TOKYO – There were many wonderful stories to emerge from these Olympics, and there was also this one: More than ever, athletes are taking care of themselves. But the International Olympic Committee isn’t really taking care of athletes.
While Simone Biles tried to recalibrate herself mentally, the IOC sent one athlete after another to compete in saunas. The heat index was 105 or higher here just about every day, creating conditions that seemed brutal to everyone except the IOC. Great Britain’s Jessica Judd collapsed after the 10,000-meter run. Russian tennis player Daniil Medvedev told the chair umpire, “I can finish the match, but I can die.