Summer Olympics

The United States men's basketball team is grouped with Iran, France and the Czech Republic in the preliminary round of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

The field for the event was set Sunday after the Czechs downed Greece in their qualifying tournament. Team USA will tip things off July 25, the second day of action in Japan.

Team USA Preliminary Round Schedule

• vs. France on July 25 at 8 a.m. ET

• vs. Iran on July 28 at 12:40 a.m. ET

• vs. Czech Republic on July 31 at 8 a.m. ET

The top two teams in each of the three groups and the two-best third-place finishers move on to the quarterfinals.

At least in the group stage, France figures to be the stiffest competition for Team USA, with Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier, Nicolas Batum and Frank Ntilikina representing Les Bleus. The French sit seventh in FIBA's men's ranking.

Anything short of a gold medal will be considered a disappointment for the United States. Since the Dream Team in 1992 signaled the debut of NBA players in the Olympics, Team USA has won gold in six of seven Olympics.

A bronze-medal finish in 2004 was such a disaster it led to major changes at USA Basketball.

As he enters his first Summer Games in charge, San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich doesn't have what you'd consider the optimal roster. LeBron James, Anthony Davis, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Curry are among the most notable absences.

Still, talent shouldn't be an issue for Team USA. Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Draymond Green, Damian Lillard and Jayson Tatum will headline the squad in Tokyo.

Prior to the Olympics, the team will hold a training camp from July 6-18 in Las Vegas. As part of the camp, the U.S. will compete in five exhibitions, the first of which is July 10 against Nigeria.

Luka Doncic helped Slovenia earn a spot in the Summer Olympics in men's basketball after producing a triple-double in Sunday's qualifying win over Lithuania.

Slovenia secured the 96-85 win in the finals of the six-team qualifying tournament in Kaunas, Lithuania, giving the country its first trip to the Olympics in the sport. Doncic starred with 31 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds in the clinching game.

Lithuania featured NBA players like Domantas Sabonis and Jonas Valanciunas, but the perennial international contender fell short of a trip to Tokyo.

The European squad had competed at the last seven Olympic Games, earning three bronze medals in that stretch.

Sunday's game was a close one early with the two teams tied 52-52 at halftime. Lithuania used a balanced attack offensively as five players reached double figures over the 40-minute battle, although Sabonis was held to just nine in the loss.

The difference came in a third quarter that saw Slovenia outscore its opponent 28-17. Doncic was nearly unstoppable offensively, shooting 13-of-23 from the field while his team finished 13-of-31 (42 percent) from three-point range.

With the Olympic bid, Slovenia builds on its 2017 EuroBasket title as the country becomes a legitimate power behind Doncic.

The Dallas Mavericks guard has already proved himself in the NBA with two All-Star selections and a Rookie of the Year award in his first three seasons. He continues to elevate his game as he looks to lead his home country to greater heights.

Phoenix Suns star Chris Paul spoke out about United States track and field star Sha'Carri Richardson's one-month suspension for failing a drug test for marijuana.

Speaking to reporters Saturday, Paul said "it's not right" for Richardson to miss out on competing in her specialty event at the Olympics.

"You can't tell someone how to deal with trauma or how to deal with mental health, whatever it may be. Marijuana is not a performance-enhancing drug," Paul said. "I'll worry about the Finals when it gets to it, but the Olympics is one of those things that comes around once every four years, and I feel like she deserves her opportunity."

The United States Anti-Doping Agency announced Friday that Richardson accepted a one-month suspension after a positive drug test from a sample collected during the U.S. Olympic Trials on June 19.

Richardson won the women's 100 meters at the event to qualify for the Olympic team. The suspension will prevent her from competing at the Tokyo Games in that event.

In an interview with Savannah Guthrie on NBC's Today show, Richardson apologized and said she used marijuana as a coping mechanism following the death of her biological mother last month.

"I apologize for the fact that I didn't know how to control my emotions or deal with my emotions during that time," Richardson said.

Paul said Saturday he has not spoken with Richardson but that he would like the opportunity to do so.

Richardson, whose suspension will end July 27, could participate in the Olympics as part of the U.S. 4x100-meter relay team. She would have to be named to the squad by USA Track and Field after losing an automatic qualification place because of her failed drug test.

USA Baseball announced its roster for the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo on Friday, and it features several notable former Major League players.

