Best of the Tokyo Olympics: 16 stunning photos of Katie Ledecky dominating the competition for Team USA

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/video-katie-ledecky-ariarne-titmus-400-meter-final-second-fastest-2021-7">Ariarne Titmus beat Katie Ledecky</a> for gold in the 400-meter freestyle at the <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/tokyo-2020">Tokyo Olympics</a>.</li><li>After, Titmus credited Ledecky saying she set a new standard for freestylers to chase.</li><li>Ledecky tipped her cap to Titmus' win, saying it's "great for the sport."</li></ul>Australia's <keyword id="7115251" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Ariarne-Titmus">Ariarne Titmus</keyword> beat <keyword id="1126170" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Katie-Ledecky">Katie Ledecky</keyword> in the 400-meter freestyle on Sunday, pulling away with a strong final 100 meters to win the gold.Titmus wasn't an underdog by any means - she beat Ledecky in world championships in 2019 and was viewed by some as the favorite to win on Sunday. But given the age difference (20 to 24) and experience gap, it still felt like somewhat of an upset: a rising star knocking off the most dominant swimmer in the world.Afterward, Titmus credited Ledecky, saying she wouldn't be atop the podium without Ledecky first setting a new standard."I wouldn't be here without her," Titmus said, telling reporters she thanked Ledecky after the race. "She's set this standard for middle-distance freestyle. If I didn't have someone like her to chase, I definitely wouldn't be <keyword id="13988" type="SPORT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Swimming">swimming</keyword> the way I am.''When the race was over, Titmus swam to Ledecky, and the two embraced when they got out of the pool.<div type="image" title="Ariarne Titmus puts her arm around Katie Ledecky at the Tokyo Olympics." height="1333" width="1778" msid="84761047" hostid="261"></div>Ledecky, for her part, could not have done much more to hold off Titmus in the final on Sunday. <a href="https://www.insider.com/video-katie-ledecky-ariarne-titmus-400-meter-final-second-fastest-2021-7">Ledecky swam her second-fastest time ever</a> in the event. Ledecky holds the world record, meaning Titmus' time on Sunday was the second-fastest time ever.Ledecky tipped her cap to Titmus."I knew it was going to be a battle to the end,'' Ledecky said. "I didn't feel like I died. She just had that faster 50 or 75. Can't get much better than that.''Ledecky also told NBC's Michelle Tafoya: "She's really pushed me. I think it's great for the sport."

Australian swimmer who won gold in the 400-meter freestyle credited Katie Ledecky with setting a new 'standard'

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="1126170" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Katie-Ledecky">Katie Ledecky</keyword> suffered the first individual loss of her illustrious <keyword id="6360967" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="olympics">Olympics</keyword> career on Monday.</li><li><keyword id="7115251" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Ariarne-Titmus">Ariarne Titmus</keyword> bested the superstar swimmer despite an incredible race from the American.</li><li>After earning silver, Ledecky gushed over Titmus and called their rivalry "great for the sport."</li></ul>Katie Ledecky suffered the first individual loss of her illustrious Olympics career on Monday.During her <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/tokyo-2020">Tokyo Olympics</a> medal-event debut in the 400-meter freestyle race, the 24-year-old <keyword id="418425" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Team-USA">Team USA</keyword> superstar swam a lightning-fast 3:57.36 - the fourth-fastest time ever recorded in the event. But it still wasn't enough to edge out Australian wunderkind Ariarne Titmus, who came within 0.3 seconds of breaking the world record that Ledecky set at the 2016 Olympics.<div type="image" title="Katie Ledecky (right) and Australia's Ariarne Titmus." height="1630" width="2174" msid="84748540" hostid="261"></div>Mere moments removed from the first individual loss of her illustrious Olympics career, Ledecky could offer nothing but praise for her rival."She said she couldn't have done it without me, and I could say the same about her," Ledecky told NBC's Michele Tafoya shortly after the race. "She's really pushed me. I think it's great for the sport."<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-#TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1419486403453456390?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2021</a></blockquote>For her part, Titmus said she "wouldn't be here without" Ledecky because "she set this incredible standard.""We've both pushed this event forward," Ledecky added.She's right. Ledecky and Titmus helped motivate the other's training, and their brilliance in the event prompted peak performances from many of the race's other contenders.<div type="image" title="Ariarne Titmus (left) touches the wall ahead of Katie Ledecky." height="1666" width="2222" msid="84748542" hostid="261"></div>And on an individual level, Ledecky's silver-medal swim in Tokyo was undoubtedly a strong showing for the five-time Olympic gold medalist. She finished 0.67 seconds behind Titmus - and nearly three full seconds ahead of the next-fastest swimmer - to notch the second-best 400m swim of her career."I fought tooth and nail and just gave it my all, so I can't be disappointed by that," Ledecky said. "It was a good time by me, [but] just an awesome swim by her."Check out the replay of Ledecky's and Titmus' 400m finish below:<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-#TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1419485231527170048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2021</a></blockquote><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-7Olympics (@7olympics) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1419486634005856258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

