Cupping benefits Phelps
Michael Phelps woke up on the morning of the first race of his fifth Olympic Games with some soreness in his right shoulder. At 31 years old, the swimming superstar could not afford to have anything slowing him down. So he went to a Team USA athletic trainer for some cupping therapy, a treatment he has been receiving for years to help relax his muscles and ease soreness. "The trainer hit me pretty hard with one and left a couple of bruises," Phelps said. With large purple circles dotting his shoulder and back, Phelps delivered a performance for the ages to lead the 4x100-meter freestyle relay team to victory, giving him his 19th career gold medal.
Biles’ parental issues
NBC announcer Al Trautwig says he regrets tweeting that the adoptive mother and father of US gymnastics star Simone Biles were not her parents. Trautwig angered adoption advocates by refusing to refer to Ron and Nellie Biles as the 19-year-old's parents. Ron Biles, her maternal grandfather, and his wife Nellie adopted Simone 16 years ago. Trautwig said, "to set the record straight, Ron and Nellie are Simone's parents."
Ibtihaj wears hijab
American Ibtihaj Muhammad looked like all the other fencers when she stepped on the piste, save for the non-descript black scarf covering her head. With that small gesture, Muhammad made history. Muhammad became the first American athlete Monday to compete in the Olympics with a hijab, which she wears to adhere to the tenets of her Muslim faith. Muhammad, ranked eighth in the world in sabre, beat Ukranian Olena Kravatska 15-13 in her first match before falling to France's Cecilia Berder 15-12 in the round of 16. Muhammad will compete again on Saturday in the team sabre event. "I feel like it's a blessing to be able to represent so many people who don't have voices, who don't speak up," Muhammad said. "It's just been a really remarkable experience."
Japan upset NZ
Sonny Bill Williams was helped off the field with an injured left ankle during New Zealand's shocking 14-12 loss to Japan in its first game of rugby sevens at the Olympics. The 12-time world series champions and one of the leading contenders for the first rugby medals awarded at an Olympics in 92 years, the New Zealanders struggled against the high-energy team from Japan. Williams, the highest-profile player in the tournament and a two-time World Cup winner in the traditional 15s rugby, had limited impact on his Olympic debut.