The decision comes after the Titan submersible suffered a catastrophic implosion during a mission to the Titanic shipwreck last month.

The disaster left the company's CEO and four passengers dead.

Communication with the Titan submersible, owned and operated by OceanGate Expeditions, a private research and ocean adventure tourism company that made a tourist visit to the wreck of the Titanic ship in the Atlantic Ocean on June 18, was cut off shortly after the dive.

Studies determined that the submersible imploded and sank and the five onboard were killed.

The US National Transportation Safety Board declared the destruction of the Titan a “major marine casualty” and said Friday that the US Coast Guard will lead an investigation into the loss of the submersible.

Meanwhile, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) said it will launch an investigation into the actions of the Polar Prince support vessel that towed the Titan from Newfoundland to the site of the wreckage of the Titanic in the Atlantic Ocean.

The TSB said its action is "in accordance with the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act and international agreements."

"In the coming days, we will co-ordinate our activities with other agencies involved," it said in a statement. "This is all the information available at this time. Updates will be provided as the investigation progresses."

The Polar Prince is a Newfoundland vessel owned by the Miawpukek First Nation.

The ship joined other vessels in the search for the Titan. It also carried some family members of the five men that died in the implosion of the submersible.

Miawpukek Chief Mi'sel Joe told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on Friday that the investigation would be harrowing for the Polar Prince crew.

"It's going to be rough on the crew," he said. "They're looking after the ship, they're looking after themselves and they're looking after the family that's on board. My heart goes out to them. To all of them. It's a loss of life, and it's never easy on the family."

The Polar Prince lost contact with the Titan early Sunday, about 90 minutes after it began towing the submersible toward the Titanic --- 700 kilometers (435 miles) off the coast of Newfoundland.

A remotely operated vehicle found the Titan submersible's tail cone on the seafloor roughly 1,600 feet (488 meters) from the bow of the Titanic.

Additional debris that was discovered near the site was "consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber," said a US Coast Guard official.

Rahimi's journey into the sport began in 2017 at a gym in Western Sydney, and by March of the following year, she had won the Commonwealth Games Australia Emerging Athlete of the Month award. However, as a devout Muslim, Rahimi has had to balance her faith with her rigorous training schedule. She prays five times a day and observes the dawn-to-dusk fasting during the ninth month of the Muslim calendar, which is particularly challenging to combine with boxing training and weight requirements.

"Training during Ramadan is really hard. You train before you start fasting. Then you go to the gym an hour after you've eaten," Rahimi told The Business Standard. "You're hungry but you have to control your desires with food because you can't eat too much, especially if you've got a competition."

Despite the challenges, Rahimi remains determined to succeed in the ring and inspire young Muslim girls to pursue their dreams. "I hope to break down barriers and stereotypes and prove that faith and sport can go hand in hand," she said.

When asked how she would handle those who oppose her participation in the sport due to her Muslim faith, Rahimi confidently stated, "I'd say, 'Got something to say?' Then, whack!"

Rahimi's dedication and discipline have not gone unnoticed by her cousin and coach, Muhummad Alyatim, who describes her as mentally and physically tough, and a great role model for female athletes.

Rahimi's victory in the Commonwealth Games qualifier not only secured her place at the 2022 event in Birmingham, but it also marked a significant moment for her faith. As Rahimi steps into the ring to compete in the 57kg division, she is breaking down barriers and making history in the world of sports.

"Representing #Türkiye at the #ARTWorlds2022, Adem Asil won gold in the Still Rings final, scoring 14,933 points after a spectacular routine," the Turkish Olympic Committee tweeted.

The 23-year-old Asil collected 14,933 points the Still Rings men's final in Liverpool, the United Kingdom.

China's Jingyuan Zou came second, while Courtney Tulloch from the United Kingdom finished in the third spot.

Cakiroglu, 26, beat her Irish opponent Caitlin Fryers 5-0 in European Women’s Boxing Championships’ 50 kg final in Montenegro’s Budva town.

The Turkish athlete won the 2022 world title in Istanbul in May.

Before her gold medal in Istanbul, Cakiroglu claimed a silver medal in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games held in 2021 summer due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The 2022 European Championships will end on Saturday.

