jim Valvano and is given to "a deserving member of the sporting world who has overcome great obstacles through perseverance and determination."

Valvano died of cancer at age 46 in 1993. A little more than a month before his death, Valvano gave a speech at the 1993 ESPYs where he implored people to "don't give up...don't ever give up."

ESPN has been awarding the Jimmy V award since 2007. 

Ryan Crouser set the world record in the shot put Friday during the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

Crouser's fourth attempt nearly sailed past the entire sector and was logged at 23.37 meters (76 feet, 8¼ inches).

WORLD RECORD. BY EIGHT INCHES.@RCrouserThrows didn't just set the world record in the shot put, he OBLITERATED IT.@usatf | #TrackFieldTrials21 x #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/P3SaKwouIP

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) June 19, 2021

Randy Barnes owned the previous record of 23.12 meters, a mark that had stood since May 1990.

Crouser set the indoor shot put record by hitting 22.82 meters during an an American Track League event in January. He'll look to defend his gold medal in the shot put at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

For the second year in a row, Hank Cherry Jr. is the champion of the Bassmaster Classic. 

Cherry was crowned the champion of the 2021 tournament on Sunday at Lake Ray Roberts in Fort Worth, Texas. He is the fourth angler in the tournament's 51-year history to go back-to-back, and the first since Jordan Lee in 2017-18. 

Cherry had a three-day total of 15 fish weighing 50-15 pounds to finish just ahead of Matt Arey, who reeled in 49-1 pounds worth of fish to claim second place.

Here's a look at the top finishers after a weekend at Lake Ray Roberts: 

2021 Bassmaster Classic Leaderboard

1. Hank Cherry Jr., 15 / 50-15

2.  Matt Arey, 15 / 49-1

3.  Chris Jones, 15 / 45-9

4.  Justin Kerr, 14 / 45-2

5.  Brock Mosley, 13 / 42-0

6.  Scott Canterbury, 15 / 42-0

7.  Matt Robertson, 14 / 40-3

8.  Chris Johnston, 14 / 40-2

9.  Drew Cook, 14 / 38-7

10.  Patrick Walters, 11 / 38-1

Full leaderboard available at Bassmaster.com. 

---

Defending champion Cherry held the lead after two days, but things changed as the competition came down to the wire.

Arey, who entered Sunday in fifth place—six fish behind Cherry—overtook his fellow North Carolina native early in the day. 

https://twitter.com/bassmaster/status/1404089571801976833

But his new lead didn't hold.

Cherry catapulted back to the top of the board with his fourth catch of the day, which weighed in at one pound, eight ounces. Despite a quiet morning, the defending champion had done enough work through the first part of the weekend to hang on. 

https://twitter.com/bassmaster/status/1404105782803709955

Arey got back toward the top with a pair of two-pounders to pull ahead of Justin Kerr for second place. 

Brock Mosley's whopping six-pound, eight-ounce bass that he nabbed at 11:17 a.m. gave him the title of Berkley Big Bass leader of the day, blowing Arey's four-pound, 12-ouncer that previously held the title out of contention. Mosley, a Mississippi native, finished the day in fifth place.

It was a big step up for the 32-year-old, who struggled through the first part of the weekend and had just eight keepers heading into Sunday, when he started in 16th place. 

Steve Kennedy entered the final day in third place, but after a slow outing, he finished in 13th. The Alabama native owed much of his success to a strong Day 1, when he found five bass that weighed in at a total of 23 pounds to take the lead. 

The 2022 Bassmaster Classic will be held March 4-6, 2022 at Lake Hartwell in South Carolina. 

The 2021 Westminster Dog Show got underway Saturday, and winners were declared in four groups: hound, toy, non-sporting and herding. The winners of the other three groups will be decided Sunday, which is also when the Best in Show competition will be taking place.

The seven group winners will then be battling for Best in Show. Last year, the award went to Siba, a poodle, marking the second time in three years that a dog from the non-sporting group received the honor. This year's non-sporting winner is Mathew, a French bulldog, who will be looking to continue the group's overall success.

