This sweeping policy change stems from President Donald Trump's February executive order titled "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports," which requires immediate compliance from organizations that previously permitted transgender participation in women's athletics. USOPC President Gene Sykes and CEO Sarah Hirshland informed the Team USA community Tuesday that "as a federally chartered organization, we have an obligation to comply with federal expectations."

The committee oversees the selection, training support, and competitive representation of the American Olympic and Paralympic teams, while advancing athletic development nationwide. Updated athlete safety protocols, which avoid explicit "transgender" terminology, declare, "Our revised policy emphasizes the importance of ensuring fair and safe competition environments for women."

USOPC released an official statement: "The USOPC is committed to protecting opportunities for athletes participating in sport. The USOPC will continue to collaborate with various stakeholders with oversight responsibilities, e.g., IOC, IPC, NGBs, to ensure that women have a fair and safe competition environment consistent with Executive Order 14201 and the Ted Stevens Olympic & Amateur Sports Act." The 1998 Ted Stevens legislation establishes procedures for resolving eligibility conflicts in American Olympic and amateur sports competitions. The current policy revision omits specific implementation procedures or clarification regarding men's competitive categories.

USA Fencing has already modified its gender eligibility standards following the broader policy shift. Beginning August 1, transgender women, non-binary competitors, transgender men, and intersex athletes may participate exclusively in men's divisions.

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In a thrilling display of skill and determination, Israeli judoka Peter Paltchik secured a bronze medal at the Olympic Games, overcoming a series of intense matches and a last-second challenge to claim his second career Olympic medal.

Paltchik stepped onto the mat for his first match in the repechage bracket. After a crushing defeat to the top-seeded Azerbaijani in the quarterfinals, the Israeli judoka faced Dutch competitor Michael Korrel, knowing he was just two victories away from his second Olympic medal. The match against Korrel went into golden score, with Paltchik carrying one penalty and the Dutchman two. Paltchik executed a superb technique, securing an impressive ippon. He rushed to embrace his coach, Oren Smadja.

In the decisive bronze medal match against Swiss Daniel Eich, Paltchik dominated and led with a wazari. With just five seconds remaining, he could almost feel the medal in his grasp. However, he received a third penalty, which should have resulted in his disqualification. Paltchik quickly appealed, arguing that one penalty had been counted twice unnecessarily. The appeal was successful, the final seconds ticked away, and the bronze medal was secured in Paltchik's hands.

Earlier in the tournament, Paltchik defeated Gonchingosor Batkhuyga of Mongolia (world No. 11) in the first round with an ippon, and Aurélien Diesse of France (world No. 50) in the round of 16, after the latter received three penalties. In the subsequent match, he lost to Zelim Kotsoev by wazari, after video judges overturned a wazari in favor of the Israeli at the last moment.

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As the 2024 Paris Olympic Games approach, French authorities are ramping up security measures to an unprecedented level, combining traditional policing techniques with cutting-edge artificial intelligence to safeguard one of the world's most-watched sporting events.

According to a report by USA Today, the French security operation is targeting a range of potential threats, including extremist plots, cyberattacks, civil unrest, and opportunistic crime. Camille Chaize, a spokesperson for France's interior ministry, told the publication that authorities are striving to "strike a balance" between ensuring safety and maintaining the accessibility and enjoyment of the games.

Pro-Palestinian protesters denounce Israeli athletes' participation in Olympics

Demonstrators gathered in the center of Paris on Saturday (July 20) to protest the Israel delegation's participation in the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics #HussainForJustice@PressTV - #Palestine pic.twitter.com/GYNc8qIwA7

— SR - Oppressed (@RupaniGarcon) July 22, 2024

 The security plan involves special anti-terrorism measures, legislation, and the deployment of tens of thousands of additional police and military personnel. Heightened patrols near landmarks and tourist sites are also part of the strategy.

One of the most notable aspects of the security operation is the use of AI-assisted software and powerful security cameras positioned at Olympic sites. These technologies are designed to detect potential danger signs in real time, such as the initial sparks of a fire, someone appearing to flash a weapon, or a vehicle entering a restricted area.

