Sports News Roundup: Astros silence Dodgers' bats, fans; Wrestling-Maroulis ousted by Kawai, Kumar wins by fall to reach final and more

U.S. opposite Andrea Drews scored 21 points to lead the team to a comprehensive quarter-final victory at Tokyo's Ariake Arena, with the 2016 bronze medallists winning 25-11 25-20 25-19. TOKYO OLYMPICS: What you need to know right now A Cold War-style defection loomed large https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/belarus-sprinter-tsimanouskaya-leaves-polish-embassy-tokyo-police-2021-08-03 over the Olympics when a Belarusian sprinter flew out from Tokyo under Poland's diplomatic protection on a plane to Vienna. Here's what you need to know about the Tokyo Games: Olympics-Gymnastics-Many 'twisties' and turns, but Biles exits Games a champion Simone Biles was always expected to make headlines at the Tokyo Olympics.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Olympics-Sprint queen Thompson-Herah back on Instagram after blocked over TV rights

Not even the fastest woman in the world could outrun Tokyo 2020 Olympics broadcast rights holders it seemed, when gold medallist sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah said she had been blocked on Instagram for posting videos of her victorious 100 and 200 metres races. The Jamaican sprinter defended her Olympic titles from the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics over the two distances in Tokyo, making it four Olympic gold medals from two Games.

Olympics-Volleyball-U.S. advances to face Serbia in semis, Turkey out

Top-ranked United States crushed the Dominican Republic in straight sets on Wednesday and will face Serbia in the women's Olympic volleyball semi-finals, while South Korea stunned Turkey in a thrilling full-set match, securing a spot in the top four. U.S. opposite Andrea Drews scored 21 points to lead the team to a comprehensive quarter-final victory at Tokyo's Ariake Arena, with the 2016 bronze medallists winning 25-11 25-20 25-19.

TOKYO OLYMPICS: What you need to know right now

A Cold War-style defection loomed large https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/belarus-sprinter-tsimanouskaya-leaves-polish-embassy-tokyo-police-2021-08-03 over the Olympics when a Belarusian sprinter flew out from Tokyo under Poland's diplomatic protection on a plane to Vienna.

Here's what you need to know about the Tokyo Games:

Olympics-Gymnastics-Many 'twisties' and turns, but Biles exits Games a champion

Simone Biles was always expected to make headlines at the Tokyo Olympics. The U.S. gymnast did just that, and more - but not in a way anyone would have ever expected. While Biles did not rewrite the Olympic record book as planned, she did leave an indelible mark on the Tokyo Games, changing the narrative from winning medals to championing athlete mental health and well-being.

Olympics-Weightlifting-Georgia's Talakhadze breaks world record to conquer men's super heavyweight class

Georgian strong man Lasha Talakhadze broke his own world record to retain the title in the men's heaviest weight class at the Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday with a combined lift of 488 kg. Talakhadze, who won a gold at the 2016 Rio Games in the same category, lifted 223 kg for the snatch and 265 kg for the clean and jerk to also break his own world records in the two categories.

MLB roundup: Astros silence Dodgers' bats, fans

With fans in Los Angeles expressing their venom, the Houston Astros were able to shut out the noise as well as the Dodgers in a 3-0 victory Tuesday behind the pitching of Lance McCullers Jr. Yordan Alvarez hit a two-run home run and Michael Brantley had an RBI as the Astros improved to 2-1 against the Dodgers this season. McCullers (9-2) pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing four hits with three walks and nine strikeouts.

Olympics-Athletics-Gold for De Grasse, another huge 400m hurdles record

Canada's Andre De Grasse added gold to a groaning collection of minor medals with victory in the 200 metres, Kenya went one-two in the men's 800m and Peruth Chemutai made history for Uganda on another scintillating night of Olympic athletics on Wednesday. That followed another huge 400m hurdles world record in the morning when Sydney McLaughlin saw off fellow American Dalilah Muhammad as the super-fast track and new shoe technology continue to make a mockery of historical comparisons.

Olympics-Basketball-U.S. women roll into semis, Japan win historic thriller to advance

Team USA rolled over Australia in Olympic women's basketball on Wednesday, while host nation Japan won a three-point shootout to earn a historic chance for a medal. The stage is set for Friday's semi-finals, with the United States to take on Serbia, while Japan will meet France.

Olympics-Wrestling-Maroulis ousted by Kawai, Kumar wins by fall to reach final

Helen Maroulis' quest for a second Olympic gold medal was ended by Risako Kawai of Japan in the semi-finals of the women's freestyle lightweight competition in a battle of reigning Olympic champions on Wednesday. Maroulis, the first female American wrestler to be crowned an Olympic champion when she won the bantamweight gold in Rio, has battled through multiple concussions and post-traumatic stress disorder in recent years before qualifying for the Tokyo Games.

Olympics-Sprinter 'safe' in Austria after refusing to return to Belarus

Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya was safe in Vienna on Wednesday, Austrian officials said, after she flew in from Tokyo under Polish diplomatic protection three days since refusing her team's order to go home early from the Olympics. The apparent Cold War-style defection of an athlete has been one of the major stories of the Games and could further isolate Belarus, which is under Western sanctions after President Alexander Lukashenko's crackdown on opponents since last year.

(With inputs from agencies.)