Katie Ledecky gushed over the young Aussie who spoiled her bid for Olympics perfection, calling their rivalry 'great for the sport'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus beat <keyword id="1126170" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Katie-Ledecky">Katie Ledecky</keyword> in the 400-meter freestyle at the Olympics.</li><li>Australian coach Dean Boxall went wild in the stands, celebrating.</li><li>Boxall won coach of the year in Australia in 2019.</li></ul>Perhaps no one was happier about Ariarne Titmus' gold medal in the 400-meter freestyle than her coach, Dean Boxall.Titmus took gold in the 400-meter freestyle, beating Katie Ledecky in one of the most anticipated races of <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/tokyo-2020">the Tokyo Olympics</a>.While Titmus' celebration in the pool was reserved, the same can't be said for Boxall, who went wild in the stands.What began as fairly typical cheering in the final sprint...<div type="image" title="Dean Boxall of Australia yells at the Tokyo Olympics." height="650" width="1300" msid="84748027" hostid="261"></div>... soon grew more intense, as a stander-by tried to take cover.<div type="image" title="Dean Boxall yells during the Tokyo Olympics." height="750" width="1500" msid="84748029" hostid="261"></div>Boxall's celebration then became - well, something else entirely.<div type="image" title="Dean Boxall celebrates at the Tokyo Olympics" height="749" width="1500" msid="84748030" hostid="261"></div>NBC analyst Rowdy Gaines said Boxall looked like Doc Brown from "Back to the Future."Boxall is known as an intense coach, though one who can get the best out of his swimmers. He was named Australia's coach of the year in 2019.Watch one of the videos of Boxall's celebration below (depending on your location):<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-#TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1419486290379223040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2021</a></blockquote><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-BBC Sport (@BBCSport) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1419498809139384321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

Australian swim coach went bonkers with an eyebrow-raising celebration as Ariarne Titmus beat Katie Ledecky for gold

<ul class="summary-list"><li>American superstar <keyword id="1126170" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Katie-Ledecky">Katie Ledecky</keyword> took silver in the women's 400-meter freestyle at the Olympics.</li><li>Ledecky was bested by Australian Ariarne Titmus, missing out on gold by just 0.67 seconds.</li><li>Ledecky's time had been the second-fastest of her career and the fourth-fastest in history.</li></ul>American superstar swimmer Katie Ledecky came up just short of gold in the women's 400-meter freestyle at the Olympics on Sunday.Ledecky, who holds the world record in the event, was bested by Australian Ariarne Titmus, who has been challenging Ledecky's dominance at the top.At the start of the race, Ledecky worked her way to what looked like a somewhat comfortable lead. However, after 200 meters, Titmus turned on the burners, piercing through the water to catch Ledecky and nose into the led.Ledecky tried to make one more push through the final stretch but didn't have enough in the tank to catch Titmus, missing out on gold by 0.67 seconds.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-#TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1419485231527170048">July 26, 2021</a></blockquote>Titmus' gold medal-winning time of 3:56.69 was the second-fastest in the event's history, trailing only Ledecky's world record mark set at the Rio Olympics in 2016.Ledecky's time of 3:57.36 was the second-fastest of her career, the fastest she has swum the event since the Rio final, and the fourth-fastest time in the event's history.Despite missing out on gold, Ledecky had a great attitude after her performance."I fought tooth and nail and just gave it my all, so I can't be disappointed by that," Ledecky told NBC's Michele Tafoya after the race. "It was a good time by me, just an awesome swim by her."

Katie Ledecky swam the second-fastest race of her career and it still wasn't enough to win gold