For 2021, the event has moved outdoors to Lyndhurst in Tarrytown, New York. The long-running competition is typically held at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

With Saturday's events complete and Sunday's competitions looming, here's everything you need to know heading into the final day of this year's Westminster Dog Show.

                     

Sunday Schedule

Breed judging, junior showmanship preliminaries, 1:30-4 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

Pre-show, 7-7:30 p.m. ET, Fox

Group judging (sporting, working, terrier), Best in Show, 7:30-11 p.m. ET, Fox

Coverage can be streamed live on the Fox Sports app.

                     

Sunday Preview

Last year, Bourbon the whippet came up short in the Best in Show competition, taking second. However, Bourbon went on to win the American Kennel Club National Championship last December.

And Bourbon is once again looking to claim the Best in Show prize in the Westminster Dog Show. On Saturday, she won the hound group, and she will now try to become the first hound to win the top honor since Miss P the beagle in 2015.

"[Bourbon's] come a long way—as a really unruly puppy and then a really great show career and then a mom," handler Cheslie Pickett Smithey said, per Jennifer Peltz of the Associated Press.

Earlier this year, Bourbon had her first puppies. Now, she could soon become a Best in Show champion.

The other three group winners Saturday were Wasabi the pekingese (toy), Mathew the French bulldog (non-sporting) and Connor the old English sheepdog (herding). The winners from the sporting, working and terrier groups will join them in Sunday night's Best in Show competition.

Wasabi has had success on a big stage before, as he won the 2019 American Kennel Club National Championship. The pekingese also has a strong pedigree. His grandfather, Malachy, was the pekingese who won Best in Show at the Westminster Dog Show in 2012.

It's possible that Wasabi could receive that honor himself Sunday night.

"He's just a fantastic dog," handler/breeder David Fitzpatrick said, per Peltz. "He's got the charisma and the movement and the showmanship that you want to have."

While there are no spectators in attendance this weekend because of COVID-19 restrictions, one familiar face Sunday will be that of Patricia Trotter, who is again serving as a judge for the Best in Show competition. She will help decide which of the seven group winners will earn the top prize.

Trotter is 85 and knows exactly how prestigious this annual event is.

"The Westminster Dog Show is the Super Bowl and the World Series [wrapped into] one," Trotter told Wayne Coffey of USA Today. "There are hundreds and hundreds of dog shows, but there is only one Westminster."

Wlll one of Saturday's four group winners earn the top prize, or will the Best in Show dog come from one of Sunday's three group winners? We'll be finding out soon enough.

Through two days of competition at the 2021 Bassmaster Classic, Hank Cherry Jr. is closing in on his second straight victory.

Cherry moved up two spots into sole possession of first place. His two-day total of 37 pounds, 14 ounces is over four pounds clear of everyone else in the field.

Steve Kennedy, who was in the top spot after Friday, dropped to third place. His Saturday haul only consisted of four fish that weighed a total of nine pounds, 11 ounces.

There are a total of five fishermen who have caught at least 30 pounds of fish during the first two days.

---

Saturday's 2021 Bassmaster Classic Leaderboard

1. Hank Cherry Jr. (37 pounds, 14 ounces)

2. Justin Kerr (33 pounds, 2 ounces)

3. Steve Kennedy (32 pounds, 11 ounces)

4. Chris Jones (32 pounds, 9 ounces)

5. Matt Arey (31 pounds, 1 ounces)

6. Chris Johnston (29 pounds, 9 ounces)

7. Drew Cook (29 pounds, 2 ounces)

8. Scott Canterbury (29 pounds, 1 ounce)

9. Todd Auten (26 pounds, 11 ounces)

10. Cody Bird (25 pounds, 13 ounces)

11. Matt Robertson (25 pounds, 6 ounces)

12. Paul Mueller (24 pounds, 15 ounces)

13. Patrick Walters (24 pounds, 13 ounces)

14. Frank Talley (23 pounds, 14 ounces)

15. Ed Loughran III (23 pounds, 5 ounces)

Full leaderboard via Bassmaster.com.

---

Cherry wasted no time making his move Saturday morning. The North Carolina native landed a six-pound bass for his first catch of the day. He followed up by adding another one that came in just under five pounds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip2khR0ZtL4?