Akgul defeated Lkhagvagerel Munkhtur of Mongolia 6-2 in the men's freestyle 125- kilogram to win his third world championship title in his career. He previously claimed the 2014 and 2015 titles.

The 31-year-old wrestler eliminated Hungary's Daniel Ligeti, Canada's Amarveer Dhesi, and Iran's Amir Zare to reach the final.

Georgia's Geno Petriashvili and Iran's Amir Zare clinched the bronze medal in this category.

World Wrestling Championships in Serbia's capital Belgrade will conclude on Sept. 18.

Türkiye have so far collected four gold and three bronze medals.

Youth and Sports Minister Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoglu also congratulated Akgul on winning the medal.

Akgul was also a gold medalist at the Olympic Games Rio 2016.

Yigit, 30, beat Samar Hamza from Egypt 6-0 in the women's 76 kg final at the Stark Arena in Belgrade, Serbia.

Yigit holds on to the title she won at the competition in 2017 in Paris.

The World Championships will conclude on Sept. 18.

Yigit, 30, beat Samar Hamza from Egypt 6-0 in the women's 76 kg final at the Stark Arena in Belgrade, Serbia.

Yigit holds on to the title she won at the competition in 2017 in Paris.

The World Championships will conclude on Sept. 18.

Kayaalp bagged his fifth world championship as he won gold medal in men's Greco-Roman 120 kg at 2011 Istanbul and three golds in men's Greco-Roman 130 kg at 2015 Las Vegas, 2017 Paris and 2019 Nur-Sultan.

Türkiye took the top spot in seniors Greco-Roman team rankings with 125 points after this latest medal as the team failed to achieve points only in 63 kg category.

Burhan Akbudak on Monday also clinched gold medal in men's Greco-Roman 82 kg by beating Uzbekistan’s Jalgasbay Berdimuratov 3-1(7-6).

Tamas Levai of Hungary and Yaroslav Filchakov of Ukraine both earned bronze medals.

The gold follows Akbudak claiming his first silver medal in the World Wrestling Championships, also in Greco-Roman 82 kg, in Oslo, Norway.

This spring the 27-year-old also earned a bronze medal in Greco-Roman 82 kg at the 2022 European Wrestling Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

His teammate, Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard, maintained his overall lead in the general classification with a total time of 76 hours 33 minutes 57 seconds after finishing the stage in the second spot in 48 minutes 18 seconds.

In general ranking, Vingegaard is currently 3 minutes 34 seconds ahead of the reigning champion Slovenian Tadej Pogacar of the UAE Team Emirates, who finished the stage third in 48 minutes 26 seconds.

The 2022 Tour de France will conclude with the 21st stage in Paris on Sunday.

Army helicopters are assisting local volunteers in the mountainous Gilgit Baltistan region where the foreigner went missing.

Savall Xavier, took off with two Spanish paragliders, from a peak in Duikar village of the scenic Hunza valley on Saturday evening, said Karrar Haidri, who heads the Alpine Club of Pakistan, a state-run mountaineering association.

The Spanish paragliders landed safely, but Xavier is unaccounted for.

The trio reportedly arrived in Hunza late last month.

Gilgit Baltistan is home to the six peaks of over 8,000-meter altitude, including the world’s second tallest peak K-2.

A large number of tourists visit the region every year for expeditions on various peaks, paragliding and other sports.

Türkiye's Youth and Sports Minister Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoglu, along with World Ethnosport Confederation President Bilal Erdogan, Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya, and hundreds of local onlookers attended the opening ceremony of the festival held on the European side of the metropolis.

"It is a very special excitement and pride for us to organize our organization, which has become the most comprehensive festival in traditional sports branches with the greatest attendance in the world, this year with great enthusiasm," Kasapoglu said in an opening speech.

He underlined the importance of traditional sports as a means to preserve traditions and values, and transfer cultural heritage to future generations.

Erdogan, the head of the World Ethnosport Confederation, expressed his pleasure to hold the fifth edition to the festival after having to skip the event in recent years due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"Here, we reach out to our own roots, the colorful cultures of the world, and establish a special affinity with our traditions.

"In these days, we must cling to the values that bind us together and make us who we are," Erdogan added.