Good morning and welcome to your weekday morning roundup of the top stories you need to know.For more daily and weekly briefings, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/newsletter">sign up for our newsletters here</a>.What's going on today: <ul><li>Philip Morris CEO says Philip Morris products should be banned. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/philip-morris-international-ceo-said-cigarettes-should-be-banned-2021-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Philip Morris International CEO said cigarettes should be banned and that the company will stop selling Marlboros in the UK within a decade</a>. Jacek Olczak likened cigarettes to gas-powered cars, which will be banned from being sold in the UK starting in 2030.</li><li>Warren's words for Bezos. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elizabeth-warren-jeff-bezos-can-go-to-space-while-paycheck-2021-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elizabeth Warren took aim at Jeff Bezos, saying, "the richest guy on Earth can launch himself into space while over half the country lives paycheck to paycheck."</a> "He can afford to pitch in so everyone else gets a chance," Warren said, nodding to reports that Bezos paid $0 in income taxes for at least two years. </li><li>Stepping up for shorts. <a href="https://www.insider.com/pink-offers-pay-norway-women-beach-handball-team-bikini-fine-2021-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pink offers to pay a fine for the Norwegian women's beach handball team who wore shorts instead of bikini bottoms to compete</a>. In a tweet, Pink supported the team's protest against "sexist" guidelines, and wrote: "I'll be happy to pay your fines for you. Keep it up." </li><li>Donald Trump, a regular sports guy. <a href="https://www.insider.com/trump-us-womens-soccer-team-wokeism-2021-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trump said the US Women's Soccer Team lost to Sweden in the Olympics because of "wokeism."</a> "Wokeism makes you lose, ruins your mind, and ruins you as a person. You become warped. You become demented. The US Women's Soccer team is a very good example of what's going on," Trump said at a rally earlier this week. </li><li>BRB, off to cry. <a href="https://www.insider.com/americans-no-new-friends-2021-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Americans have fewer friends and than ever before, according to a new poll.</a> In 1990, a third of US adults said they had 10 or more close friends. That dwindled to just 13% this year, per the Survey Center on American Life.</li><li>Awkward, for all of us! <a href="https://www.insider.com/australian-swim-coach-ariarne-titmus-goes-nuts-400-meter-freestyle-2021-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Australian swim coach went bonkers with an eyebrow-raising celebration as Ariarne Titmus beat Katie Ledecky for gold.</a> As Australia's Ariarne Titmus beat Katie Ledecky at the Olympics, her coach Dean Boxall was ecstatic in the stands. That's all for now. See you tomorrow.</li></ul>

Katie Ledecky finished a whopping 14 seconds ahead of the next-fastest swimmer in her latest World Championship win

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="14246361" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="katie-ledecky" source="Orion">Katie Ledecky</keyword> finished her 1500-meter freestyle race 14 seconds ahead of her competition on Monday.</li><li>After the win, the American star had to wait in the pool without any of her opponents in sight.</li></ul>Katie Ledecky is used to finishing ahead of the competition.But on Monday, her victory was even larger than usual.The American superstar finished a whopping 14 seconds ahead of the competition in her 1500-meter freestyle event at the 2022 FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. After touching the wall in 15:30.15 — more than seven seconds faster than her gold-medal swim in the same event at the Tokyo <keyword id="11896183" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="olympics" source="Orion">Olympics</keyword> — Ledecky looked for her time, celebrated by pumping a fist into the water, then waited patiently as the rest of the swimmers in the race completed their final laps.A camera shot of the 25-year-old waiting in the seemingly empty pool showcased the staggering dominance of her latest win.<div type="image" title="Katie Ledecky waiting for her opponents to finish in the 1500-meter freestyle race." height="1598" width="2880" msid="92347889" hostid="261"></div>The victory gave Ledecky the 20th <keyword id="12312492" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="world-championship" source="Orion">World Championship</keyword> medal — and 17th gold — of her illustrious <keyword id="11915266" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="swimming" source="Orion">swimming</keyword> career. No woman in the history of the sport has earned more hardware, but Ledecky had no idea she'd hit that benchmark until a reporter asked if she knew how many medals she had to her name."No — I don't count," she said with a chuckle in an NBC <keyword id="11893855" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports" source="Orion">Sports</keyword> interview immediately following the race. "What is it, 17? No, that's golds. I don't know then."Then, once the interviewer broke the <keyword id="11893589" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news" source="Orion">news</keyword> that her 20 medals are tied with American great Natalie Coughlin for the <keyword id="11942832" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="record" source="Orion">record</keyword>, Ledecky admitted that it's "pretty wild" to be in the running for longevity achievements.<div type="image" title="Katie Ledecky poses with her gold medal from 2022 FINA World Championships." height="1805" width="2406" msid="92347890" hostid="261"></div>"I feel like just yesterday I was in Barcelona at my first worlds," Ledecky said. "It's awesome just representing Team USA year after year and it's an honor and a privilege and it's why I work hard."In addition to her masterclass in the 1500-meter free, Ledecky managed to reclaim the world title in the 400-meter freestyle. That feat was a bit easier without her biggest competition in the field. Ariarne Titmus — the Australian who edged out Ledecky in the event during the Tokyo Olympics and bested her world record just last month — didn't travel to Budapest for the annual festivities because she prefers "to perform on the biggest stage, which for me is the Olympic Games," she <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/17/sports/olympics/ariarne-titmus-katie-ledecky-swimming-worlds.html">told The New York Times</a>.Ledecky has two more events to go while in Hungary. She'll swim in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay on Wednesday and, assuming she advances from her heat on Friday, the 800-meter free the following day.Check out the highlights and post-race interview from Ledecky's commanding 1500-meter freestyle win below:<iframe src="//vplayer.nbcsports.com/p/BxmELC/nbcsports_embed/select/media/MXao_q_SDea9" width="651" height="365" frameborder="0">Your browser does not support iframes.</iframe>