While Cherry is in the driver's seat after two days, he didn't have the most impressive haul Saturday. That honor belonged to Justin Kerr, who was in 22nd place when he went onto the water today.

Kerr only caught four fish on Day 2, but they were big enough to weigh a total of 19 pounds, 12 ounces. The Bassmaster Classic rookie was the only person in the 54-man field who broke the 18-pound mark Saturday.

Things didn't go as well for Kennedy. He also caught four fish during today's round, but they didn't even crack the 10-pound mark (nine pounds, 11 ounces).

After a slow morning, our Day 1 leader @ProSteveKennedy is fighting, just as hard as this fish, to stay near the top of the leaderboard. He just caught his 3rd keeper that weighed 3-14 on @BASSTrakk!#Bassmaster #BassmasterClassic #LakeRayRobertshttps://t.co/BIhTPtdAKC

— Bassmaster (@bassmaster) June 12, 2021

Chad Pipkens had the biggest catch of the day with a bass that weighed in at eight pounds, one ounce. That was enough to move him into the top 20 overall with a two-day total of 22 pounds, 15 ounces.

Heading into Sunday's competition, the field will be reduced dramatically. Only the top 25 competitors after the first two days are advancing to the championship round.

If Cherry can close things out tomorrow, he will join Rick Clunn (1976-77), Kevin VanDam (2010-11) and Jordan Lee (2017-18) as the only fishermen to win back-to-back Bassmaster Classics.

When the 2021 Westminster Dog Show gets underway on Saturday, things are going to look a bit different than they have in past years—that starts with the fact that the event will be taking place outside.

Not only that, but the competition isn't taking place in New York City, where it was held from 1877-2020. Instead of occurring at Madison Square Garden, the 145th iteration of the Westminster Dog Show will be held at Lyndhurst in Tarrytown, N.Y.

There won't be spectators in attendance due to COVID-19 restrictions. But there will be more than 2,500 dogs spanning 206 breeds that will be looking to outperform the competition.

Here's everything else you need to know heading into this year's Westminster Dog Show.

2021 Westminster Dog Show Schedule

Saturday, June 12

Breed judging, junior showmanship preliminaries, 1-4 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 2

Masters ability championship finals, 5-7 p.m. ET, Fox

Pre-show, 7-7:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

Group judging (hound, toy, non-sporting, herding), 7:30-11 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

Sunday, June 13

Breed judging, junior showmanship preliminaries, 1:30-4 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

Pre-show, 7-7:30 p.m. ET, Fox

Group judging (sporting, working, terrier), Best in Show, 7:30-11 p.m. ET, Fox

Coverage can be streamed live on the Fox Sports app.

Preview, Expectations

Over the years, the Best in Show competition has been dominated by the terrier group. There have been 47 dogs from that group to win the top award at the Westminster Dog Show, with a wire fox terrier named King being the most recent to do so in 2019.

But recently, it's been the non-sporting group having success. In 2018, Flynn, a bichon frise, won Best in Show. Last year, Siba, a poodle, earned the honor. So the non-sporting group will be looking to capture the award for the third time in four years this weekend.

However, there are a lot of breeds competing across the seven groups. And it's possible that any of them could emerge the victor, so it will be interesting to see which dogs fare the best.

There are four new breeds competing at the event for the first time: the barbet (sporting), the Biewer terrier (toy), the Belgian Laekenois (herding) and the Dogo Argentino (working).

Although the terrier group has fared well over the event's long history, King was the only dog from that group to win Best in Show in the past six years. So, considering how well that group typically fares, it wouldn't be surprising to see a terrier receive the top honor this year.

The location may be different for 2021, but it doesn't change how the event will operate. Dogs will be judged within their breed, then their group. Each of the group winners will then get a chance to compete for Best in Show.

"I know that our four-legged friends are going to enjoy everything that Lyndhurst has to offer," Westchester County deputy county executive Ken Jenkins said, per Emily Leiker of USA Today.

Siba the poodle will be competing again this year and could repeat as Best in Show champion. Another returning group winner from 2020 is Daniel, a golden retriever who won the sporting group.

Those dogs will bring familiarity to an event that will look different from all the others in its long history.