Among the biggest names on the team are third baseman Todd Frazier and pitchers Edwin Jackson, Scott Kazmir and David Robertson:

Team USA qualified for the Olympics last month with a 4-2 victory over Venezuela, giving the United States a perfect 4-0 record in the Americas Qualifier.

Team USA is made up primarily of veteran free agents and minor league players. Frazier was part of the former group before he signed with the Sussex County Miners of the Frontier League last month.

The 35-year-old Frazier spent 11 seasons as an MLB player from 2011-21 with the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Texas Rangers and Pittsburgh Pirates.

In 1,244 regular-season games, the two-time All-Star hit .241 with 218 home runs and 640 RBI. His best season came in 2016 with the White Sox when he set career highs with 40 home runs and 98 RBI.

Frazier did appear in 13 games for the Pirates earlier this season, hitting just .086 with four RBI.

The 37-year-old Jackson is a free agent who is best known for a nomadic MLB career that saw him play for a record 14 different teams from 2003-19.

Jackson appeared in 412 games and made 318 starts for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays, Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks, White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Nationals, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, San Diego Padres, Baltimore Orioles, Oakland Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays.

He went 107-133 with a 4.78 ERA, earning an All-Star nod with the Tigers in 2009, throwing a no-hitter for the Diamondbacks in 2010 and winning a World Series with the Cardinals in 2011.

The 37-year-old Kazmir is a minor leaguer in the San Francisco Giants organization after playing for seven different teams in 13 Major League seasons.

Kazmir was named an All-Star twice with the Rays and once with the A's in 2014. He also pitched for the Los Angeles Angels, Cleveland, the Houston Astros, Dodgers and Giants.

The lefty is 108-97 with a 4.02 ERA in his career, and he appeared in three games for the Giants earlier this season after having not pitched in the majors since 2016.

Robertson, 36, is perhaps the top candidate to serve as Team USA's closer after an excellent MLB career as a reliever.

Now a free agent, Robertson spent 12 seasons in the MLB with the Yankees, White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies from 2008-19.

Robertson was an All-Star with the Yankees in 20011 when he posted a 1.08 ERA as a setup man, and he totaled 110 saves over a three-season span from 2014-16 with the Yanks and White Sox.

He also led the Yankees to a World Series title in 2009 and finished an impressive 11th in the American League Cy Young voting that year.

Overall, Robertson is 53-33 with a 2.90 ERA and 137 saves as an MLB player.

Other notable players on the Team USA roster include former Yankees first baseman and outfielder Tyler Austin, former Blue Jays outfielder-turned-pitcher Anthony Gose and 22-year-old Rays pitching prospect Shane Baz, who boasts a 2.12 ERA and has struck out 69 batters in 46.2 innings over 10 minor-league starts this season.

Team USA is managed by Mike Scioscia, who managed the Angels from 2000-18, going 1,650-1,428 and winning the World Series in 2002.

This year marks the return of baseball to the Olympic program after it wasn't included in 2012 or 2016. At the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, Team USA beat Japan to win bronze in the competition.

Baseball has been contested at the Olympics five times, and while the United States has the second-most medals overall with three, its only gold medal was won in 2000.

Team USA's first game of the Tokyo Olympics will be played on July 30 against Israel.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is among the athletes who are criticizing the United States Anti-Doping Agency for suspending American track and field star Sha'Carri Richardson. 

After USADA announced Richardson accepted a one-month suspension for a post-race drug test that came back positive for THC, the main active compound in marijuana, Mahomes said "this is so trash man" on Twitter. 

As a result of the punishment, Richardson's results from the U.S. Olympic trials have been disqualified, and she will be suspended for the individual 100 meters at the Tokyo Games. She is not disqualified from participating in the women's relay, but selection for that group has yet to be announced by Team USA.

Richardson said she began using marijuana as a coping mechanism after her biological mother died in June prior to the U.S. Olympic trials. 

In an interview with Savannah Guthrie on NBC's Today, Richardson apologized "for the fact that I didn't know how to control my emotions or deal with my emotions during that time."

The 21-year-old posted the fastest qualifying time in the 100-meter dash at 10.86 seconds. 

The United States Anti-Doping Agency announced Friday that American sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson, who qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in the women's 100 meters before testing positive for marijuana in a post-race drug test, has accepted a one-month ban.

"The rules are clear, but this is heartbreaking on many levels; hopefully, her acceptance of responsibility and apology will be an important example to us all that we can successfully overcome our regrettable decisions, despite the costly consequences of this one to her," USADA CEO Travis Tygart said.