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="1126170" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Katie-Ledecky">Katie Ledecky</keyword> will swim in the 200-meter and 1,500-meter finals, two opposite races, an hour apart.</li><li><keyword id="29771" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Michael-Phelps">Michael Phelps</keyword> has said Ledecky's ability to set goals for herself and achieve them is impressive.</li><li>Ledecky will have swim 6,000 meters in Tokyo, almost double what Phelps swam in 2008.</li></ul>Katie Ledecky is in the midst of a hectic, ambitious schedule at the <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/tokyo-2020">Tokyo Olympics</a> that few other swimmers could handle.Between Monday night and Wednesday morning in Tokyo, Ledecky will swim three 200-meter races and two 1,500-meter races between qualifying heats, semis, and finals.Tuesday night (or Wednesday morning in Tokyo) figures to be extra challenging, as Ledecky will swim finals in both events.It's not just that these are physically demanding events - they are almost polar opposites, one a sprint, the other more of a <keyword id="13988" type="SPORT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Swimming">swimming</keyword> marathon. Furthermore, Ledecky will have just over an hour turn-around between the two events.Few swimmers could handle such a rigorous schedule, but as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/michael-phelps-swimming-career-diet-katie-ledecky-2017-10">Michael Phelps told Business Insider in 2017</a>, Ledecky has a unique ability to set goals for herself and reach them."She's someone that's very goal-oriented," Phelps said at the time. "When she writes a time down, or she writes a major milestone down, she's gonna do whatever she can to make sure that happens.<div type="image" title="Michael Phelps Katie Ledecky" height="853" width="1138" msid="84811090" hostid="261"></div>"I've only seen that really a couple times in the sport. So it's a true treat for me to be able to see her kind of truly coming up in the sport like she is."Phelps said having such a full slate is taxing."When you start building a program like that, when you're swimming seven or eight races, it's just a combination of everything - mental, physical, emotions - that really have to be pretty much perfect throughout that whole eight-day program."Phelps noted in 2017 that more swimmers are specializing in specific events, meaning it's becoming rarer to see swimmers like Ledecky with such a full plate.And though Phelps competed in more events than Ledecky will in these Olympics, he never swam so far. <a href="https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/31890708/olympics-2021-katie-ledecky-olympic-legacy-3-miles-racing-tokyo">According to ESPN's Aishwarya Kumar</a>, by the time Ledecky finishes the Tokyo Olympics, she'll swim 6,000 meters or about 3.7 miles - almost double what Phelps swam in the 2008 Olympics when he totaled 3,300 meters.Ledecky will undoubtedly seek redemption <a href="https://www.insider.com/video-katie-ledecky-ariarne-titmus-400-meter-final-second-fastest-2021-7">after losing to Australian up-and-comer Ariarne Titmus</a> in the 400-meter freestyle on Sunday. Titmus owns the fastest 200-meter time this year, and if Ledecky is as goal-driven as Phelps says, getting revenge will almost certainly be on Ledecky's mind.Meanwhile, she's the heavy favorite in the 1,500-meter freestyle, a new race to the Olympics on the women's side. Ledecky owns the world record in the event, plus eight of the 11 fastest times. During qualifiers, she swam six seconds faster than the next-closest swimmer.Ledecky still has the 4x200m relays and 800m freestyle to swim at these Olympics, but medaling in two polar opposite races within an hour may be one of the most impressive accomplishments in Tokyo.