"We are excited to host the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Lyndhurst, a unique icon of American culture with its park-like landscape and majestic castle overlooking the Hudson River," Westminster Kennel Club president Charlton Reynders III said in a press release.

And if the event is like all the ones that took place at Madison Square Garden over the years, then it should be fun and entertaining to watch once again.

Steve Kennedy leads the field after the first day of the 2021 Bassmaster Classic.

Kennedy's five fish weighed 23 pounds. He has an edge of only nine ounces over the second-place Patrick Walters (22 pounds, 7 ounces). Defending champion Hank Cherry Jr. sits in third place (20 pounds, 4 ounces).

The leaderboard behind Cherry is bunched together with less than two pounds separating Nos. 4 through 17.

---

Friday's 2021 Bassmaster Classic Leaderboard

1. Steve Kennedy (23 pounds, 0 ounces)

2. Patrick Walters (22 pounds, 7 ounces)

3. Hank Cherry Jr. (20 pounds, 4 ounces)

4. Chris Jones (17 pounds, 2 ounces)

5. Drew Cook (16 pounds, 10 ounces)

T6. Jamie Hartman (16 pounds, 4 ounces)

T6. Matt Robertson (16 pounds, 4 ounces)

8. Jordan Wiggins (16 pounds, 3 ounces)

9. Cory Johnston (16 pounds, 2 ounces)

10. Chris Johnston (16 pounds, 0 ounces)

T11. Drew Benton (15 pounds, 14 ounces)

T11. Hunter Shryock (15 pounds, 14 ounces)

13. Todd Auten (15 pounds, 12 ounces)

14. Frank Talley (15 pounds, 10 ounces)

15. Cody Bird (15 pounds, 8 ounces)

Full leaderboard via Bassmaster.com.

---

Kennedy was consistent on the water to occupy the top spot. The crown jewel of his collection was a five-pound, 10-ounce bass he caught late in the morning. 

https://twitter.com/bassmaster/status/1403373536903847941

The Day 1 haul bodes well as he chases his first career Bassmaster Classic win.

Each of the past two leaders at the end of the opening day of competition captured the title. Jordan Lee went from third on the first day to first when he won in 2018.

Cherry, who was the wire-to-wire winner last year, didn't get off to as strong a start this time around. He began the 2020 event with a haul of 29 pounds, three ounces. The 47-year-old is firmly in the mix to repeat as champion.

💥Boom💥Defending Classic Champ @cherryhank gets started early on Day 1 of the @Academy Bassmaster Classic presented by @HukGear! Tune in now to #BassmasterLIVE and see all the coverage from Lake Ray Roberts!
Click here to watch -> https://t.co/Nwhf0VBfaL#BassmasterClassic pic.twitter.com/Mn6mtGDHqq

— Bassmaster (@bassmaster) June 11, 2021

The biggest individual catch of the day belonged to Frank Talley. He caught a bass that weighed eight pounds, three ounces. The Texan had three other fish that combined to weigh seven pounds, seven ounces.

Competition will resume Saturday morning, with the top 25 finishers advancing to championship Sunday.

Li Zuobi, Jingtai County Communist Party Secretary, died while under investigation for his involvement in the deaths of 21 marathon runners. 

Per the Associated Press, China Central Television reported that police were "notified Wednesday that a man had jumped from his apartment and died."

An investigation into the death determined the person was Li. CCTV added that homicide has been ruled out. 

Li's death comes less than one month after 21 ultra-marathon runners died when extreme weather conditions, including freezing rain, hail stones and gale winds, developed in the Gansu Province during the 62-mile race. 

Per GlobalTimes.cn, the weather conditions resulted in "discomfort and hypothermia among marathoners." 

A total of 172 people participated in the event, with the Global Times noting on May 23 that 151 have been confirmed to be safe and 21 found dead after rescue efforts were set up to search for the missing runners. 

According to the AP report, the Gansu provincial government issued punishments to 27 officials over a lack of proper planning for the May 22 race.

Li was ruled exempt from discipline after his death, but his deputy, Zhang Wenling, was fired and two "lower-ranking officials were detained pending a further investigation."