- Ethnosport Culture Festival

The festival has opened its doors to visitors, featuring Turkish cities and the oba lifestyle, associated with traditional nomadic culture, coming to life in clay tents, while artisans host workshops on handicrafts amid the many activities with shows.

The four-day event will include mounted archery, wrestling, horse riding, oil wrestling, and other traditional Turkish and Central Asian sports.

More than 1,000 participants from 26 countries will be featured with a dazzling array of traditional cuisines from across the globe for visitors to savor.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to learn about traditional sports and games, as well as communication with nature and animals, during the festival.

The festival will also offer accessible events for disadvantaged groups with hippotherapy, a barbecue tournament for the visually impaired, workshops and events staged by disabled artists.

The Ethnosport Culture Festival is sponsored by Turkish Airlines, Turk Telekom, Vakif Participation Bank, and Spor Toto.

Anadolu Agency visited Fighter's Heaven in the small town of Deer Lake six years after the icon, who fashioned himself "the greatest," died following an over three-decade battle with Parkinson's disease.

The secluded camp spans several acres on a northeastern Pennsylvania mountaintop, and features a large log boxing gym adorned with tributes to Ali, a kitchen and dining area, and a mosque where Ali prayed.

Mick Stefanek, the facility's general manager, said Ali founded the camp in 1972 during the late days of his career in order to get away from the distractions of New York City and refocus on boxing. He would train at the site for some of his biggest fights, including headliner events against greats Joe Frazier and George Foreman.

"Everything here at the camp has been brought back to life to give you the feel and resemblance of what it was like when Muhammad Ali was here training," said Stefanek.

Ali originally trained on an outdoor ring at mink farm not far from where he would eventually establish Fighter's Heaven. A spate of bad weather left Ali searching for a place nearby where he could build an indoor gym, eventually settling in on a piece of property owned by the farm's owner, boxing enthusiast and promoter Bernie Pollack.

Ali would use the camp up until his final fight against Trevor Berbick in 1981, losing the 10-round fight via unanimous decision.

The boxing great would continue to own the property for nearly two decades after retiring from the sport, selling it in 1997 after leasing it for a dollar per year to a group home dedicated to helping women.

The camp was purchased in 2016 and turned into a museum "to honor the life and legacy of Muhammad Ali," said Stefanek.

There is no entrance fee charged for visitors, but donations are sent to a local organization that works with people with disabilities, the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky and the Michael J. Fox Foundation For Parkinson's Research.

"It was free and open when Muhammad Ali trained here, and we want to keep that spirit alive," said Stefanek. "Ali was generous, kind and charitable, and we're keeping that part of his life and legacy alive."

The camp has seen visitors from just about every US state, as well as people from every continent except for Antarctica.

This year will see the camp receive a state historical marker on Oct. 22 to recognize its 50th anniversary with a ceremony in the works.

"Khan stood atop the summit of 8,586-m (28,169-ft) Kunchenjunga (Kangchenjunga), the world’s third-highest peak, at 7 am (local time) on Saturday (0115GMT) with other members of a team," the Alpine Club of Pakistan, the country's state-run mountaineering body, said in a statement. The peak lies on the Indian-Nepalese border.

Hailing from the scenic Hunza valley of the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, which borders neighboring China, Khan, 32, only began his climbing career in 2016.

In 2019, he became the first Pakistani to summit Mount Lhotse, the world’s fourth-highest mountain at 8,516 m (27,940 ft), from Nepal without using supplementary oxygen.

Moreover, he summited the 8,125-m (26,657-ft) Nanga Parbat in 2017, the 8,611-m (28,251-ft) K2 in 2018, and in 2019, Broad Peak, which boasts a height of 8,163 m (26,782 ft).

Earlier this year, he climbed the 8,091-m (26,545-ft) Mount Anapurna, and the 8,035-m (26,362-ft) Gasherbrum II, and the 8,848-m (29,029-ft) Mount Everest – the world’s tallest peak.

Khan hopes to become the first Pakistani to climb all 14 of the world’s highest peaks. This summer he plans to climb Mount Makalu (on the border between Nepal and China’s Tibet region) and Gasherbrum-1 (in Pakistani-administered Kashmir).