Katie Ledecky is in the midst of her most ambitious slate at the Olympics, and Michael Phelps says she has a unique skill to handle it

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="1126170" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Katie-Ledecky">Katie Ledecky</keyword> won gold in the 1,500-meter freestyle after failing to medal in a race earlier.</li><li>It was the first time Ledecky did not medal in a final in an international meet.</li><li>After winning gold, the typically reserved Ledecky teared up and struggled through an interview.</li></ul>Katie Ledecky experienced an unusual low and then a stunning high at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday.Ledecky first failed to medal in the 200-meter freestyle final, finishing fifth and nearly two seconds behind gold-medal winner Ariarne Titmus of Australia.Though sprint events are not Ledecky's strongest races, Ledecky not medaling is an unusual sight. <a href="https://twitter.com/nzaccardi/status/1420200159472926721?s=12">According to NBC's Nick Zaccardi</a>, it was the first time Ledecky didn't medal in 36 finals across international meets.Nevertheless, Ledecky rebounded. Just over an hour later, Ledecky won the first-ever Olympic women's 1,500-meter freestyle, arguably her best event. She took home the gold by about three seconds, her first gold medal of the Tokyo games.After becoming the first-ever women's 1,500-meter Olympic champion, Ledecky appeared to fight tears in the pool.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-#TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1420222123155525633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2021</a></blockquote>As she got out of the pool and walked over to NBC's Michelle Tafoya, she fumbled with her mask and took her goggles on and off.<div type="image" title="Katie Ledecky tears up at the Tokyo Olympics." height="1332" width="1776" msid="84814890" hostid="261"></div>Once she spoke to Tafoya, Ledecky - typically upbeat but fairly reserved - got choked up."I just wanted to get the job done tonight," Ledecky said, her voice cracking. "It was tough after the 200, but I really just moved the page forward and moved on and really got my mindset right."As she did in the pool, Ledecky then put her arm around silver medalist and teammate Erica Sullivan, saying she was happy to share the win with her.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-#TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1420228647718461441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2021</a></blockquote>Ledecky still has the 800-meter freestyle and 4x200m freestyle relays to compete at the Tokyo Olympics.

Katie Ledecky got emotional over her first Tokyo gold medal after not medaling in a race an hour earlier

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11422757" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="suni-lee">Suni Lee</keyword> suggested her disappointing bars performance was related to <keyword id="6354632" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="social-media">social media</keyword> distractions. </li><li>Research has linked social media use with poorer sleep, concentration, and outcomes in athletes.</li><li>Social media can also benefit athletes, but some are taking time off to focus and avoid criticism. </li></ul>After winning gold in the <keyword id="8684" type="SPORT" weightage="60" keywordseo="gymnastics">gymnastics</keyword> all-around Thursday - a medal presumed to be a shoe-in for Simone Biles before the superstar dropped out - Suni Lee's <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sunisalee_/?hl=en">Instagram following</a> shot up from 250,000 to over 1 million. The surge, <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2021/07/30/team-usa-suni-lee-million-instagram-followers-gold-medal-performance-could-make-millions/">TMZ declared</a> could earn her "some SERIOUS endorsement money!" It also may have cost her a gold in the uneven bars, the the 18-year-old from St. Paul, Minnesota, alluded after winning bronze for an imperfect routine Sunday. As <a href="https://www.insider.com/suni-lee-uneven-bars-mess-up-social-media-twitter-instagram-2021-8">Insider's Meredith Cash reported</a>, Lee said she "got distracted" by the attention after her all-around win, vowing to take some time off the platforms to "cool down a little bit and just focus on what I need to." While social media may seem a strange scapegoat for fumbled bar routine transition, research suggests it's a legitimate one - and that taking a "digital detox" could be an overlooked aspect of training. <h2>Studies on athletes have found social media can impact performance and increase anxiety</h2>One <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352721818301724?via%3Dihub">2019 study</a> looked at the tweets of 112 NBA players between 2009 and 2016 found that tweeting between 11 pm and 7 am was associated with poorer shooting accuracy, less time played, fewer points scored, and fewer rebounds the next day. Players who regularly took to Twitter at night were less affected than those with occasional late-night social binges. Another <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27214782/">2017 study</a> including almost 300 athletes of various levels found that 68.1% had used Facebook within two hours of competing, and that doing so was linked with great <keyword id="6356028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sports">sports</keyword> anxiety - and particularly, a disruption in concentration. The authors called that "somewhat alarming considering the importance of psychological preparation in sport."<a href="https://www.medicaldaily.com/human-attention-span-shortens-8-seconds-due-digital-technology-3-ways-stay-focused-333474">Other research</a> has shown how our increasisngly digital <keyword id="15482" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="lifestyle">lifestyle</keyword> has shoorted our attention span from 12 to eight seconds in over a decade. That's increasingly impacting young athletes who see psychologist Jim Taylor, he <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-power-prime/201701/how-media-use-hurts-athletes">wrote for Psychology Today.</a> "Without the capacity for sustained focus, athletes will forget what they are working on technically or tactically during practice," he said. "As soon as athletes lose focus, they stop doing whatever they were working on and further ingrain old and bad skills and habits. And, without that extended focus, they won't be able to gain enough quality repetition necessary to effectively ingrain new skills and habits."<h2>Social media can be a double-edged sword </h2>Social media is where Simone Biles found a <a href="https://twitter.com/Simone_Biles/status/1420561448883802118">groundswell of support</a> after her surprising exit, and sprinter <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSDcQyHFanD/">Alyson Felix has demanded attention</a> - and change - to the treatment of elite athlete mothers. The platforms let athletes <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reviews/out?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Fsimone-biles-olympics-tokyo-twisties-11627639363">tell their own stories</a>. But it exposes stars to criticism and <a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12354615/racist-abuse-may-lead-sports-stars-to-quit-social-media-says-leading-tech-reporter">hate</a>. "There are definitely a lot of mean people out there who just say stuff that don't need to be said," <a href="https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/artistic-gymnastics/athlete-profile-n1348724-lee-sunisa.htm" target="_blank" title="Sunisa Lee" rel="nofollow noopener">Lee said</a> after winning gold in all-around. She added she's "probably going to delete Twitter," where "it's just so easy to see everything." Quitting isn't easy.Social media is <a href="http://adamalterauthor.com/irresistible">designed to be addictive</a>, delivering quick and easy rewards with each new tweet or scroll through Instagram. Athletes, too, may need to keep up their public image through the platforms to earn or maintain sponsors. During the pandemic, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-30/athletes-mental-health-puts-focus-on-their-social-media-use">Olympic athletes have valued social media</a> as a way to connect with fans who are absent in the stands. But if Lee takes time of Twitter, she won't be alone, Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus, who's won four medals in Tokyo, including two gold, said she deleted all social apps to avoid "external pressure," <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/28/sport/ariarne-titmus-annemiek-van-vleuten-social-media-mental-health-simone-biles-tokyo-2020-spt-intl/index.html">CNN reported</a>. "I think it's good to be able to be off that when you're racing," she said. "It's just another thing that you don't have to worry about."