Mathieu Zagrodzki, a security expert at CESDIP, a criminal justice research center at the University of Versailles, explained that the AI cameras will track crowd movements, suspicious luggage, and what he described as "unusual patterns" of activity. "If, for example, there's a line moving in one direction and there's a person moving in the opposite way, or maybe there's a person going back and forth, or standing in a single location for quite a while," Zagrodzki said.

The use of AI for surveillance has raised concerns about potential infringements on civil liberties. While French law prohibits the public use of facial and biometric recognition technology, the AI-enhanced algorithmic video surveillance cameras deployed around Olympic sites are capable of such functions. Authorities maintain that the technology will not be used to track specific individuals.

The security operation extends beyond French borders, with national governments taking steps to protect their athletes and citizens. The United States, which will have one of the largest delegations at the games, is coordinating its security efforts through a hub at the US Embassy in Paris.

A US security official, speaking anonymously due to the sensitive nature of the mission, said that the "threat matrix" facing the Games includes terrorism, cyberattacks, and protests – all areas "the French are well acquainted with."

France has been at its highest level of terrorist threat alert, known as Emergency Attack, since October 2023. The nation's history of terrorist attacks, including the 2015 Paris attacks and the 2016 Nice truck attack, underscores the gravity of the security challenges facing the Olympic organizers.

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Israel's coronavirus infection rate stands at 0.57% according to Health Ministry data. Of the 73,113 people who tested for the virus Thursday, 391 were found to have the disease.

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There are 6,130 active cases of the virus. There are 149 people in serious condition, 101 of whom are on ventilators.

Although 1,321,957 Israelis have recovered from the disease since the outbreak of the pandemic, 8,138 have died.

On the vaccination front, 6,255,302 Israelis have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, while 5,751,925 have received two doses. Over 4 million Israelis – 4,012,357 – have received all three available doses of the vaccine.

China reported on Friday the first COVID-19 cases among foreign athletes at preparatory events for the upcoming Beijing 2022 Winter Games, as stringent measures being put in place to control any outbreaks are put to the test.

Two lugers of the same nationality tested positive, said Huang Chun, an official of the Games organizing committee.

Both have been transferred to quarantine hotels, he told a news briefing in the Chinese capital.

Beijing's vice mayor previously said the coronavirus would be one of the biggest challenges to the city's hosting of the Games.

A widespread outbreak related to the Games would hurt China's track record of containing clusters quickly, having elected to maintain a zero-tolerance approach toward COVID-19.

The Olympic Games will run from Feb. 4 until Feb. 20, with all participants subject to daily COVID-19 tests, and no international spectators. Athletes and other Games-related personnel will also be enveloped in a "closed-loop" bubble.

"We will still let the person take part in training and activities related to the games, but (the individual) needs to go through strict health monitoring and COVID-19 testing every day," Huang said, referring to the first athlete who tested positive.

The individual will also stay in their room, eat, and ride in vehicles alone, Huang told reporters.

The second case was a close contact of the first athlete, he said, without giving details on their nationality.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida outlined on Friday an urgent plan to increase hospital beds and medical resources in preparation for a possible resurgence of COVID-19 in the country this winter. The government plans to boost hospital bed capacity by about 30%, bolster in-home care, and collect data to predict which hospitals will come under pressure.

Kishida said this week that the "trump card" in the government's pandemic fight was the procurement of oral treatments that could prevent the need for hospitalization. Japan will pay about $1.2 billion to Merck & Co Inc for 1.6 million courses of the COVID-19 antiviral pill molnupiravir, according to terms announced on Wednesday. That's about half the supply that has been secured by the United States and compares with a total of 1.7 million coronavirus cases in Japan since the start of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, Sweden has seen a sharp decline in COVID-19 testing this month, just as much of Europe contends with surging infection rates after its health agency said vaccinated Swedes no longer need to get tested even if they have symptoms of the disease.

The health agency's stance has rekindled criticism that the country has once again broken ranks with its neighbors and has led to some of its regions no longer providing free testing for all. Health agency official Sara Byfors defended the decision saying testing would still be at high enough levels to catch trends and it had never caught all cases.

