USA swimmer Conor Dwyer has been suspended from swimming competition in October 2019 through the 2020 Tokyo games for doping. Dwyer had testosterone pellets inserted into his body and had failed three drug tests in late 2018. Dwyer has since announced his retirement from swimming. Dwyer is a two time Olympic 4 by 200 gold medalist(2012 London and 2016 Rio) and won bronze in the men's 200 at the 2016 Rio games.
The IAAF is now re-branded as World Athletics. World Athletics is the new name for the Track and Field Federation.
USA men's cyclist Taylor Phinney has announced his retirement from the sport. Phinney will pursue a career in Art. Phinney is a three time Olympian and two time World Champion in Track and Road Cycling.
USA distance runner Shalane Flanagan has announced her retirement from Track and Field and marathons. Flanagan won the 2017 women's New York City Marathon and finished 3rd in 2018. Injuries took its toll on Flanagan in 2019. Flanagan won the silver(upraded from bronze) medal at the 2008 Beijing games. Flanagan is now a coach with the Bowerman Track Club.
USA women's soccer star Alex Morgan is pregnant. Morgan will be due in April 2020. Morgan is expected to try to be back before the Tokyo 2020 games begin in July 2020. Update: Alex Morgan had a baby girl on May 7, 2020 named Charlie Elena Carrasco.
The new USA women's soccer coach as of October 2019 is Valtko Andonovski. Andonovski takes over for outgoing USA soccer coach Jill Ellis.
USA Figure Skating has announced the sites for the next two USA National Figure Skating Championships. The 2021 USA Figure Skating Championships will be held from January 11-17 in San Jose, California and the 2022 USA Figure Skating Championships will be held from January 3-9 in Nashville, TN.
2016 Rio gold medalist Laurie Hernandez will attempt a comeback in an attempt for qualify for the 2020 Tokyo games. Hernandez is not part of the USA women's gymnastics national team. Hernandez will take part in a team camp in November 2019 and will compete in events in 2020 to try and qualify for the 2020 Tokyo games.
USA 100 meter hurdler Dawn Harper-Nelson was decided to make a comeback in time for the 2020 Tokyo games. Harper retired at the end of the 2018 Track and Field season. Harper had a child in April 2019.
USA distance runner Mary Cain has accused former Nike Oregon Project coach Alberto Salazar of mistreatment, both physically and mentally. Cain has come out with this as Alberto Salazar is facing a four year doping ban. Cain had thoughts of suicide and had health issues like broken bones and missed periods that curtailed her running career. Salazar has been banned by US Safesport.
British middle distance runner Mo Farah has decided to train for the 10,000 at the Tokyo games. Farah has been competing in marathons since 2017. Farah last competed in the 10,000 at the 2016 Rio games.
The Tokyo 2020 Opening Ceremony Parade of Nations will now have Greece first, the Refugee team second and then the first country in alphabetical order. The future hosts of the next Olympic games will go next to last(USA, France and Japan).
Skier Gus Kenworthy has decided to compete for Great Britain going forward. Kenworthy competed for the USA at the 2014 Sochi games, winning a silver medal. Kenworthy has dual citizenship between the USA and Great Britain. Kenworthy's mom is from Great Britain. Kenworthy will try to qualify for the 2022 Beijing games for Great Britain.
The IOC has moved the Olympic marathons and Olympic race walking events to Sapporo, Japan from Tokyo because of concerns about excessive heat. Tokyo organizers did not approve this action.
Bobsledder Kaillie Humphries is now competing for the USA and not for her native country, Canada. Humphries did not feel comfortable competing for Canada. Humphries was granted a release from the Canadian program. Humphries won three Olympic medals for Canada, including two gold.
Russia has been banned from the 2020 Tokyo summer games and the 2022 Beijing winter games by the World Anti Doping Agency(WADA) Russia will be not allowed to compete for an organization (Olympic Athletes from Russia) like they did in Pyeongchang 2018. Russia will compete as a neutral country. Russia will also not be allowed to host any world championships in that four year period.
Russian athletes can compete if they test clean and are not implicated in previous doping cases. This ruling stems from the blatant statewide doping scheme by Russian officials and cover up by the Russian Anti Doping Agency to hide doping cases at the 2014 Sochi games.
Australia(Queensland) will bid on the 2032 Summer Olympic games.
USA multiple gold medal gymnast Aly Raisman will not compete or train for the 2020 Tokyo games.
USA Ice Dancer Maia Shibutani had a cancerous tumor removed from one of her kidneys. Shibutani won a bronze with her brother Alex Shibutani at the 2018 Pyeongchang games.
