Osaka
Silver medal winner United State's Nick Goepper (9) and Gold medal winner United States' Alexander Hall (6) celebrates after the men's slopestyle finals at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
For Goepper, another Olympic medal and clear outlook on life

By Pat Graham And Eddie Pells Feb. 16, 2022 03:42 AM EST

FILE - Britain's Katie Ormerod competes during the women's slopestyle qualifying at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, File)
Winter Olympians champion climate, peace amid muted activism

By Kelvin Chan Feb. 15, 2022 03:06 AM EST

Drew Pavlou, left, and Max Mok show some of the 1,000 shirts they plan to hand out to patrons ahead of Saturday's women's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 28, 2022. As he was being ejected for wearing a shirt with a Where is Peng Shuai? slogan, Max Mok saw an opportunity to amplify the message at the Australian Open. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)
Where is Peng Shuai? Australian Open T-shirts grab attention

By John Pye Jan. 28, 2022 12:24 AM EST

Masked spectators arrive for the first round matches at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
Osaka, Nadal advance in Australia after Djokovic flies home

By John Pye Jan. 17, 2022 02:14 AM EST

Masked spectators arrive for the first round matches at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
Australian Open Men Singles

Jan. 16, 2022 09:30 PM EST

Fans take a selfie with a photo of defending champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia ahead of first round matches at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. Djokovic was deported from Australia Sunday, Jan 16, after losing a bid to stay in the country to defend his Australian Open title despite not being vaccinated against COVID-19. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
The Latest at the Australian Open: 5th-seeded Sakkari wins

Jan. 16, 2022 09:29 PM EST

Tiger Woods fist bumps his son Charlie Woods on the 16th green during the second round of the PNC Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Dec. 19, 2021, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Scott Audette)
Ode to Sports: A year when games and fans came off the bench

By Fred Lief Dec. 23, 2021 12:24 PM EST

FILE - Simone Biles watches gymnasts perform at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Tuesday, July 27, 2021. Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka were not the first elite athletes to struggle with their own mental health, but their public admissions this year spotlighted a crisis not often addressed in the sporting world. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)
Mental health among athletes spotlighted in tumultuous 2021

By Jenna Fryer Dec. 22, 2021 09:56 AM EST

FILE - Simone Biles, of the United States, talks to a member of her team during the artistic gymnastics women's final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in Tokyo. Biles’ 2021 experiences, and how she talked about them, helped drive a robust conversation about athletes’ emotional health. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)
2021 Notebook: For athletes, mental health took center stage

By The Associated Press Dec. 14, 2021 05:27 PM EST

FILE - Naomi Osaka, of Japan, speaks to the crowd after beating Marie Bouzkova, of the Czech Republic, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships in New York, in this Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, file photo. Osaka earned the Wilma Rudolph Courage Award for bringing awareness to social justice and mental health issues at the Annual Salute to Women in Sports on Wednesday night, Oct. 13, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)
ITF Czech Republic F5, Men Singles

Oct. 14, 2021 12:17 PM EDT

FILE - Naomi Osaka, of Japan, speaks to the crowd after beating Marie Bouzkova, of the Czech Republic, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships in New York, in this Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, file photo. Osaka earned the Wilma Rudolph Courage Award for bringing awareness to social justice and mental health issues at the Annual Salute to Women in Sports on Wednesday night, Oct. 13, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)
Allyson Felix, Naomi Osaka earn women's sports awards

Oct. 14, 2021 11:58 AM EDT

Naomi Osaka of Japan hits the ball to Cori Gauff of the United States during the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021 in Mason, Ohio.(Cara Owsley/The Cincinnati Enquirer via AP)
WTA Cincinnati, USA Women Singles

Aug. 18, 2021 10:59 PM EDT

Naomi Osaka of Japan hits the ball to Cori Gauff of the United States during the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021 in Mason, Ohio.(Cara Owsley/The Cincinnati Enquirer via AP)
Naomi Osaka tested by Gauff, wins 3-setter in tour return

Aug. 18, 2021 05:08 PM EDT

FILE - In this Aug. 6, 2021, file photo, Allyson Felix, of United States smiles after taking the bronze, in the final of women's 400-meters at the 2020 Summer Olympics, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, File)
The Perseverance Games: Surreal Olympics approach their end

By Jenna Fryer Aug. 07, 2021 09:13 AM EDT

Andre De Grasse, of Canada races to win the gold medal ahead of Kenneth Bednarek, of United States, silver, and Noah Lyles, of United States, bronze, in the final of the men's 200-meters at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Tears from Lyles at Olympics about more than just the bronze

By Pat Graham Aug. 04, 2021 12:45 PM EDT

In this image made from video, Julian Keane, sociologist at the Urban-Culture Research Center of Osaka City University, speaks during a video interview from Osaka, western Japan, on July 27, 2021. The racial diversity Japan showcased at the Olympic opening ceremony also highlights its lack in Japanese society. The population of people with multiracial and cultural backgrounds continues to rise through more international marriages and an influx of foreign workers, but tolerance to diversity still lags in a country that values homogeneity and conformity. (AP Photo)
Olympics carry a question: What does it mean to be Japanese?

By Mari Yamaguchi Aug. 04, 2021 04:42 AM EDT

FILE - In this July 27, 2021 file photo, Simone Biles, of the United States, watches gymnasts perform after she exited the team final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, in Tokyo. Biles and Naomi Osaka are prominent young Black women under the pressure of a global Olympic spotlight that few human beings ever face. But being a young Black woman -- which, in American life, comes with its own built-in pressure to perform -- entails much more than meets the eye. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)
Black women, across generations, heed Biles’ Olympic example

By Aaron Morrison, Astrid Galvan And Deepti Hajela Aug. 03, 2021 10:19 PM EDT

Naomi Osaka, of Japan, reacts during a third round women's tennis match against Marketa Vondrousova, of the Czech Republic, at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Osaka, Kenin, Swiatek pull out of US Open tuneup in Montreal

Aug. 03, 2021 06:41 PM EDT

Naomi Osaka, of Japan, reacts after losing a point to Marketa Vondrousova, of the Czech Republic, during the third round of the tennis competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
After heat issues, tennis body seeks more days at next Games

By Andrew Dampf Aug. 01, 2021 07:32 AM EDT

A basket of baseball is pictured before a baseball game between Israel and the United States at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 30, 2021, in Yokohama, Japan. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Ryan: Olympic SSK baseball vastly superior to Rawling models

By Ronald Blum Jul. 30, 2021 12:55 PM EDT