Tag: 2020 Tokyo Games

Justin Thomas takes top spot on final qualifying list for U.S. men’s Olympic team

The Olympic men’s golf competition is July 29-August 1 at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Tokyo.

Qualifying for various countries’ Olympics mens’ golf teams wrapped up Sunday with the conclusion of the U.S. Open, but the final quota places will not be announced by the International Golf Federation until Tuesday.

Based on how selections are made according to the Official World Golf Ranking, it’s clear which four Americans are eligible and have not declined to compete. As it stands unofficially, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau are on the team.

The Olympics run July 21-August 8 in Tokyo. The men’s golf competition is July 29-August 1 at Kasumigaseki Country Club. The women’s competition is August 4-7 at the same club.

Collin Morikawa
Collin Morikawa hits his tee shot during the first day of the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play at Austin Country Club. (Photo: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports)

The IGF notes that the Olympic field is restricted to the top 60 men in the OWGR. The top 15 world-ranked players will be eligible for the Olympics, with a limit of four players from a given country. Beyond the top 15, players will be eligible based on the world ranking, with a maximum of two eligible players from each country that does not already have two or more players among the top-15.

That means four Americans can compete, because there are at least four inside the top 15 in the OWGR.

It also means only four U.S. players can compete, despite several others ranked inside the top 15 in the world. Patrick Cantlay, for example, ranks No. 7 in the OWGR but is the fifth-ranked American on that list, meaning he didn’t qualify among the top four. The same is true for Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, Webb Simpson and Tony Finau. Each of them will be placed on the Reallocation Reserve List, meaning they are the alternates should any of the top four back out for any reason.

Dustin Johnson would have qualified for the U.S. team as No. 2 in the world, the position he dropped into as Jon Rahm moved to No. 1 with his U.S. Open triumph, but Johnson in March declined to compete in the Olympics.

The women’s qualifying period ends June 28. The various National Olympic Committees then will confirm use of all allocated quota spots for men and women July 1. Entries to the Games close July 5, and quota spots can be reallocated for several more weeks based on players possibly withdrawing.

Meanwhile, the three male medalists from the 2016 Olympics failed to qualify for this year’s Games. Great Britain’s Justin Rose, Sweden’s Henrik Stenson and American Matt Kuchar each were too far back in the OWGR standings to make their teams this time around.

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Olympics on brink in part because athletes – including boxers – can’t train

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics is in danger of being postponed in part because athletes — including boxers — can’t train properly.

Amateur boxing’s postponement of Olympic qualifying events during the last couple of weeks because of the coronavirus pandemic are just part of a growing move toward a postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Games.

The International Olympic Committee announced Sunday that it will consider postponement. In a letter to athletes, IOC President Thomas Bach said an outright cancellation has been ruled out. However, re-staging the Games at another date is possible.

According to the letter, the IOC has given itself four weeks to come up with a decision.

Last week, USA Boxing said it would review its selection procedure for the men’s and women’s teams. USA Boxing had already canceled all tournaments through March 31. It was not clear whether they would, or could, be re-scheduled.

Boxers, like athletes in every sport, are having trouble training. Gyms are closed, worldwide.

Until Sunday, the IOC had said the Tokyo Games would go on. Opening ceremonies are still scheduled for July 24, closing ceremonies for Aug. 9.

However, the IOC began to get mounting pressure to postpone late last week. USA Swimming on Friday asked for a postponement until next year. USA Track & Field asked for one on Saturday.

Some star athletes, including USA swimming gold medalist Katie Ledecky, haven’t been able to train. Pools, like gyms, are closed.

Olympic boxing has been on the decline, mostly because of repeated scandals since American Roy Jones Jr. was robbed of a gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Games. Still, Olympic boxing has continued to produce fighters who have gone on to make significant impacts in the professional ranks.

Ukrainian Vasiliy Lomachenko, No. 1 in Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound poll, is a two-time gold medalist, 2008 and 2012.

Shakur Stevenson, a 2016 silver medalist in Brazil, is an emerging star at featherweight. Jose Ramirez, a 2012 U.S. Olympian, holds two junior-welterweight titles. Deontay Wilder, who lost a heavyweight title to Tyson Fury on Feb. 22 in a rematch, won a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Games. Claressa Shields is a two-time gold-medalist, 2012 and 2016.

International Olympic Committee not yet ready to make ‘drastic’ decision of canceling 2020 Tokyo Gam

The 2020 Olympics — scheduled to start in late July in Tokyo — still hang in the balance due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The 2020 Olympics — scheduled to start in late July in Tokyo — still hang in the balance due to the coronavirus pandemic.