Suni Lee said social media affected her uneven bars performance. There's evidence being very online can hurt athletes.

Hope you had a nice weekend! Welcome back to <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/10-things-in-politics">10 Things in Politics</a>. <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/10-things-in-politics">Sign up here to receive this newsletter</a>. Send tips to <a href="mailto:bgriffiths@insider.com">bgriffiths@insider.com</a> or tweet me at <a href="https://twitter.com/BrentGriffiths">@BrentGriffiths</a>.Here's what we're talking about:<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-and-melinda-gates-foundation-faces-turmoil-from-divorce-2021-7">Inside the turmoil at the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fauci-third-booster-shot-might-likely-happen-mmunocompromised-2021-7">Fauci says Delta variant is running through '2 kinds of America'</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/climate-change-wildfires-heat-drought-floods-effect-homes-housing-market-2021-7#:~:text=The%20climate%20crisis%20is%20putting,in%20the%20years%20to%20come.">The climate crisis is upending real estate too</a></li></ul>What we're watching today: President Joe Biden welcomes Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi to the White House.<hr />1. THE LATEST ON DELTA: Dr. Anthony Fauci <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fauci-third-booster-shot-might-likely-happen-mmunocompromised-2021-7">sees "two kinds of America" as the Delta coronavirus variant accelerates</a> COVID-19 cases among the unvaccinated. Fauci told CNN's Jake Tapper that a vaccine booster shot "might likely happen" for Americans with compromised immune systems. Fauci added that a key Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel was still studying preliminary data from Israel and Pfizer suggesting the drugmaker's vaccine had a lower efficacy in preventing infection during the Delta variant's spread (though it remained highly protective against hospitalization from the virus).Officials say they're lost amid a sea of misinformation: "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/arkansas-governor-people-call-vaccine-a-bioweapon-mind-control-2021-7">As I go into these town-hall meetings someone said, 'Don't call it a vaccine, call it a bioweapon.'</a> And they talk about mind control," Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas told CNN of his efforts to urge more people to get vaccinated.<ul><li>Health officials are struggling too: "We're stuck," Dr. Martha Whyte, a top public-health official in Louisiana, told The New York Times. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/25/us/politics/louisiana-covid-vaccine-misinformation.html">Residents at a city-council meeting cursed and yelled at her</a> when she tried to respond to false claims about the vaccine.</li></ul>Other countries are moving swiftly to impose mandates: The French parliament approved a law mandating vaccinations for all healthcare workers and vaccine passports for all restaurants and domestic travel. <a href="https://www.insider.com/french-parliament-approves-law-mandating-vaccinations-and-health-passes-2021-7">More details on how proof of vaccinations will eventually apply to anyone 12 or older</a>.<ul><li>England requires vaccinations for some healthcare workers: Care-home workers <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-57829135">are mandated to be vaccinated by this fall</a>. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has also pledged to have vaccination requirements by the end of September for <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-55718553">nightclubs and other venues where large crowds would gather</a>.</li></ul><hr /><div type="image" title="Bill and Melinda Gates" height="3334" width="4445" msid="84755779" hostid="261"></div>2. Inside the turmoil at the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation: The couple's split and the public claims of improprieties by Bill Gates have led to a sense of unease within one of the world's largest charitable foundations. Melinda French Gates is set to address staffers Wednesday for the first time since the divorce plans went public. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-and-melinda-gates-foundation-faces-turmoil-from-divorce-2021-7">Read why ​​Warren Buffett's departure was particularly unsettling for some employees.</a><hr />3. Senators say they are close to a bipartisan infrastructure bill: Republican Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio says the two sides are "90% of the way there" when it comes to putting a roughly $1 trillion infrastructure plan on paper, the Associated Press reports. Disagreements remain over public-transit spending. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-government-and-politics-business-30c79a6a3b908924a059644d3d3e3c57">Here's where things stand after last week's failed vote</a>.<hr />4. Pelosi adds another Republican to Capitol riot panel: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appointed Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois to join the select committee. Kinzinger, one of 10 House Republicans who voted for Donald Trump's second impeachment, joins Rep. Liz Cheney, another well-known Trump critic, on the panel. Pelosi said she might name more Republicans to the committee after the House GOP leadership pulled its five selections when Pelosi blocked two of them. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pelosi-appoints-adam-kinzinger-january-6-committee-capitol-riot-2021-7">More on what lays ahead for the investigation into the insurrection</a>.<hr />5. Civilian casualties in Afghanistan are hitting record highs: Nearly 800 civilians were killed and more 1,600 wounded from May to June, the highest numbers for that two-month stretch since at least 2009, a UN mission found, The Washington Post reports. The mission said it expected the violence to grow deadlier as fighting moved toward urban areas with the US and coalition forces' withdrawal. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/26/afghan-civilian-casualties/">The UN mission also expressed concerns about the Afghan Air Force</a>.