Bevin, who rides for Israel-Premier Tech, won based on Saturday’s completed 7th leg of the race at the 135.3-kilometer (84-mile) Gelibolu-Tekirdag track in western Turkiye, which he finished in three hours, 21 minutes, and two seconds.

With his win, the 31-year-old moved to the top of the tour's overall standings.

Alpecin-Fenix's Jay Vine trailed two seconds behind Bevin, and Arkea Samsic's Nicolas Edet came in third, just four seconds behind the leader.

The seventh stage, which hosted 153 participants from 25 teams, kicked off in the historic Gallipoli (Gelibolu) Peninsula and ended in the northwestern Tekirdag province on Saturday.

The eight-stage race was due to culminate in Istanbul on Sunday, with a total length of 1,303 km (810 mi), but the last stage was canceled due to inclement weather.

Although the race started early Sunday at Istanbul’s famed Taksim Square with the participation of 149 cyclists from 25 teams, the team coordinators requested cancellation due to an unsafely slippery road when the teams arrived at the Kuzguncuk district on the Asian side, after biking 141.1 km (87.6 mi) in total.

The Turkish Cycling Federation has been organizing the tour, earlier known as the Marmara Tour, since 1963. It gained international status in 1965 and was brought under the presidential aegis in 1966.

Bevin, who rides for Israel-Premier Tech, finished the race in three hours, 21 minutes, and two seconds at the 135.3-kilometer (84-mile) Gelibolu-Tekirdag track in western Turkiye.

The 31-year-old moved to the top of the tour's overall standings with this win.

Alpecin-Fenix's Jay Vine trailed two seconds behind Bevin, and Arkea Samsic's Nicolas Edet came third, four seconds behind the leader.

The seventh stage, which hosted 153 participants from 25 teams, kicked off in the historic Gallipoli Peninsula and ended in the northwestern Tekirdag province.

The eight-stage tour of Turkiye spans a total distance of 1,303 km (810 mi) and will culminate in Istanbul on Sunday.

The Turkish Cycling Federation has been organizing the tour, earlier known as the Marmara Tour, since 1963. It gained international status in 1965 and was taken under presidential authority in 1966.

The race is being broadcast live on TRT Spor Yildiz and Eurosport, and Anadolu Agency is among the sponsors of the global event.

Ewan won the sixth stage of the tour, which hosted 157 participants from 25 teams, starting in the northwestern town of Akcay and ending on the historical Gelibolu (Gallipoli) peninsula.

The Tour of Turkey's stop in Gallipoli has special significance for all Australians, said the star Aussie cyclist, who had also claimed the first stage of the 57th Presidential Tour of Turkey.

Some 8,000-9,000 Australian soldiers died in the hard-fought Battle of Gallipoli from 1915 to 1916, as did nearly 3,000 New Zealand soldiers and 87,000 Ottoman soldiers. The star of the Lotto Soudal team said he would work extra hard on that leg of the tour.

Every ANZAC Day on April 25, the battle's pivotal place in the forging of ties between the nations of Turkey, Australia, and New Zealand is commemorated with a special dawn ceremony at Gallipoli.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Ewan said: "It has a special place for Australian history. Something that we learned about. It's my first time here.

"It's quite emotional seeing here. A lot of Australians lost their lives here. I feel good to come here and pay my respects."

Getting the opportunity to visit the site after the stage finished in Gallipoli served as extra motivation for Ewan, he said: adding: "I'm really happy l had time to come here and see all this."

"I'm doing something so small compared to what these guys did in the past. It's definitely not comparable. l dedicated my victory to the men and women who lost their lives here."

"l think a lot of Australians will come here to pay their respects," he said.

Australian Consul for Canakkale Lucas Robson, along with some of the other Australian cyclists, also visited the cemeteries.

Ewan sealed his victory at the sixth stage of the 57th Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey on Friday.

Ewan finished the 205-kilometer (127-mile) ride on the Edremit-Eceabat track in four hours and 54 minutes, tasting his second win in the race.

Buts was awarded the white points leader jersey on Sunday after the first stage of the 57th Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey.

After raising his country's flag at the ceremony, Buts, competing for the Turkish professional road bicycle racing team Sakarya BB Pro Team, spoke to Anadolu Agency.

