Here's a look at everything you need to know about the Texans in Tokyo from the July 31 weekend:
Gymnastics
Simone Biles will compete in Tuesday’s balance beam final after withdrawing from the all-around competition and multiple individual events to focus on her mental health.
USA Gymnastics announced Biles’ return in a tweet on Monday.
We are so excited to confirm that you will see two U.S. athletes in the balance beam final tomorrow - Suni Lee AND Simone Biles!! Can’t wait to watch you both!
— USA Gymnastics (@USAGym) August 2, 2021
The Houston native previously withdrew from competition after experiencing a phenomenon called “the twisties," a sensation of being lost in the air when doing airborne skills.
Golf
North Texas graduate Carlos Ortiz, who is playing for Mexico, competed for gold on Sunday in the individual event. He finished in fourth place.
Ortiz entered the final round in a tie for third place with Paul Casey at 12-under-par.
Diving
Southlake’s Hailey Hernandez didn’t medal on Sunday, finishing in ninth place in the women’s 3-meter springboard final. The teenager finished the preliminary round in sixth place out of 27 competitors.
Hernandez is the youngest in this year’s competition at 18 years old. She's competing in her first Olympic games this year after graduating from Carroll High School in May.
Swimming
Simone Manuel’s time at the Tokyo Olympics ended on Saturday after she failed to make the 50-meter freestyle finals.
In an Instagram post, the two-time Olympian said she was proud “that I didn’t give up.”
Manuel won a bronze medal earlier last week as part of Team USA’s 4 x 100-meter freestyle relay. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, she won a gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle.
Track and Field
University of Texas graduate Tara Davis will compete in Tuesday’s long jump finals for a shot at a gold medal.
The first-time Olympian will be competing against American teammate Brittney Reese, the 2012 Olympic gold medalist, Malaika Mihambo of Germany and Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk of Ukraine.
Baseball
On Monday, Team USA lost to Japan 7-6 in 10 innings in the quarterfinals of the baseball tournament.
Team USA fell behind early, with Japan taking a 2-0 lead in the third inning against American starter Shane Baz, a Cypress native who plays for the Tampa Bay Rays.
The American baseball team will wait for the winner of the Israel and Dominican Republic game on Tuesday. Team USA will play its next game on Tuesday night.
Got a tip? Email Elizabeth Myong at Emyong@KERA.org. You can follow Elizabeth on Twitter @Elizabeth_Myong.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.
