Rapinoe criticizes Solo's comments
Boxer Stevenson reaches final after opponent defaults
American soccer player Megan Rapinoe is criticizing teammate Hope Solo's comments after the U.S. team lost to Sweden in the Rio Games.
Solo called the Swedes “a bunch of cowards” for focusing on defense rather than attacking the three-time defending champion U.S. team.
Rapinoe told NBC Sports on Thursday she was “really disappointed” about Solo's comments.
She said the team should be competitive but also gracious and humble whether losing or winning. Rapinoe said: “We've been on the winning side quite a bit, and when we find ourselves on the other side, we need to handle that graciously, and unfortunately that wasn't the case.”
Sweden ousted the U.S., 4-3, on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw in a quarterfinal.
Fighting for gold: U.S. boxer Shakur Stevenson reached the bantamweight final by walkover after Russian semifinal opponent Vladimir Nikitin defaulted with an injury.
When Stevenson fights Cuba's Robeisy Ramirez on Saturday, he will win gold or silver, the first of either medal for American men since Andre Ward's gold in 2004.
Bad behavior: Two Australian swimmers are barred from the closing ceremony for failing to return to the Athletes Village or tell team officials where they were during a night out in Copacabana.
Emma McKeon and Josh Palmer now have an 8 p.m. curfew. McKeon won four medals: gold, two silvers and bronze. Palmer was 30th in the 100-meter breaststroke.
Doping repercussions: A weightlifter from Kyrgyzstan became the first athlete at the Rio Olympics to be stripped of a medal after failing a drug test.
Izzat Artykov tested positive after winning bronze in the 69-kilogram division. His medal was taken away, and he was kicked out of the games.
Also, Chinese swimmer Chen Xinyi, Brazilian cyclist Kleber Ramos and Indian wrestler Narsingh Yadav were disqualified for doping, and Moldovan canoeist Serghei Tarnovschi was suspended and could lose his bronze medal for the 1,000-meters single.
Finding a way in: Barred from competing in the Rio Games, Yelena Isinbayeva was elected as an athletes' representative on the International Olympic Committee.
The Russian pole vaulter saw her election as a sign she retains the trust of athletes despite being part of a doping-tainted team.
Isinbayeva, who has never failed a drug test, secured an eight-year term.
Scalping questions: Suspended IOC executive Patrick Hickey of Ireland was questioned in an investigation of ticket scalping.
Hickey is facing charges of conspiracy, ticket scalping and ambush marketing.
Boxing kerfuffle: The International Boxing Association reassigned executive director Karim Bouzidi in the middle of the Olympics after shortcomings in judging and refereeing at the games were determined.