Salt Lake City has expressed interest in hosting the 2030 Winter Olympic Games. Sapporo, Japan, and Barcelona, Spain are the two other cities that have expressed interest in hosting the 2030, 2024 and or 2038 Winter Olympic games as well. If the USA bids on the 2030 Winter Olympic games, Salt Lake City would be the lead bidder.
Australian snowboarder Torah Bright will no longer compete at the Olympics. Bright will also not compete in half-pipe competitions as well. Bright won gold at the 2010 Vancouver games in half-pipe.
American skier Maddie Bowman has announced her retirement. Bowman competed in the halfpipe. Bowman won gold in the ski halfpipe at the 2014 Sochi games and finished 11th in the same event in Pyeongchang.
Training expenses for Olympic athletes is now allowed by the NCAA to be paid by outsiders like coaches and families of the athletes. The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee will determine who the elite athletes are. Previously, getting outside help with expenses related to travel was an NCAA violation. This should help athletes prepare more in their sport. This rule is effective immediately.
USA speed skater Heather Bergsma has retired from the sport. Bersma hasn't competed since 2018. Bergsma lives in the Netherlands with her husband and young son. Bergsma competed at the 2010 Vancouver games in the 500M and finished sixth.
Russian Tennis player Maria Sharapova has announced her retirement. Sharapova won silver in women's singles at the 2012 London games. Sharapova tested positive in 2016 for the illegal substance meldonium and was suspended for 15 months.
Chinese swimmer Sun Yang was suspended for eight years for tampering with a blood sample. Yang hit his blood sample with a hammer in September 2018. FINA issued a warning but no suspension. WADA appealed the FINA decision to suspend Yang. Yang medaled at the 2012 London games and 2016 Rio games. No Olympic medals will be stripped from Yang. Update: Yang has appealed and the suspension was dropped pending a retrial with a different judge. Update: Yang has been suspended for 4 years as a result of the retrial.
Russian figure skater Adelina Sotnikova has announced her retirement. Sotnikova won singles gold at the 2014 Sochi games.
Newly turned American bobsledder Kaillie Humphries wins gold with Lauren Gibbs at the World Bobsled Championships.
South African 800M runner Caster Semenya will now race in the 200M to try to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 games. Semenya was banned from competing in events from 800M to the mile because of a higher than World Athletics accepted testosterone levels in women.
Russia will only be allowed 10 neutral track and field athletes at the Tokyo games stemming from a 2015 ban by the IAAF(World Athletics) against Russia for doping by Track and Field athletes.
USA Long Jumper Jarrion Lawson is now allowed to compete. Lawson had been suspended since August 2018 for eating beef containing steroids that promotes cattle growth. Lawson appealed his ban to the Court of Sport and his appeal was successful.
USA men's gymnast John Orozco will now compete for his native country Puerto Rico. Orozco's parents were born in Puerto Rico. The move was approved by FIG. Injuries have slowed his gymnastics career. Orozco tore his ACL on two occasions. Orozco competed at the 2012 London games.
There are two US figure skating pairs changes. Chris Knierim is taking a break from skating. Chris Knierim was partnered with Alexa Scimeca Knierim. Alexa's new partner is Brandon Frazier. Brandon Frazier split with Haven Denney. Denney also is taking a break from figure skating.
USA 2020/2021 Swimming schedule as of April 27, 2020:
Nov. 5-8 2020 - TYR Pro Swim Series - Richmond, VA
Dec. 2-5 2020 - Toyota US Open - Atlanta, GA
Jan. 13-16 2021 - Pro Series Meet - Knoxville, TN
March 3-6 2021 - Pro Series Meet - San Antonio, TX
April 8-11 2021 - Pro Series Meet - Mission Viejo, CA
May 12-15 2021 - Pro Series Meet - Indianapolis, IN
Athletes Unlimited is the name of the new USA women's Volleyball indoor league that will start in February 2021 and will last for six weeks. Several prominent US athletes are expected to join.
USA Sprinters Deajah Stevens and Gabby Thomas have been suspended for missing three drug tests and avoiding filling out drug testing forms in the past year. The cases are now headed to a disciplinary hearing.
USA Gymnastics coach Maggie Haney has been banned eight years for verbal and emotional abuse. Haney coached 2016 gold medalist Laurie Hernandez. Hernandez has since changed coaches due to the abuse and now trains in California. Hernandez previously resided in New Jersey. Haney plans to appeal the decision.
USA Marathoner and three time Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein has announced his retirement. Ritzenhein competed at the 2004 Athens games, 2008 Beijing games and 2012 London games in the marathon.
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