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Katie Ledecky sets an olympic medal in the 400m freestyle heats.(Photo: Rob Schumacher, USA TODAY Sports) RIO DE JANEIRO — The Aquatics Stadium nearly saw its first Katie Ledecky world record Sunday afternoon, as Ledecky finished one stroke away from resetting her own mark in the 400-meter freestyle. Her return to the pool for Sunday night’s final isn’t the only thing to watch, however, as a packed slate awaits. Five takeaways…

Dutch cyclist Annemiek van Vleuten sustained three small fractures to her spine and will remain hospitalized in intensive care after crashing Sunday during the women’s Olympic road race. Van Vleuten was leading on the fast, slippery descent of Vista Chinesa when she appeared to lock up her brakes on the final corner. She tumbled onto the road and her bike went flying, and she remained on the edge of the…

In one of the most shocking results of the 2016 Olympics to date, defending gold medalists Venus and Serena Williams lost in the first round of the women’s doubles tennis tournament. The Williams sisters had never lost an Olympic doubles match before Sunday’s stunning defeat, which ends their title defense. Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic took down the American stars in straight sets, 6-3 and 6-4….

All of the USA swimmers advanced out of morning preliminaries on Sunday to the night session. Team USA’s Kathleen Baker kicked things off, posting a personal best to clock the fastest time of the morning’s 100m backstroke preliminary heats, 58.84 seconds. Reigning world champion, Emily Seebohm of Australia, qualified for the semifinal second with 58.99 seconds. Also into the semifinals are the U.S.’ Olivia Smoliga (sixth with 59.60) and Hungary’s…

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RIO DE JANEIRO — She has cast herself as the “Iron Lady,” so she should be able to absorb blows from all sides. The way the Olympic swim meet is developing, after just the first day, Katinka Hosszu of Hungary will have to take that steely approach, because the following elements of her existence are being examined, and closely: her relationships, her training methods, her performances, her words. “I’m already…

New York Yankees‘ star Alex Rodriguez said a tearful goodbye to the game of baseball today as the team announced that he will play in his final game next Friday, Aug. 12 before taking on the role as a special adviser and instructor to the team. “This is a tough day. I love this game and I love this team. And today I’m saying goodbye to both,” Rodriguez said before…

Last Updated Aug 7, 2016 11:20 AM EDT NEW YORK – The New York Yankees announced that Alex Rodriguez will play his final baseball game this Friday. The news was delivered at a gathering of reporters at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, on Sunday. Officials said he will transition to becoming a special advisor to the club. A tearful Rodriguez thanked fans at the press conference, saying it…

Rio will host the 15th edition of the summer Paralympic Games Russian athletes have been banned from competing at the Rio 2016 Paralympics following the country’s doping scandal. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) had opened suspension proceedings following the McLaren report, and has now confirmed the ban. That report, published last month, detailed a state-sponsored doping programme operated by Russia. The Russian Paralympic Committee will reportedly appeal against the decision…

Media playback is not supported on this device Pogba scores for France at Euros Manchester United are on the brink of re-signing Paul Pogba from Juventus in a deal worth over £100m ($131m). United will pay a world record £89m (105m euros) transfer fee, with other costs such as agents fees to be added. Pogba will have a medical in the next few days with the deal due to be…

This wasn’t his decision. Alex Rodriguez said that the Yankees informed him a few days ago that they wanted to release him. The news surprised him. The terms of his departure will stun the baseball world. The relationship between Rodriguez and the Yankees is not ending badly. In fact, it is continuing, Rodriguez said, first with him playing one final game at Yankee Stadium on Friday, then remaining with the team as an ambassador, instructor and special…

1.55pm EDT13:55 Katie Ledecky sets new Olympic record The absurd Katie Ledecky has just delivered an absurd performance in the 400m freestyle heats. The 19-year-old American, who’s going to win absolutely everything this year, just set a new Olympic record, shooting home in 3m 58s. She could be setting a new world record in the final later tonight. Updated at 1.57pm EDT

USA Today Sports’ Martin Rogers tells you the 5 things to watch for during the Olympics on Sunday, Aug. 7. USA TODAY Sports

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The Olympics are more than just the world’s premiere sporting event—they’re big, big media business. Just a few years ago, the closing ceremonies at the London 2012 Olympics attracted a staggering 900 million viewers, with more than 219.4 million Americans tuning into the games at one point or another. But what if you want to watch the Olympics without paying for cable television? There are options. Although NBC is offering…

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The first full day of competition at the 2016 Rio Olympics was a good one for the U.S. — the Americans won five medals total, tying Japan and China for the most so far. Hungary and Australia were the only countries to win two gold medals on the opening day. Day 1 Medal Count AUS 2 0 1 3 HUN 2 0 0 2 USA 1 4 0 5 KOR…

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To save articles or get newsletters, alerts or recommendations – all free. Don’t have an account yet?Create an account » Subscribed through iTunes and need an NYTimes.com account?Learn more » Need to connect your Home Delivery subscription to NYTimes.com?Link your subscription »

For a team having a disappointing season, it was quite a heady week for Brian Cashman and the Yankees, as the raves continued to pour in for the young talent they have now accumulated in their farm system. Even so, let’s hold off on nominating Cashman for executive of the year until at least some of the hotshot prospects he has acquired deliver on their promise in…