Sports News Roundup: Tokyo 2020 sponsor Toyota withdraws Olympics-related TV commercials -Yomiuri; Pirates sign No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis and more

Karnazes is widely credited with helping fuel the rise of ultra-distance running through his million-selling 2006 book "Ultramarathon Man". Two-thirds of Japanese doubt pandemic Olympics can be safe, says poll Two-thirds of people in Japan do not believe the country can host a safe and secure Olympics amid a fresh wave of coronavirus infections, according to a survey published by the Asahi newspaper just four days before the opening ceremony in Tokyo.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Tokyo 2020 sponsor Toyota withdraws Olympics-related TV commercials -Yomiuri

Tokyo 2020 sponsor Toyota will not air Olympics-related TV commercials, the daily Yomiuri reported a senior company executive as saying on Monday. "The Olympics is becoming an event that has not gained the public's understanding," the report quoted the executive as saying. Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda is expected to skip attending the opening ceremony, according to the report.

Pirates sign No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis

The Pittsburgh Pirates signed catcher Henry Davis, the No. 1 overall pick in last week's 2021 Major League Baseball Draft. The 21-year-old Davis, who played for the University of Louisville, received a $6.5 million signing bonus, according to MLB Network.

Tokyo 2020 organizers want composer who apologized for bullying to stay on

Tokyo 2020 organizers said on Monday they wanted Olympic composer Keigo Oyamada, who described in a magazine decades ago how he had bullied his classmates but apologized later, to stay on to prepare for the opening ceremony slated for Friday. Oyamada is tasked to work on the music used in the ceremony.

Motor racing-Hamilton takes eighth British win, Verstappen taken to hospital

Lewis Hamilton celebrated a record eighth British Grand Prix victory on Sunday after fighting back from a 10-second penalty for a first-lap collision that halted the race and sent title rival Max Verstappen to hospital. The Mercedes driver, now only eight points behind Red Bull's Verstappen after 10 races, passed Ferrari's Charles Leclerc with two laps to go as a capacity 140,000 crowd rose to cheer on their home hero.

Cycling-'Baby Cannibal' Pogacar claims vintage Tour de France title

Tadej Pogacar became the youngest rider to win back-to-back Tour de France titles on Sunday after some vintage racing drew comparisons with cycling's greatest. The 22-year-old Slovenian, who won the Tour on his debut last year, hammered his rivals in the Alps with a long-range attack on stage eight, reminiscent of the event in the 1980s, and stayed in control for the rest of the race.

Olympics-Tennis-Gauff tests positive for COVID-19, to miss Tokyo Games

American Coco Gauff will not compete in the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for COVID-19, the 17-year-old said on Sunday. Gauff was set to become the youngest Olympic tennis player since 2000 but instead joins a number of the world's top players who have already pulled out of the Tokyo Games.

Athletics-Ultramarathon Man Karnazes thriving on new challenges

As one of the most accomplished endurance athletes of all time, a man who knocked off 50 marathons in 50 U.S. states in 50 days, it is somehow reassuring to the mere mortal to see that Dean Karnazes can still make the most basic of rookie mistakes. Karnazes is widely credited with helping fuel the rise of ultra-distance running through his million-selling 2006 book "Ultramarathon Man".

Two-thirds of Japanese doubt pandemic Olympics can be safe, says poll

Two-thirds of people in Japan do not believe the country can host a safe and secure Olympics amid a fresh wave of coronavirus infections, according to a survey published by the Asahi newspaper just four days before the opening ceremony in Tokyo. In the poll, 68% of respondents expressed doubt about the ability of Olympic organizers to control coronavirus infections, with 55% saying they were opposed to the Games going ahead.

Golf-Ice-cool Morikawa wins blazing hot British Open

American debutant Collin Morikawa produced an ice-cool final round to win the British Open by two strokes on a blazing hot afternoon at Royal St George's on Sunday. The 24-year-old began the day a stroke behind Louis Oosthuizen but played picture-perfect golf in a four-under round of 66 to overhaul the South African and resist resurgent fellow American Jordan Spieth in a three-way battle.

Olympics-Rhythmic gymnastics-Facing apathy at home, US athletes rally fans on social media

Since she started training as a rhythmic gymnast at the age of seven, America's Laura Zeng has come to realize that most people in her country do not know much about her sport. The 21-year-old competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics, is a six-time national champion, and is her country's best shot at a medal in rhythmic gymnastics at the Tokyo Olympics.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)