On getting the coveted white jersey, Buts said: "There was a plan to take the jersey before the first stage. Our job was difficult, but we were awarded the white jersey and used the tactics our coach asked for. We’ll continue to use them in the next stages."

"The stages are difficult this year,” he commented. “Good teams compete in the tournament. We want to represent the Turkish team in the best possible way. We want to win more jerseys."

The 35-year-old cyclist thanked Turkey for its support for Ukraine and accepting his fellow Ukrainians who have fled the war, which is now in its seventh week.

- ‘When the war is over, I want to go home and see my parents’

Buts said he is riding for his country and that when the war ends, he wants to return to Ukraine.

He was visibly upset about the situation in his country, where his elderly parents have remained due to their age.

"I will stay in Turkey until the war is over. I hope the war ends as soon as possible,” he added.

“When the war is over, I want to go to Ukraine and see my parents. I read the news about my country every day. The situation is very bad."

On waving the Ukrainian flag on the podium, Buts said: "I’m proud to carry my flag on the podium, and tears came out of my eyes.”

- Journey from shelter to podium

During the interview, Buts, who emerged from a bomb shelter in his country to take the podium of the Tour of Turkey, was emotional and unable to hold back his tears.

Buts told more of his story, from before his departing his country amid a war to compete and raise awareness of Ukraine’s plight abroad.

"When the war started, we woke up at 4 am. We woke up to the sound of bombs in the city of Mykolaiv,” in southern Ukraine, he said.

“We went to a safer village 100 kilometers (28 miles) from home with my wife and children without taking any clothes. We moved into a shelter when the sirens sounded.

“Since I ride for the Turkish team, I waited for a week with my special permission. After that, I was able to come to Turkey with my family and I joined the race (Tour of Turkey) without training for three weeks."

- ‘People are dying and the whole world is watching’

Calling on the international community to "end the war as soon as possible," Buts said: "Some of the cities in Ukraine were destroyed. People are dying, the whole world is watching. There is such a war in Ukraine – a European country. Russia attacked us and Russia is the guilty (party)."

He said he is ready to give all available support from Turkey to his country.

"I’m working to win more awards and support the Ukrainian army. I wanted to give good news to my friends in Ukraine, to my parents with the good performance (I had) in the race."

Erisik scored 19.700 to get first place in the individual men's finals.

Meanwhile, Turkiye's Ayse Begum Onbasi could not compete in the women's finals due to her injury.

She scored 20.900 to qualify for the finals.

The national federations of Russia (RBU) and Belarus (BiFB) “have violated the humanitarian obligations for member federations under the IBU Constitution,” read a statement.

“These violations by RBU and BiFB bring the IBU and the sport of biathlon into disrepute, and their active membership would undermine the IBU’s and its members’ efforts to promote its constitutional principles and purposes with credibility,” the statement said.

The IBU’s Executive Board will closely monitor the situation and review the decision if circumstances change, it added.

Russia’s war on Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, has drawn international outrage, with the EU, US and UK, among others, implementing tough financial sanctions on Moscow.

At least 1,151 civilians have been killed in Ukraine and 1,824 injured, according to the UN, which has cautioned that the true figure is likely far higher.

More than 3.87 million Ukrainians have also fled to neighboring countries, with millions more displaced inside the country, according to the UN refugee agency.

Rodgers Kwemoi of Kenya finished first in the men's half marathon with a time of 59 minutes and 15 seconds, setting a track record, while his countryman Daniel Mateiko finished second with a time of 1 hour and 5 seconds, followed by Kenyan Emmanuel Bor at third with a time of 1 hour and 20 seconds.

Kenyan runner Hellen Obiri also took first place in the women's category with a time of 1 hour, 4 minutes, and 48 seconds.

Ethiopia's Tsehay Gemechu was second with a time of 1 hour, 5 minutes and 52 seconds, followed by Kenya's Vicoty Chepngeno with 1 hour, 6 minutes and 58 seconds.

Among Turkish athletes, Ramazan Ozdemir completed the race with a time of 1 hour, 4 minutes and 2 seconds in the men’s categories, and Yasemin Can ran the race in 1 hour, 7 minutes and 57 seconds in the women’s category.