<hr />6. The climate crisis is upending real estate too: In California, Redfin estimates that $2 trillion worth of housing value is being jeopardized by wildfires. As for the East Coast, homes in markets like Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia lost billions in value from 2005 to 2017 because of flood vulnerability. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/climate-change-wildfires-heat-drought-floods-effect-homes-housing-market-2021-7#:~:text=The%20climate%20crisis%20is%20putting,in%20the%20years%20to%20come.">Here's why experts say insurance can save only so much</a>.<hr />7. A Republican lawmaker invested up to $500K in Johnson &amp; Johnson: Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma bought up to $500,000 in Johnson &amp; Johnson stock as part of a series of trades last month in a joint account. Meanwhile, another lawmaker had to pay a fine for improperly disclosing trades. Rep. Blake Moore, a Republican from Utah, failed to disclose stock and stock-option trades together worth at least $70,000 and as much as $1.1 million.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rep-blake-moore-violated-federal-law-with-late-stock-disclosures-2021-7">See which other stocks members of Congress are trading</a>.<hr /><div type="image" title="Bob Moses Robert Parris Moses civil rights leaders. This Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2014 file photo shows Bob Moses, a director of the Mississippi Summer Project and organizer for the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) answering questions about Freedom Summer in 1964 during a national youth summit hosted by the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, at the Old Capitol Museum in Jackson, Miss. Today's protests across America against racial injustice are being watched closely by people who five decades ago faced jail cells, bloody assaults, snarling dogs and even potential assassination in the battle against institutional racism. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)" height="2000" width="3000" msid="84755783" hostid="261"></div>8. Remembering Bob Moses: "Moses, a civil-rights activist who endured beatings and jail while leading Black voter-registration drives in the American South during the 1960s and later helped improve minority education in math, has died," the AP reports. He was 86. Moses fought against segregation and was a key leader during 1964's "Freedom Summer" in Mississippi. <a href="https://www.insider.com/1960s-civil-rights-activist-bob-moses-has-died-at-86-2021-7">More on his legacy</a>.<hr />9. Americans report fewer friends: Just 13% of those polled by the Survey Center on American Life said they had 10 or more close friends, down from 33% in a 1990 Gallup survey. <a href="https://www.insider.com/americans-no-new-friends-2021-7">The coronavirus pandemic is the most obvious culprit, a researcher said, but there's more</a>.<hr /><a href="https://www.insider.com/australian-swim-coach-ariarne-titmus-goes-nuts-400-meter-freestyle-2021-7"><div type="image" title="Dean Boxall celebrates at the Tokyo Olympics" height="749" width="1500" msid="84755785" hostid="261"></div></a>10. All the moments you missed at the Olympics: An Australian swim coach humped a plexiglass divider after Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus beat Katie Ledecky in the 400-meter freestyle at the Olympics. <a href="https://www.insider.com/australian-swim-coach-ariarne-titmus-goes-nuts-400-meter-freestyle-2021-7">Watch the full celebration for yourself. It's something</a>.Simone Biles was not quite herself: She's still on track to compete for every gymnastics medal, <a href="https://www.insider.com/simone-biles-qualifies-every-medal-event-despite-poor-performance-2021-7">but her qualifying performance was weaker than usual</a>.A robot stole the show at the US basketball game: A basketball-shooting robot was making easy buckets from the free-throw line at halftime. <a href="https://www.insider.com/video-basketball-robot-olympics-halfcourt-shot-2021-7">Then the robot started dropping dimes from the 3-point line and half-court</a>.<ul><li>After halftime, Team USA, led by a stacked group of NBA superstars, fell to France, ending the US's 25-game Olympic winning streak. (Damian Lillard has a theory on <a href="https://www.insider.com/damian-lillard-foreign-nba-players-play-different-in-the-olympics-2021-7">why foreign NBA players light it up during the games</a>.)</li></ul><div type="image" title="A robot takes shots on the basketball court during halftime of USA-France at Tokyo 2020." height="1685" width="2247" msid="84755786" hostid="261"></div>There was good news for the red, white, and blue: Lee Kiefer became <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2021/07/25/lee-kiefer-makes-history-gold-womens-foil-tokyo-olympics/8085797002/">the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in individual foil</a>. And Anastasija Zolotic <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2021/07/25/anastasija-zolotic-wins-olympic-gold-make-history-tokyo/8085906002/">made history for American women in taekwondo</a>.And the best moment so far: Ahmed Hafnaoui of Tunisia had the slowest qualifying time in the men's 400 meters freestyle. <a href="https://www.insider.com/slowest-qualifier-for-olympic-swimming-won-gold-in-shock-final-2021-7">He shocked the world by winning gold</a>.<a href="https://www.insider.com/tokyo-2020-olympics-live-updates-2021-7">See the latest Olympic updates here.</a><hr />Today's trivia question: Sticking with the Olympics, Eddie Eagan is the only person who's won a gold medal in both the Winter Olympics and the Summer Olympics. Which sports did the American medal in? Email your guess and a suggested question to me at <a href="mailto:bgriffiths@insider.com">bgriffiths@insider.com</a>.<ul><li>Friday's answer: Ronald Reagan was the first sitting US president to attend an Olympic opening ceremony. Many of his predecessors had opportunities, though, <a href="https://swampland.time.com/2012/07/27/a-brief-history-of-u-s-presidents-and-the-olympics/">including Teddy Roosevelt, who helped secure the 1904 St. Louis Games, the first Olympics on American soil</a>.</li></ul>

