Sports News Roundup: Olympics-Basketball-U.S. women overcome Japan long ball game to seal second win; MLB roundup: Joey Votto homers in Reds-record 6th straight game and more

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Olympics-Basketball-U.S. women overcome Japan long ball game to seal a second win

Team USA shut down Japan's long ball game and improved to 2-0 in the preliminary round of Olympic women's basketball on Friday. Japan led in the first quarter, boosted by accuracy from the three-point line. But the Americans adjusted defensively and were ahead 86-69 by the final whistle at the Saitama Super Arena, north of Tokyo.

MLB roundup: Joey Votto homers in Reds-record 6th straight game

Joey Votto homered in a franchise-best sixth straight game and Tucker Barnhart ripped a go-ahead two-run single in the sixth inning to lift the visiting Cincinnati Reds to a 7-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Thursday. Votto answered back-to-back two-homer performances by belting a two-run shot in the first inning. The 2010 National League MVP has gone deep eight times in the last six games to boost his home run total to 20, marking the ninth season that he has reached that plateau.

Olympics-Canoeing-Czech Prskavec wins gold in men's kayak slalom

The Czech Republic's Jiri Prskavec won gold in the men's kayak slalom on Friday, with the silver medal going to Slovakia's Jakub Grigar. Germany's Hannes Aigner took bronze.

Bears TE Jake Butt retires at age 26

Chicago Bears tight end Jake Butt retired from the NFL, saying in a lengthy statement Thursday that he had lost passion for the game. The 26-year-old Butt played collegiately at Michigan and rehabbed to return from six knee surgeries, which he said in a social media post sapped his desire to be on the field.

Gymnastics- Biles hints at struggles in practice, no clear word on further participation

U.S. gymnast Simone Biles, who pulled out of the team and women's all-around events in Tokyo, on Friday hinted on social media that she was struggling in practice but shed no light on whether she'll take part in further individual events.

Biles shocked the world on Tuesday when she did one vault at the start of the women's team competition final and then pulled out, later saying she'd lost her way in the air. The U.S. team subsequently won silver.

U.S. swimmer sparks doping controversy, high octane BMX marred by crashes

An American swimmer sparked controversy at the Tokyo Games on Friday when he said it would take a long time to clear his sport of doping after losing his Olympic title to a Russian.

Doping re-emerged as an Olympics theme on Day 7 of the Tokyo Games as the centerpiece athletics program got off to a scorching start with morning heats in the women's 100 meters.

Olympics-U.S. gymnastics reign continues as Biles lauds gold medallist Lee

Without Simone Biles, America's dominance of women's gymnastics continued on Thursday with a gold in the individual https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/lee-grabs-all-around-gold-us-biles-watches-2021-07-29 all-around competition for the fifth Olympics in a row. Sunisa Lee, the youngest member of the team, clinched the U.S. spot in the history books in the final rotation of the floor exercise with a total score of 57.433.

Olympics-A Tale of Two Cities: In the 'bubble' and the Tokyo outside

The Tokyo Olympics is running a village for athletes and coaches where more than 80% are vaccinated against the coronavirus, testing is compulsory and movement is stringently curtailed. None of that is true for the giant Japanese capital that surrounds the Olympic "bubble".

Olympics-Badminton-China win mixed doubles gold and silver

China's Wang Yi Lyu and Huang Dong Ping won the gold medal in the mixed doubles event at the Tokyo Olympics on Friday. Zheng Si Wei and Huang Ya Qiong - also from China - claimed the silver, and Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino of Japan took the bronze.

Olympics-Athletics-Americans eye up Semenya-free women's 800

The women's 800 meters, right in the spotlight of the "intersex athlete" debate, looks as if it could be a great race in Tokyo as the main contenders advanced from Friday's opening round in the absence of all three banned Rio medallists. There was a very different feel to the race this time with the Rio three, including double champion Caster Semenya, all ruled ineligible due to heightened testosterone levels.