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The Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball club will soon be trying to score points off the court. The Center for Jewish Impact and the World Zionist Organization have enlisted the team to battle global antisemitism and spread the values of "tolerance, equality and acceptance" through sports.

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August 2021 marked the 85th anniversary of the 1936 Summer Olympics. Although the competition was meant to foster international ties, the Nazi regime took advantage of the games to promote its racist propaganda.

Nevertheless, athletes from different backgrounds, most famously African-American runner Jesse Owens, rose to the occasion and overcame hatred, proving that sports can triumph over racism.

At the end of August, the three organizations will hold a special ceremony to commemorate the 1936 Olympics. The event will be attended by former President Reuven Rivlin, as well as politicians and top representatives of the sports industry.

In addition, Maccabi Tel Aviv will host representatives of Jewish communities during its EuroLeague road games and, together with the center and the WZO, hold lectures for the guests.

"The cooperation between these three organizations is unique," Maccabi Tel Aviv Chairman Shimon Mizrahi said.

"Current times, in particular, call for more cooperation of this kind as antisemitism has spiked all over the globe, especially in Europe and the United States," Mizrahi said.

Center for Jewish Impact Chairman Robert Singer concurred.

"We are experiencing a wave of antisemitism and Holocaust denial all over the world, and we must act to put this to an end. Sports, in particular, is an important tool in promoting the values of tolerance, equality and acceptance of the other," he said.

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In an interview with Israel Hayom following the Israeli rhythmic gymnast's historic Olympic win, Linoy Ashram's coach Ayelet Zussman said, "It's really unbelievable because beyond the history we made with two gymnasts in the finals, it's history to be standing up there on the Olympic podium, it's beyond anything I could have imagined."

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As for her relationship with Ashram, Zussman said: "I am both a coach and a friend, and I both demand and embrace, and I get angry and give kisses. It depends on the situation, but my love for her is unconditional."

Asked what about Ashram made her an Olympic champion, Zussman said: "Her ambition, competitiveness. She works very hard. She's overcome injuries she's been dealing with for years. This wasn't someone who was an underdog. She's been winning medals since 2017."

As for Ashram's final ribbon performance, she said, "It's important for there to be something unique about each routine. The choice of music was precisely for this moment, and the choice of [the song] 'Hava Nagaila' was very important.

"She did everything so well on the path to [hearing the Israeli] national anthem [play in the Olympic arena], and I am so happy," she said.

Ashram's family members were clearly emotional in a phone call with the gymnast immediately after her historic win.

Her mother, Hedva, said: "You did it. I always believed in you.

In a reference to the legendary retired Romanian five-time Olympic gold medalist, she said, "I always said you would be Israel's Nadia Comaneci."

"Congratulations! We're so proud of you. All of us here, we're crying too," Ashram's father, Oren, informed her in their call.

Powerhouse rhythmic gymnast Linoy Ashram won the gold medal in the rhythmic gymnastics individual competition, ending Russia's decades-long dominance in the sport and bringing Israel its second Olympic gold medal.

Ashram, 22, edged out Russian twins Dina and Arina Averina, who were favorites going into Tokyo. Dina placed second and Arina fell to fourth place. Alina Harnasko of Belarus won the bronze medal.

Her nearly flawless performance included a club routine set to Beyonce's "Crazy in Love" and dancing with a ribbon to a techno remix of "Hava Nagila."

She is set to receive a 500,000 shekel ($155,380) grant from the Israeli Olympic Committee for her achievement.

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Beating his own expectations, Israeli athlete Matan Roditi came in fourth in the 10-kilometer swimming competition at the Tokyo Olympics Thursday.

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Out of the 26 competitors, the 22-year-old athlete expected to finish in the top eight. Surprising his Olympic team, Roditi finished the competition in 1:49:01.1, coming in fourth.

"It's an incredible accomplishment," he said in an interview after the competition. "My goal was to finish in the top eight. Throughout the race, I tried to save my energy and [being in front of the field] gave me the boost I needed at the finish."