Another Turkish athlete, Alihan Yilgin, won the 10 km (6.21 miles) race.

An award ceremony was held near the starting area for the winning runners.

The event, with more than 650 foreign athletes from 65 countries competing, had two categories: 21 kilometers (13 miles) and 10 kilometers, while skating enthusiasts also vied in races.

The first-place winners were awarded $7,500, second-place finishers $5,000, and third-place finishers $4,000.

"We must be aware of our forgotten values that can bring humanity together in world situations like today and act together," Bilal Erdogan said in his opening speech of the 5th Ethnosport Forum, which was held in Azerbaijan's capital Baku, and hosted 140 participants from 45 countries on March 5-6.

He also stressed the great importance to preserve values of humanity and carrying them to future generations, saying, "It has become inevitable to cooperate and unite, in order to remove all kinds of sports, culture, tradition and art, which bring people together and take human beings and then all living things, from the dusty pages where they are fading into oblivion and apply to our lives."

The forum procured high-level participation, including the World Ethnosport Confederation (WEC) President Bilal Erdogan, Minister of Youth and Sports of Azerbaijan Ferid Gayibov, Minister of Youth and Sports of Turkey Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoglu, Minister of Sports of Nigeria Adamou Sekou, National Minister of Physical Culture and Sport of Mexico Ana Gabriela Guevara Espinoza, Minister of Sports of Gambia Bakary Y. Badjie, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Program Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkish States Baghdad Amreyev, also the deputy ministers of sports of Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Lebanon.

The forum continued with a communication panel, in which communication strategies of traditional sports were discussed.

The Minister of Youth and Sports of Turkey Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoglu, in a statement to the press after the panel, said that traditional sports are on a rapid rise and their popularity is increasing day by day.

Inviting everyone who is interested in the World Nomad Games in northwestern Turkish city Iznik on September 2022, Kasapoglu said, "There is a great potential. As we join hands and strengthen unity and brotherhood in accordance with the spirit of sports, I believe we will raise the bar in traditional sports branches."

"On Wednesday 2nd March 2022, the UCI officially granted Pavel Sivakov change of nationality from Russian to French. Both cycling federations have been notified and this now qualifies Pavel to race under the French flag at national, World championship and Olympic events," a statement read.

Sivakov, 24, was born in Italy to Russian parents, but grew up in France.

"France is where I grew up and was educated and where I fell in love with riding my bike which led me to racing. It feels like my home," he said.

"I have wanted to become a French national for some time and had made the request to the UCI, but given what is happening in the Ukraine at the moment, I wanted to fast track this."

He thanked the UCI and his team for their support in this process, and that he is "incredibly happy" to race for France.

"It would be a dream to race in Paris at the 2024 Olympics for France and this is something that the team have said they would fully support," Sivakov said.

The cyclist added that he is "totally against this war (Russia-Ukraine war), and all my thoughts are with the Ukrainian people."

Russia's war on Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, has been met with international outrage, with the European Union, US, and UK, among others, implementing tough financial sanctions on Moscow.

At least 1.2 million people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries, according to UN Refugee Agency.

Flags, symbols or anthems of Russia and Belarus are also banned in competitions.

Representatives from Russian and Belarusian FIA members will also step aside from their roles and responsibilities, according to the statement.

But Russian and Belarusian drivers, individual competitors and officials will be able to participate in international and zone competitions only in a neutral capacity and under the “FIA flag.”

These individuals may compete subject to a specific commitment and adherence to the FIA's principles of peace and political neutrality, the federation noted.

Since Russia's war on Ukraine began last Thursday, it has been met by outrage from the international community with the EU, UK and US implementing a range of economic sanctions on Russia.

At least 136 civilians, including 13 children, have been killed and 400 others, including 26 children, injured in Ukraine, according to UN figures.

Nearly 680,000 people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries, the UN Refugee Agency said Tuesday.

Going higher than ski lifts could ever reach, heli-skiing enthusiasts jump from helicopters onto steep mountain slopes, challenging their bodies along with their high-alpine skiing skills.

After the skiers get down to their destination, helicopters can ferry them back up to the top of the mountain again to take another go.