You Searched For "Ariarne Titmus" and got 12 results

Best of the Tokyo Olympics: 16 stunning photos of Katie Ledecky dominating the competition for Team USA

Meredith Cash

Australian swimmer who won gold in the 400-meter freestyle credited Katie Ledecky with setting a new 'standard'

Scott Davis

Katie Ledecky gushed over the young Aussie who spoiled her bid for Olympics perfection, calling their rivalry 'great for the sport'

Meredith Cash

Australian swim coach went bonkers with an eyebrow-raising celebration as Ariarne Titmus beat Katie Ledecky for gold

Scott Davis

Katie Ledecky swam the second-fastest race of her career and it still wasn't enough to win gold

Tyler Lauletta

Top Stories this AM: Philip Morris CEO says ciggies should be banned; Warren has strong words for Bezos; we're all the unpopular kid now

INSIDER

Katie Ledecky finished a whopping 14 seconds ahead of the next-fastest swimmer in her latest World Championship win

Meredith Cash

Katie Ledecky finished a whopping 14 seconds ahead of the next-fastest swimmer in her latest World Championship win

Meredith Cash

Katie Ledecky is in the midst of her most ambitious slate at the Olympics, and Michael Phelps says she has a unique skill to handle it

Scott Davis

Katie Ledecky got emotional over her first Tokyo gold medal after not medaling in a race an hour earlier

Scott Davis

Suni Lee said social media affected her uneven bars performance. There's evidence being very online can hurt athletes.

Anna Medaris Miller

10 Things in Politics: Fauci predicts booster shot for some

Brent D. Griffiths