To put Roditi's achievement into perspective, he beat two medalists from the 2016 Rio Olympics: Ferry Weertman from the Netherlands who won a gold medal in Rio and came in seventh this time, and France's Marc-Antoine Olivier, who won a bronze medal in 2016 and came in sixth in Tokyo.

Raditi crossed the finish line just 23.8 seconds shy of Italy's Gregorio Paltrinieri who won the bronze. Germany's Florian Wellbrock won the gold (1:48:33.7) and Hungary's Kristof Rasovszky the silver (1:48:59.0).

The young swimmer, who became the first Israeli to participate in the 10-kilometer open water marathon, admitted that he would still have to work hard to get a medal but said he was "optimistic for the next Olympics."

i24NEWS contributed to this report. 

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Indian musical director Anu Malik struck discord this week when he found himself accused of plagiarizing the Israeli anthem, Hatikvah.

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Sunday saw Israeli artistic gymnast Artem Dolgopyat win Israel's second-ever Olympic gold. At the medal ceremony, as the Israeli national anthem rang out at the Ariake Gymnastics Center in Tokyo, viewers across India apparently realized that the song they know as Mera Mulk Mera Desh might have been plagiarized. 

Malik wrote his song in 1996 for the romantic action film Diljale. According to local media, this is not the first time Malik has been called out for alleged plagiarism. Does his song sound familiar to the Israeli anthem? You be the judge.

Video: Getty Images/Moshe Shai

Viewers immediately took to social media to voice their concerns. 

"Is it just me or does this song sound like the Israeli anthem?" one user wrote. "That moment when you realize Mera Mulk Mera Desh is actually the Israeli anthem," wrote another. 

Israel's anthem, Hatikva ("Hope"), was adapted from a piece written by Jewish poet Naftali Herz Imber in 1877. A decade later, in 1887, composer Shmuel Cohen turned the poem into a song using a melody he knew from growing up in Romania. Hatikva was unofficially proclaimed as the anthem of the newly-established Jewish state in 1948, and in 2004, it was officially declared as the national anthem of the State of Israel. 

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Defending champions South Korea smashed Israel's pitching on Monday with 18 hits in an 11-1 mercy-rule win to secure the first final-four berth of the six-team Tokyo 2020 tournament.

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South Korea (3-1) plays the United States or Japan on Wednesday for a berth in the gold medal game. South Korea beat Israel 6-5 in 10 innings in its opener in Japan.

Israel get no day off. They now play a win-or-go-home game against a rested Dominican Republic on Tuesday. The side left standing then play on Wednesday against the loser of Monday's later game, which is between Japan and the United States.

"Our goal is not be content with just one win," Israel captain Shlomo Lipetz said.

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Three strikes and they're out: Israel ended Mexico's baseball run at Tokyo 2020 with a 12-5 drubbing.

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Mexico's disappointing departure from their first Olympic baseball tournament followed just one extra-base hit over their first two games and a rough start on Sunday from pitcher Manny Barreda, whom Israel pounded for six runs in three innings.

Israel punched in another six runs in the seventh inning when hitting against one-time Major Leaguer Oliver Perez.

Israel on Monday will face the winner of a game later on Sunday between South Korea and the Dominican Republic.

On Sunday, Mexico scored most of their runs in the third inning against Israel starter Josh Zeid, whose day job is coaching Chicago Cubs pitchers recovering from injury.

Mexico pulled to 6-5 in the sixth before Israel's bullpen shut them down.

Israel's Danny Valencia swatted a hanging curve over the left-field wall for a three-run homer and likely the tournament's longest blast (official records are not being kept).

Nick Rickles, whose normal job is in health care, also had three runs batted in for Israel. Mitch Glasser and Zach Penprase brought in two each.

Zack Weiss (1-0) got the win by allowing one run in two innings. Israel had 12 hits and set a tournament-high for runs.

"It's a fairy tale they were able to qualify," Mexico coach Benji Gil had said last week of underdog Israel, which also are new to the Olympics.

"Many people looked down on them but hats off," Gil said in admiration.

Unfortunately for Mexico, the caps are not coming back on.

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