July 30 Tokyo 2020 Olympics news and results

By Helen Regan, Aditi Sangal, Adam Renton and Joshua Berlinger, CNN

Updated 0402 GMT (1202 HKT) July 31, 2021
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8:14 a.m. ET, July 30, 2021

Japan secures highest-ever Olympic gold medal tally for the country

From CNN’s Aleks Klosok

Team Japan celebrate after winning the men's team épée final in Chiba, Japan, on Friday.
Team Japan celebrate after winning the men's team épée final in Chiba, Japan, on Friday. Andrew Medichini/AP

Japan secured a record-breaking 17th gold medal of the Tokyo Games on Friday, surpassing the country’s previous tally of 16 gold medals at Tokyo 1964 and Athens 2004.

The 17th gold came in the men’s team épée – Japan’s first-ever gold medal in fencing.

 Japan defeated the Russian Olympic Committee 45-36 in the final. South Korea picked up the bronze medal.

7:35 a.m. ET, July 30, 2021

Alexander Zverev told Novak Djokovic "he's the greatest of all time" after beating him

From CNN's Matias Grez

Novak Djokovic, left, and Alexander Zverev embrace after the match on July 30.
Novak Djokovic, left, and Alexander Zverev embrace after the match on July 30. Jan Woitas/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa/picture alliance/Getty Images

Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic shared a warm embrace and exchanged a few words after their epic semifinal match at Tokyo 2020.

Germany's Zverev came out on top in the three-set match, winning 1-6 6-3 6-1 to guarantee himself an Olympic medal.

The 24-year-old is considered one of the biggest talents of tennis' emerging generation and clearly has immense respect for the man he has been trying to dethrone at the top of the sport.

"I told him [Djokovic] that he's the greatest of all time, and he will be," Zverez said after the match.

"I know that he was chasing history, is chasing the Golden Slam and was chasing the Olympics, but in these kind of moments me and Novak are very close.

"Of course I'm happy that I've won, but at the end of the day I know how Novak feels."

Djokovic's quest to become the first man to complete the 'Golden Slam' -- winning all four grand slams and Olympic gold in the same calendar year -- has come to and end but Zverev wasn't too sympathetic.

"I feel sorry for Novak, but he's won 20 grand slams, 550 masters series or whatever, you can't have everything," he said.
"He's the greatest player of all time, he will win the most grand slams out of anybody on tour, but I'm also happy that I'm in the final."

Zverev will now face Karen Khachanov of the Russian Olympic Committee in the final for a chance to win Germany's fourth gold of Tokyo 2020.

“Obviously, yeah, it's an amazing feeling knowing that you're going to bring the medal back to your house, back home to Germany," he said.

"It's incredible beating the best player in the world undoubtedly right now and in this season. 

“It seemed it was impossible to beat him at this event, so I’m very happy right now. But yet there's still one match to go.”

7:30 a.m. ET, July 30, 2021

4x400m mixed relay makes Olympic debut

From CNN's George Ramsay at the National Stadium in Tokyo

Competitors race to hand off their batons during the first round of the 4x400m mixed team relay on Friday.
Competitors race to hand off their batons during the first round of the 4x400m mixed team relay on Friday. Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

There’s a new addition to this year’s track and field program at the Olympics: a 4x400m mixed team relay.

The heats have just taken place, with Poland, Netherlands, Jamaica, Great Britain, Belgium, Ireland, Germany and Spain all qualifying for the final. Dominican Republic and the United States were both disqualified.

It was a welcome boost for the atmosphere inside the stadium, with some runners shouting encouragement to their teammates from the sidelines.

The men and women can compete in any order, but most teams opted to put male runners in the first and fourth legs, and female runners in the second and third.

Nigeria mixed it up in the first heat, going man, woman, man, woman. It didn’t exactly pay off though - their runners finished last.  

7:12 a.m. ET, July 30, 2021

Sunisa Lee has "been dreaming" of a gold medal since forever, her sister says

From CNN's Aditi Sangal

Shyenne Lee celebrates during a watch party in Oakdale, Minnesota, after her sister Sunisa Lee of Team USA won gold in the women's all-around gymnastics final in Tokyo, on July 29.
Shyenne Lee celebrates during a watch party in Oakdale, Minnesota, after her sister Sunisa Lee of Team USA won gold in the women's all-around gymnastics final in Tokyo, on July 29. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Gold medalist Sunisa Lee's family erupted in cheers as they watched the US gymnast win the all-around individual women's event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Her sister, Shyenne Lee, says they didn't expect gold.

"Oh my god, it was crazy," she said about the moment Lee won. "We were just in awe. We are so proud of her. We didn't expect gold. That's just something that she's been dreaming about forever. And it was just unreal."

Lee's parents are "super proud," she said.

"They've been living the gymnastics life forever, too," she added. "I know that everything they've done for Suni to get here was well worth it."

With anti-Asian sentiment and violence rife in the United States, Lee's sister says it has felt dangerous.

"My dad just wants all of us to stay safe, not get too involved in like arguments. Just trying to be more in than out because you never know what's out there," she said.

After Lee won, she connected with her family in Minnesota over FaceTime. However, her sister says she does not remember what they talked about in that moment of sheer adrenaline.

"It was so much adrenaline going around. But I think she was saying, 'Oh, I wish you guys were here,' and I was just telling her to breathe because I can tell like, watching her, like she holds in her breath and she can't breathe. So I was like, 'Girl, you did it! Now is your time to breathe.' And I was just saying how proud I am of her. But it was a really good moment," she told CNN.

