Sports
Simone Biles Returns to Tokyo Olympics to Compete in Balance Beam
Simone Biles is back. USA Gymnastics announced Biles will compete in the final event in women’s Olympic gymnastics: balance beam.
The six-time Olympic medalist was forced to withdraw from the team competition last Tuesday after a single rotation. She was unable to perform her vault and fell a full twist short, landing awkwardly and delivering an uncharacteristically low score.
Biles explained that she was experiencing the “the twisties,” or a lack of air awareness while trying to complete extremely difficult moves.
“I didn’t know where I was in the air,” Biles said.
Biles said that she had been suffering from anxiety, stress and mental health issues heading into Tokyo due to the immense pressure to achieve perfection in every event.
“These Olympic Games, I wanted it to be about myself,” Biles said last week. “And I came in and I felt I was still doing it for other people and it hurts my heart that doing what I love has been taken away from me to please other people.”
“I am not going to lose a medal for this country and these girls because they’ve worked way too hard to have me go out there and lose a medal,”
The United States was still able to win a silver medal with Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles and Grace McCallum handling the rest of the rotations.
Following the event, Biles received an outpouring of support from olympians past and present.
Gymnasts spoke out detailing their own struggles with focus and concentration. Others praised Biles for acknowledging her mental health issues. which was a once-taboo topic for elite athletes.
Biles then decided to withdraw from the all-around, vault, uneven bars and floor exercise competitions at the Tokyo Olympics to focus on her mental and physical health.
She spent the rest of her time cheering on her teammates as Lee won gold in the all-around event and bronze in the uneven bars event, while McKayla Skinner stepped in for Biles and won silver in the vault event.
Now, Biles will get the chance to perform in front of the world once again, and she has plenty of experience in the balance beam.
If Biles has indeed returned to form, she will contend for a medal. Biles is a three-time World Championships gold medalist on the balance beam and won bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
A meeting of two imperious defences will decide the first entrant to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final when South Africa and Nigeria meet on Wednesday.
The Super Eagles have conceded just one goal at this AFCON and dispatched Angola in a tight game to qualify for the semi-finals.
But Bafana Bafana matched their run of four consecutive clean sheets as goalkeeper Ronwen Williams delivered the heroics in their penalty shootout win over Cape Verde.
Only once since their last Cup of Nations title, which came just over a decade ago, have Nigeria reached the last four – and they have lost five of their last six AFCON semi-finals.
South Africa’s wait stretches back even further, with no title since 1996 and this their first run to the last four since 2000.
Date, kick-off time and venue
Nigeria vs South Africa is scheduled for a 5pm GMT kick-off on Wednesday, February 7, 2024.
The match will take place at Stade de la Paix in Bouake.
Where to watch Nigeria vs South Africa
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on BBC Two, with coverage starting at 4.30pm GMT, as well as Sky Sports Main Event and Premier League.
Live stream: Sky subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Sky Go app while the game will also be shown for free via the BBC Sport and iPlayer portals.
Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog.
What we know
♦ Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen was taken off late on against Angola with an abdominal injury and he did not join the rest of the squad in flying out to Bouake on Monday evening.
A team statement assured that he could yet be released to travel on Tuesday if he passes medical checks.
Hugo Broos has a settled line-up for South Africa, with the defence entirely made up of Mamelodi Sundowns players.
However, after failing to score against Cape Verde he could tinker with the attack.
♦ Both teams have been outstanding defensively throughout the tournament and it feels as though a single goal will prove the difference in this game.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong scored an 89th-minute winner when Nigeria knocked Bafana Bafana out of the 2019 Cup of Nations quarter-finals, which was these two sides’ last meeting.
Nigeria wins: 7
South Africa wins: 2
Draws: 5
Nigeria vs South Africa match odds
Nigeria to qualify: 1/2
South Africa to qualify: 7/1
A meeting of two imperious defences will decide the first entrant to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final when South Africa and Nigeria meet on Wednesday.
The Super Eagles have conceded just one goal at this AFCON and dispatched Angola in a tight game to qualify for the semi-finals.
But Bafana Bafana matched their run of four consecutive clean sheets as goalkeeper Ronwen Williams delivered the heroics in their penalty shootout win over Cape Verde.
Only once since their last Cup of Nations title, which came just over a decade ago, have Nigeria reached the last four – and they have lost five of their last six AFCON semi-finals.
South Africa’s wait stretches back even further, with no title since 1996 and this their first run to the last four since 2000.