The ban makes Richardson ineligible for the 100 meters, but she would be able to run in the 4x100-meter relay. Her suspension will have expired by the day of the race, per Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.

Eddie Pells and Pat Graham of the Associated Press reported USA Track & Field hasn't yet announced plans for the relay squad.

Richardson won the women's 100-meter qualifier at the U.S. Olympic trials on June 19 with a time of 10.86 seconds. Javianne Oliver (10.99) finished second and Teahna Daniels (11.03) came in third.

The 21-year-old Dallas native's victory was voided because of the positive drug test for THC, the main active compound in marijuana, which removed her from Team USA's preliminary Olympics roster. She had the option to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport before accepting the ban Friday.

Jenna Prandini, who finished fourth in the qualifier, is expected to take the open spot in the 100 meters, according to the AP.

Meanwhile, Richardson appeared on NBC's Today on Friday to discuss the situation. She accepted responsibility for the failed drug test and said it was a coping mechanism following the recent death of her biological mother.

"I was definitely triggered and blinded by emotions, blinded by badness, and hurting, and hiding hurt," Richardson told Today. "I know I can't hide myself, so in some type of way, I was trying to hide my pain."

Although marijuana is legal for recreational use in Oregon, where the U.S. Olympic trials took place, it remains a banned "Substance of Abuse" based on World Anti-Doping Code.

The USADA announcement noted the typical punishment for a positive THC test is a three-month ban, but Richardson's was reduced to one month because she completed a program regarding cannabis and because her use occurred "out of competition and was unrelated to sport performance."

Her suspension went into effect June 28.

Preliminary heats for the women's 4x100-meter relay at the Olympics are scheduled to take place Aug. 5 followed by the finals on Aug. 6.

A trip to the Tokyo Olympics for United States sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson is suddenly in doubt after reportedly failing a drug test.

According to Tyler Dragon of the Cincinnati Enquirer, Richardson faces a 30-day suspension after testing positive for marijuana. She qualified for the 2020 games in the 100-meter dash after running a 10.86 final at the U.S. Olympic Trials in late June. 

The 21-year-old from Dallas, Texas previously ran the sixth-fastest time in the history of the 100-meter, setting a personal best of 10.72 last April. 

Andre Lowe of Jamaica Gleaner reported "traces of the substance" were found in Richardson's sample collected at the Olympic Trials, yet that doesn't mean an automatic suspension is looming. 

The World Anti-Doping Agency's prohibited substance list includes all natural and synthetic cannabinoids—with the exception of cannabidiol—but specifies those are banned during competition. As Lowe noted, if an athlete can prove they did not use the substance during the trials, they may only be looking at a three-month ban, which could also be reduced if the athlete submits to an approved treatment program. 

Should Richardson have her spot on the Olympic team revoked, Jenna Prandini—who placed fourth in the 100-meter—will serve as a replacement.

The decision ultimately rests with the United States Anti-Doping Agency, per USTAF guidelines:

"USADA handles all aspects of the disciplinary process if a sample tests positive either domestically or internationally. If the positive sample was given in a domestic competition sanctioned by USATF, USADA will notify the athlete of the test result. If the positive sample was given in an IAAF-sanctioned competition, the IAAF will notify USATF, and USATF will notify the athlete and inform USADA, which will handle the remainder of the process."

It's unclear when an official announcement could come from the USTAF or what the full timeline for any potential discipline would look like. 

Tokyo Olympics organizers announced Wednesday they've eased COVID-19 restrictions to allow nursing mothers to bring their children to the Summer Games, which begin with some preliminary competitions July 21.

"Given that the Tokyo 2020 Games will take place during a pandemic, overall we must unfortunately decline to permit athletes' family members or other companions to accompany them to the Games," organizers told Manasi Pathak of Reuters on Wednesday. "However, after careful consideration of the unique situation facing athletes with nursing children, we are pleased to confirm that, when necessary, nursing children will be able to accompany athletes to Japan."

The decision comes after several athletes, including Americans Alex Morgan (soccer) and Aliphine Tuliamuk (marathon), expressed concern about familial restrictions that included the inability to bring young children with them to Tokyo.

In April, Morgan explained it was "important to allow mothers the option to have their kids with them while they compete."