6:44 a.m. ET, July 30, 2021

Judo legend Teddy Riner secures bronze medal; Czech Lukas Krpalek picks up gold

From CNN’s Aleks Klosok in London

From left: silver medalist Guram Tushishvili of Team Georgia, gold medalist Lukas Krpalek of Team Czech Republic, bronze medalist Teddy Riner of Team France and bronze medalist Tamerlan Bashaev of Team ROC pose on the podium during the medal ceremony for the men’s judo +100kg event on July 30.
From left: silver medalist Guram Tushishvili of Team Georgia, gold medalist Lukas Krpalek of Team Czech Republic, bronze medalist Teddy Riner of Team France and bronze medalist Tamerlan Bashaev of Team ROC pose on the podium during the medal ceremony for the men’s judo +100kg event on July 30. Chris Graythen/Getty Images

French judo legend Teddy Riner ended his Tokyo Games with a bronze medal in the men’s +100kg, but it was the Czech Republic’s Lukas Krpalek who took home the gold. 

Krpalek becomes a two-weight champion having won the -100kg title at Rio 2016. 

The Czech defeated Georgia’s Guram Tushishvili by ippon in Friday’s final.

For Riner, his result matches the bronze he won at the Beijing Games in 2008.

The Frenchman had been hoping to win three consecutive gold medals to equal the record held by Japanese judo great Tadahiro Nomura.

Tamerlan Bashaev of the Russian Olympic Committee claimed the other bronze medal.

6:35 a.m. ET, July 30, 2021

Empty seats at the first day of track and field events

From CNN's George Ramsay at the National Stadium in Tokyo

A general view shows empty stands during the first of the women’s 5,000m heats at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on Friday.
A general view shows empty stands during the first of the women’s 5,000m heats at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on Friday. Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile/Getty Images

Today marks the first day of track and field events at the National Stadium.

Despite fans being unable to attend events in Tokyo amid the pandemic, some of the smaller venues have generated a lively atmosphere by allowing athletes and support staff to fill the stands.

Here, however, the 68,000-seat stadium feels cavernous, and most of the noise is coming from the stadium announcers. There's a small cluster of people in the stands on the back straight, and the announcer encourages them to show their support for the triple jumpers competing in front of them.

After heavy rain earlier in the day, it feels muggy and humid as the track events begin. The first of the women’s 5,000m heats is underway with Dutch star Sifan Hassan, who (for two days!) held the 10,000m world record earlier this year, in action.

Starting slowly, Hassan makes her way through the field on the final lap and wins the heat in a time of 14:47.89.

The first track and field medal is up for grabs later on as the men's 10,000m final begins at 20:30 local time.

6:23 a.m. ET, July 30, 2021

Japan extends judo dominance as Sone Akira wins gold medal in the women's 78kg

From CNN's Homero DeLaFuente

Sone Akira of Team Japan poses with the gold medal for the women’s judo 78kg event on July 30, in Tokyo.
Sone Akira of Team Japan poses with the gold medal for the women’s judo 78kg event on July 30, in Tokyo. Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Japan’s Sone Akira defeated Idalys Ortiz from Cuba to win the gold medal in the women’s judo 78kg.

Akira was awarded the win by default after Ortiz was given a third Shido warning 4:52 in the extra time for a false attack.

Ortiz won the silver and Iryna Kindzerska of Azerbaijan won the bronze.

With the victory, Japan extended their Olympic record with a ninth gold medal in judo.

6:22 a.m. ET, July 30, 2021

Tennis superstar Novak Djokovic loses his shot at the "Golden Slam" with Olympic semifinal loss

Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a backhand during his Men's Singles Semifinal match against Alexander Zverev of Germany on July 30.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a backhand during his Men's Singles Semifinal match against Alexander Zverev of Germany on July 30. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Tennis superstar and 20-time grand slam champion Novak Djokovic lost his Olympic men's singles semifinal to Germany's Alexander Zverev 6-1, 3-6, 1-6.

This also ends the Serbian's quest to achieve a "Golden Slam," which is when a tennis player wins the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, the US Open and the Olympics in one calendar year.

Steffi Graf, who did it in 1988, is the only player - male or female - to achieve the feat thus far.

Djokovic, a four-time Olympian, has never won a gold medal at the Games.

Djokovic and Spain’s Pablo Carreño Busta will fight it out for the bronze medal.

5:42 a.m. ET, July 30, 2021

Japanese Prime Minister extends state of emergency for Tokyo amid Olympic Games 

From CNN's Chie Kobayashi in Tokyo

Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga attends a cabinet meeting in Tokyo on July 30.
Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga attends a cabinet meeting in Tokyo on July 30. The Yomiuri Shimbun/AP Images

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga extended the state of emergency for the Tokyo Metropolitan area and Okinawa on Friday amid a surge in Covid-19 cases.  

Tokyo and Okinawa were under a state of emergency until August 22, but Suga has now extended it until August 31.

Suga also expanded a state of emergency to four other prefectures - Saitama, Chiba, Osaka and Kanagawa - in effect until August 31.

“Infection is expanding with unprecedented speed in the Tokyo Metropolitan and Osaka area, and the more infectious delta variant is replacing rapidly," Suga said Friday.

"If the increase of infection does not stop, the severe symptoms cases will increase and the medical system may possibly be further under strain."

Suga also imposed a quasi-state of emergency for Hokkaido, Ishikawa, Kyoto, Hyogo and Fukuoka. 

This comes as Tokyo has seen record numbers of new Covid-19 cases this week, topping more than 3,000 new cases for the third day in a row. 

Japan also topped 10,000 new Covid-19 cases for the first time on Thursday. All this as Tokyo 2020 continues with its seventh day of official competition. 

Suga had previously said that “the government is dealing with the situation with a strong sense of urgency."