Date, kick-off time and venue
Nigeria vs South Africa is scheduled for a 5pm GMT kick-off on Wednesday, February 7, 2024.
The match will take place at Stade de la Paix in Bouake.
Where to watch Nigeria vs South Africa
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on BBC Two, with coverage starting at 4.30pm GMT, as well as Sky Sports Main Event and Premier League.
Live stream: Sky subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Sky Go app while the game will also be shown for free via the BBC Sport and iPlayer portals.
Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog.
What we know
♦ Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen was taken off late on against Angola with an abdominal injury and he did not join the rest of the squad in flying out to Bouake on Monday evening.
A team statement assured that he could yet be released to travel on Tuesday if he passes medical checks.
Hugo Broos has a settled line-up for South Africa, with the defence entirely made up of Mamelodi Sundowns players.
However, after failing to score against Cape Verde he could tinker with the attack.
♦ Both teams have been outstanding defensively throughout the tournament and it feels as though a single goal will prove the difference in this game.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong scored an 89th-minute winner when Nigeria knocked Bafana Bafana out of the 2019 Cup of Nations quarter-finals, which was these two sides’ last meeting.
Nigeria wins: 7
South Africa wins: 2
Draws: 5
Nigeria vs South Africa match odds
Nigeria to qualify: 1/2
South Africa to qualify: 7/1
What a game. What an absolute triumph of a game. The Texans won their first game of the season and it wasn’t even particularly close for most of the game; a resounding 37-17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. I don’t want to regale you with too much flowery prose to start with because you’re gonna want to read about the Houston Texans first win of the season below. Enjoy!
The Texans started with the ball and quickly went three and out followed by the Jags appearing to march the ball down the field at will. But the defense stepped up, and stopped the Jags, forcing them to kick a field goal that went comically wide right.
Rookie QB C.J. Stroud continued to impress with his poise and his ability to push the ball down field by completing a 46-yard bomb to fellow rookie Tank Dell. Dameon Pierce would punch it in on the next play for a one-yard touchdown, putting the Texans up 7-0.
The Jags would later try to kick another field goal when their drive stalled once more. This time rookie edge rusher Will Anderson blocked the kick, leading to the Texans taking over at the Jaguars’ 41-yard line.
The Texans would then march down the field culminating in a touchdown pass from Stroud to Mr. December himself, Brevin Jordan, to put the Texans up 14-0.
On a later drive, Texans safety Eric Murray, yes THAT Eric Murray, would force a fumble that would be recovered by Blake Cashman at the Texans’ 32-yard line.
After a long review of a Tank Dell catch where he somehow managed to keep a toe in to keep the drive going, the Texans would move on to end the half with a 28-yard field goal, putting them up 17-0.
Jacksonville got the ball to start the second half and, thanks to a dumb pass interference penalty on Jimmie Ward, score on a Tank Bigsby run, putting the Jags on the board 17-7.
Then they followed that up with a field goal, putting them down by a touchdown to the good guys 17-10.
And then a miracle happened.
Andrew Beck, the Texans’ fullback, muffed the kickoff, recovered it and then returned the ball 85 yards for a touchdown, putting the Texans back up 24-10. It was the first kickoff returned for a touchdown for the Texans since December 2021.
The quarter would end with Blake Cashman picking off an errant Trevor Lawrence pass.
Pass interference on Jimmie Ward leads to first and goal at one for Jags. Bigsby with TD. Texans lead 17-7.
Stupid penalties and bad defensive play.
Jags stopped for a 33-yard FG. 17-10 Texans.
The Jags have an answer for the Texans, Texans NEED to find a way to respond, and fast.
Andrew Beck with the 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown! And in related news, unicorns are real! Texans lead 24-10. (laughing for five minutes). First kickoff return TD for Texans since December 2021.
To end the quarter Blake Cashman would pick off an errant Trevor Lawrence pass.
The drive would stall for the Texans leading to a Fairbairn FG to put the Texans up 27-10.
Here is where the game would briefly turn into a slugout.
Trevor Lawrence threw a well-no-[kitten] 26-yard touchdown pass to Christian Kirk to pull within 10 of the lead.
Stroud would respond with his own well-no-[kitten] 68-yard touchdown pass of his own to Tank Dell.
Fairbairn would see the field one last time with a field goal to put the Texans ahead by 20, 37-17, and that is how the game would finish.
The Texans get their first win of the season and it was a statement game to boot.
Now if you will excuse me, I have to write an apology email to C.J. Stroud for ever doubting him in the first place.
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