Russian Men Win Gymnastics Gold by the Slimmest of Margins

By BY JULIET MACUR from NYT Sports They stunned the host, Japan, which appeared poised to win. The U.S. men, who finished fifth, vowed to try more difficult routines in the future.https://nyti.ms/3iUCJhx

Simone Manuel Falters in the Olympic Swimming Race That Made Her

By BY KAREN CROUSE from NYT Sports After failing to qualify for the 100-meter freestyle in Tokyo, she has one last chance to make the U.S. team. It’s a stunning setback for a star of the Rio Olympics who spoke of mental and physical fatigue.https://nyti.ms/3xx2x8Y

Ahead of Tokyo Olympics, Drug Testing Is a Struggle

By BY MATTHEW FUTTERMAN from NYT Sports The pandemic slowed worldwide drug testing to a crawl. The process has resumed, but the problems that led to poor testing ahead of the 2016 Games have not gone away.https://nyti.ms/3xOANh6

Simone Biles Leaves Nike for a Sponsor That Focuses on Women

By BY KEVIN DRAPER from NYT Sports As part of the deal, Athleta, the new sponsor, has agreed to back a post-Olympic exhibition tour that Biles was already planning.https://nyti.ms/3tIMd3w

Michael Phelps Says Olympic System Neglects Mental Health

By BY MATTHEW FUTTERMAN from NYT Sports In “The Weight of Gold,” Phelps presents a stark picture of the mental wear and tear Olympians endure.https://nyti.ms/2P5Rm2T

Olympic Gymnast Recalls Emotional Abuse ‘So Twisted That I Thought It Couldn’t Be Real’

By BY JULIET MACUR from NYT Sports Laurie Hernandez won medals at the 2016 Games. But she said her love of the sport was tainted under training with Maggie Haney, who is now suspended by the sport’s American federation.https://nyti.ms/3fh66bl

The Whistle-Blowers Next Door

By BY JULIET MACUR from NYT Sports Yuliya Stepanova and her husband, Vitaly, fled Russia with their son and a secret. Now they live a quiet life in America while the doping scandal they disclosed rages on.https://nyti.ms/378ZCWT

Michael Phelps Is O.K. With Losing World Records, and Confident He Is Still No. 1.

By KAREN CROUSE from NYT Sports It once seemed impossible that anyone could be faster in the butterfly. By the time it happened, the most decorated Olympian had a growing family and no problem letting go of records.https://nyti.ms/2Zfx6hQ

Kelly Catlin, 23, Olympic Track Cyclist, Is Found Dead

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS from NYT Sports Catlin, a silver medalist at the 2016 Rio Games, killed herself, her father told VeloNews.https://nyti.ms/2THkVfg

A Familiar Rebellion Spreads to International Swimming

By TARIQ PANJA from NYT Sports The international swimming federation, like other sports federations, is trying to stamp out competition by threatening to penalize athletes who compete in unapproved events.https://nyti.ms/2SeBlYu

A Badminton Champion Without Peer, Especially at Home

By RAPHAEL MINDER from NYT Sports Carolina Marín is the first women’s player to win three world championships. But in Spain, she is a badminton unicorn — an athlete with no rivals.https://nyti.ms/2DPh33y

Edwin Moses: WADA’s Credibility Rides on Its Russia Decision

By EDWIN MOSES from NYT Sports The World Anti-Doping Agency seems likely to vote to let the country off the hook though it has not abided by the organization’s road map. That would be a mistake.https://nyti.ms/2xcXSMO

Battling Pain Both Physical and Mental, Missy Franklin Finds Hope

By KAREN CROUSE from NYT Sports She was supposed to be the next Michael Phelps. Surgery and depression have changed the narrative. The experiences of Allison Schmitt and Phelps help.https://nyti.ms/2OkRE4B

Shirtless Tongan, Part Ua

By THE NEW YORK TIMES from NYT Sports Pita Taufatofua didn’t wear a shirt again.http://nyti.ms/2Et3IP7