Reuters Sports News Summary

Macron and Biden are among the few dignitaries attending https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/us-first-lady-jill-biden-arrives-japan-games-2021-07-22 the delayed Games, with Japan and much of the world still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic. Olympics-Volleyball-Japan claim first win in 29 years, Iran beat Poland in epic clash Hosts Japan began their men's volleyball campaign with their first victory at the Olympics in 29 years while Iran edged Poland in a five-set epic in their Pool A openers at an empty Ariake Arena on Saturday.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Olympics-Water Polo-U.S., Spain set scoring records on dire day for debutants

World champions the United States began their quest for a third straight Olympic gold medal in women's water polo by storming into the record books with a 25-4 humbling of hosts Japan at the Tatsumi Water Polo Centre on Saturday. But the U.S. record for most goals scored in a single match at the Olympics stood just a few hours before being overhauled by reigning European champions Spain, who crushed South Africa 29-4 to lay down a marker of their own.

Olympics-Equestrian-Tokyo's Oldest Olympian says ready for Paris 2024 "unless body breaks"

Tokyo 2020's oldest competitor, 66-year-old Australian horse rider Mary Hanna, said on Saturday she also aimed to take part in the 2024 Olympics unless her body gave way. Hanna represents her country in dressage, one of the three equestrian disciplines that are the only Olympic events that do not differentiate on the basis of gender and often feature athletes aged over 50 competing at the highest level.

Olympics-Swimming-First medals on the line in Tokyo pool

Australia's women's 4x100m freestyle relay team look sure to complete a golden hat-trick, and maybe smash their world record, when the first swimming medals of the Tokyo Olympics are handed out on Sunday. In what could be a bountiful day for The Dolphins, Elijah Winnington will also seek to live up to his surname in the men's 400m free, even if Germany's Henning Muhlleitner qualified fastest.

Olympics-Glittering gold distracts from Tokyo woes

Sport stretched out over Tokyo on Saturday and gold medals rained down as the Olympic Games burst into life, finally casting aside some of the shadow of COVID-19 and controversy that has plagued the global showpiece. China made an instant statement of intent when Yang Qian grabbed the Games' first gold, and Japanese judoka Naohisa Takato lifted home hearts with gold on the mat a day after the nation's global superstar https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/slimmed-down-ceremony-open-pandemic-hit-tokyo-games-2021-07-23, tennis player Naomi Osaka, had lit the cauldron to officially open the pandemic-delayed Olympics.

Olympics opening draws 16.7 million viewers for NBC, a 33-year low

NBC's TV broadcast of the Tokyo Olympic Games opening ceremony drew 16.7 million viewers, the smallest TV audience for the event in the past 33 years, according to preliminary data provided by Comcast-owned NBCUniversal on Saturday. Across all platforms, including NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app, 17 million people watched the ceremony, the company said in an email.

Olympics-Basketball 3x3-Macron and Jill Biden look on as France lose to U.S

French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. first lady Jill Biden watched their countrywomen tangle on the 3x3 basketball court at the sport's Olympic debut https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/on-3x3-basketball-tokyo-olympics-2021-06-21 in Tokyo on Saturday, with the Americans pulling out an upset victory. Macron and Biden are among the few dignitaries attending https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/us-first-lady-jill-biden-arrives-japan-games-2021-07-22 the delayed Games, with Japan and much of the world still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Olympics-Volleyball-Japan claim first win in 29 years, Iran beat Poland in epic clash

Hosts Japan began their men's volleyball campaign with their first victory at the Olympics in 29 years while Iran edged Poland in a five-set epic in their Pool A openers at an empty Ariake Arena on Saturday. Japan's win over Venezuela in straight sets was their first since the 1992 Barcelona Games and they were led from the front by Yuki Ishikawa (15 points) and 19-year-old Ran Takahashi (11 points) who delivered a barrage of spikes.

Olympics-Surfing-Surfers ride wave of emotion to make Olympic history

Four of the world's top male surfers made history on Sunday morning as their sport made its long-awaited Olympic debut at the Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach, with Brazil's Italo Ferreira emerging victorious from the first heat. "I'm so stoked, it's a special event and I've been training a lot these last couple of months, I'm so glad to be here," he told reporters after edging out Hiroto Ohhara, Leonardo Fioravanti and Leandro Usuna to qualify directly for the third round.

Olympics-Skateboarding-Skaters debut at inaugural Olympics, fans hope for acceptance

Skateboarding made its historic debut on the Olympic stage early Sunday, with men's street heats kicking off the sport's four-day competition under Tokyo's blazing sun. The inaugural event marks a turning point for skateboarding, which has its roots in youth street culture and has influenced everything from art to fashion.

Olympics-Swimming-Powerhouse Peaty shakes off the 'cobwebs' in style

Adam Peaty said he was just shaking off the cobwebs, and felt weird without fans watching, but he still won his Olympic 100m breaststroke heat on Saturday with a time faster than any other man has ever swum. The world and Olympic champion's time of 57.56 seconds, while way off his world record 56.88, meant he now has the top 16 fastest swims of all time in the event -- and he has yet to shave his moustache.

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