Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. Olympics-Swimming-The Russians are back -- and hunting gold The focus may be on the big name Americans and Australians but this could be the Games where Russian swimmers could make their biggest splash in the men's events in 25 years. No Russian man has won a swimming gold in the Olympics since the Atlanta Games in 1996 when Alexander Popov and Denis Pankratov both topped the podium twice. Tennis-Djokovic withdraws from Toronto hardcourt event World number one Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from next month's U.S. Open tune-up event in Toronto, Tennis Canada said on Friday.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Olympics-Swimming-The Russians are back -- and hunting gold

The focus may be on the big name Americans and Australians but this could be the Games where Russian swimmers could make their biggest splash in the men's events in 25 years.

No Russian man has won a swimming gold in the Olympics since the Atlanta Games in 1996 when Alexander Popov and Denis Pankratov both topped the podium twice.

Tennis-Djokovic withdraws from Toronto hardcourt event

World number one Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from next month's U.S. Open tune-up event in Toronto, Tennis Canada said on Friday. A four-time champion in Canada, Djokovic is at the Tokyo Olympics where he will try to keep alive his hopes of achieving a 'Golden Slam' - victories at all four Grand Slam tournaments in a single year plus an Olympic singles gold. The Serbian has already won the first three majors of the season.

Soccer-U.S. women's team files appeal in gender discrimination lawsuit

The U.S. women's national team (USWNT) on Friday filed an opening brief in the appeal of their lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF), saying the decision to dismiss it was based on flawed legal reasoning. The brief, filed with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, asks that the ruling be reversed and the case sent back to district court to be heard by a jury.

Olympics-Rowing-Dutchman Florijn ruled out after positive COVID-19 test

Dutch rower Finn Florijn Olympic dream was shattered after the young rower tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday after competing in the men's single sculls race. The 21-year-old had finished in fourth in the sixth heat of the men's single sculls race earlier on Friday, which was not enough to progress to the quarter-finals as only the top three qualify directly.

U.S. lawmakers urge IOC to delay or move China's 2022 Winter Olympics

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers on Friday called on the International Olympic Committee to postpone the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and relocate the event unless China ends what the United States deems an ongoing genocide against Uyghurs and other Muslim minority groups. Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley and Representative Jim McGovern were joined by Republican Senator Marco Rubio and Representative Chris Smith in a letter saying that no Olympics should be held in a country "whose government is committing genocide and crimes against humanity."

Olympics-Superstar Osaka lights flame as Japan's COVID-hit Games open

Japan's global superstar Naomi Osaka on Friday lit the Olympic cauldron to mark the start of Tokyo 2020, in an opening ceremony shorn of glitz and overshadowed by a pandemic but defined by hope, tradition and gestures of diversity. Postponed by a year due to the coronavirus, the Games are being held without spectators in a city under a COVID-induced state of emergency, as many other parts of the globe also still struggle with a resurgence of cases.

Baseball-Cleveland team to change name to Guardians from Indians

Cleveland's Major League Baseball team said on Friday it will change its name to the Guardians from the Indians following the 2021 season, drawing praise from Native American groups who had long viewed the old name as disparaging. The team, known as the Indians since 1915, began considering a possible name change in mid-2020 and selected Guardians from a list of 1,198 options that were narrowed down through 14 rounds of vetting.

Motor racing-Verstappen crash cost Red Bull $1.8 million, says Horner

Max Verstappen's British Grand Prix collision with Lewis Hamilton cost Red Bull $1.8 million with 'massive ramifications' for a team operating under Formula One's budget cap, principal Christian Horner said on Friday. In a combative column on the Red Bull website, Horner revealed the championship leader's seat was broken by the first lap impact in last Sunday's race at Silverstone.

Olympics: What you need to know right now

Tennis star Naomi Osaka climbed a stage in the shape of Mt. Fuji and lit the Olympic cauldron, capping off an opening ceremony like no other. Here's what you need to know about the Tokyo Games:

Some countries opt not to have male and female flagbearers despite IOC plea

A few countries stood out at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Games on Friday for having only either a man or a woman bearing the flag, as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) encouraged both male and female flagbearers. Ethiopian male swimmer Abdelmalik Muktar and Tajikistani male judoka Temur Rakhimov waved the flags of their respective countries, despite having a mixed delegation.