"I'm just still very hopeful that I'll have my daughter with me, [and someone] who will be able to watch her during training and games," the U.S. women's national team striker said of her 13-month-old daughter, Charlie. "... If a child is under one or two, they might still be breastfeeding, so that's a huge piece of it."

Despite the clearance for entrance into Japan, organizers said the children will have to stay in "approved hotels" outside of the Olympic Village, which is limited to only athletes and team officials, per Pathak.

In May, Tuliamuk told Dave Sheinin of the Washington Post she couldn't imagine traveling to the Games without her daughter, who's just five months old.

"If I'm going to perform my best, she's going to have to be there with me—and I hope she will be," she said.

Canadian basketball player Kim Gaucher was among the other athletes to speak out about the since-lifted restrictions.

"Right now, I'm being forced to decide between being a breastfeeding mom or an Olympic athlete. I can't have them both," Gaucher said in video posted on social media last week.

The Tokyo Olympics, which were originally scheduled to take place last summer, were delayed until this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Although Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has been a steadfast supporter of moving forward with the Games, he expressed concern about the COVID-19 cases in Tokyo on Wednesday.

"The number of new infections has remained low in many regions, but it's on a rising trend in Tokyo," Suga said. "We intend to implement [existing] steps thoroughly and introduce necessary measures in a timely manner while carefully watching the situation."

Athletes have already begun arriving in the country ahead of the July 23 opening ceremony.

Lindsay Flach announced on Instagram on Friday that she would compete at the U.S. Olympic Trials in the heptathlon while 18 weeks pregnant.

"It was hard mentally because I knew I wasn't going to be able to compete at the level I was capable of 18 weeks ago, but I just wanted to prove what women are capable of," she told Jeff Eisenberg of Yahoo Sports. "To end one chapter and begin another on my terms was amazing."

Flach said that she found out about her pregnancy in March and asked her doctor if it would be safe to continue training. She received the doctor's blessing to do so in moderation, under the condition that she would avoid big falls and pay attention to warning signs her body might provide.

"My big concern was making sure that I was healthy and the baby was healthy," she said.

She said her pregnancy had not been easy.

"My pregnancy was very rough to start," she told Eisenberg. "I had about 12 weeks of bad vomiting, which affected my training. If the Olympic Trials were three weeks ago, I don't know that I would have been there, but I started to feel better and I was able to get some really good practices in."

The 31-year-old had planned to chase a spot on the United States team one last time before starting a family with her new husband. But when the COVID-19 pandemic postponed the Tokyo Olympics, Flach decided she didn't want to put the rest of her life on hold for her dream.

"It was bittersweet," Flach told Yahoo Sports of finding out she was pregnant. "I was really excited because I've always wanted kids, but it was also a shock knowing that just like that, my track career was over."

Flach wanted to compete one last time, but she didn't push herself at the Trials.

She modified her steps for the hurdles to ensure she wouldn't fall. She cleared only one height in the high jump to ensure she didn't hurt herself. She ran just the first 100 meters of the 800-meter event to avoid overly taxing herself in Sunday's intense heat in Eugene, Oregon. And she made just one attempt each in the shot put and long jump, per Eisenberg.

She finished last. But she became one of the best stories of the Trials simply by competing.

British distance runner Andy Butchart is under investigation by UK Athletics (UKA) and the British Olympic Association after he said he faked a COVID-19 test in order to return to the country.

Appearing on the Sunday Plodcast, Butchart said he used Instagram to edit a photo of an old PCR test to regain entry to the United Kingdom.

"You have to get a COVID test to get into the UK, so you went to a place to get a PCR test before 48 hours—and I'm with check-in and I don't have my PCR test back," he said.

"So you have to quickly, like, get an old PCR test, go on to Instagram, f--king scribble out the time and the date, change the time and the date, and like change it so you can get into the country."

Butchart, a 5,000-meter distance runner who qualified for the British Olympic team, later walked back his statement in an interview with the Times and said he never faked a test.

It's unclear what level of discipline Butchart could face if he's found to have faked a test. The UKA and the BOA released a statement saying they take the matter "very seriously" and will not have further comment until the investigation is completed.

"Throughout the pandemic, elite sport has been privileged to receive exemptions from various guidelines to enable athletes to continue to train and compete," the statement read.

"We take very seriously any suggestion that an athlete has not followed these guidelines correctly and broken any COVID-related protocols."

Butchart qualified for the Olympics after finishing second at the 2021 British Athletics Championships.