Heli-skiing has been offered along the Black Sea coastal destinations of Camlihemsin, Ikizdere and Yusufeli since 2005, as organized by the Ayder Heliski Aviation and Tourism Company.

This week the Kackar Mountains has welcomed two dozen ski lovers from Spain, Switzerland, and France.

When snowfall didn’t allow for traveling by copter, the skiers arrived in the Galer Duzu region using a special snow-track vehicle.

A total of 370 skiers are currently slated to enjoy heli-skiing fun through the end of March.

Razgatlioglu started the race in the pole position. The leading role changed hands during the fierce race but he eventually finished second and grabbed the world title ahead of the final race of the season.

The young sportsman became the first Turkish athlete to win the Superbike World Championship.

In his testimony to the digital, culture, media and sport select committee on Tuesday, Rafiq, who is of Pakistani descent, spoke about the culture of racism at the county club said to be England's most successful.

He shared some racist comments he and other players with Asian backgrounds players were subjected to such as "elephant washer" and "You lot sit over there near the toilets."

Rafiq, a Muslim, said he was forced to drink wine at the age of 15. "I got pinned down at my local cricket club and had red wine poured down my throat, literally down my throat," he said.

The 30-year-old said Martyn Moxon, the club’s director of cricket, "ripped shreds" off him after the stillbirth of his son in 2017. "The first day back after losing my son, Moxon literally got me in a room and ripped the shreds off me," Rafiq said, adding: "I’ve never seen him speak to anyone like that at the club."

He called the atmosphere "toxic" in the dressing room after his former teammate Gary Ballance became the team captain.

The testimony was paused for a while after he burst into tears and could not continue speaking.

The off spin bowler played for Yorkshire from 2008-14 and again from 2016-18. He first made the claims in 2020, and a report later found he was a victim of "racial harassment and bullying."

- “Harrowing and upsetting”

After the hearing, the cricket club said Rafiq’s experiences are “harrowing and upsetting.”

Lord Patel of Bradford, director and chair of the club, said Rafiq’s “courage in speaking up should be praised, and nobody should underestimate how difficult it would have been to relive all of this in public.”

He reiterated the club’s apology, and said “it should never have happened.”

Besides setting up a whistleblowing hotline for victims of discrimination, which became operational on Monday, he said the club is committed to taking further action, and will communicate the steps transparently.

The One-Day International cricket tournament was scheduled to be played in the South Asian country in 2009 as well, but was moved to South Africa following a terrorist attack on visiting Sri Lankan players in the northeastern city of Lahore.

Pakistan last hosted the 1996 World Cup along with India and Sri Lanka, and the return of a major international tournament has brought cheers to the Pakistan Cricket Board's top brass.

“It’s a matter of great pride and delight that Pakistan will be hosting ICC Champions Trophy 2025. This great news will surely excite millions of Pakistani fans, expats and world fans to see great teams and players in action and will allow the world to sample our hospitality,” chairman Ramiz Raja said on Twitter.

This September, New Zealand abandoned their tour of Pakistan citing security concerns, moments before the start of the series. England followed suit and canceled their scheduled visit in October.

After a six-year hiatus, Zimbabwe in 2015 became the first team to visit the country after the 2009 attack. Since then, international teams such as South Africa, West Indies and Sri Lanka have played in Pakistan.

US to co-host World Cup 1st time

Meanwhile, the US will co-host its first-ever mega cricket tournament – the T20 World Cup 2024 – alongside West Indies.

India and Sri Lanka will co-host the T20 World Cup 2026, while Australia and New Zealand will jointly host the tournament’s next edition in 2028.

The 50-over World Cup in 2027 will take place in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, while India and Bangladesh will host the 2031 edition.

Skipper Babar Azam made a half-century before Asif Ali hit four sixes in the 19th over as the green shirts chased the 148-run target at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Afghanistan opted to bat first after winning the toss, and found themselves 39-4 by the sixth over. But an unbeaten 71-run partnership between Gulbaden Naib and Mohammad Nabi took them from 76-6 to 147-6.

Chasing the target, Pakistan lost opener Mohammad Rizwan with only 13 runs on board. Azam and Fakhar Zaman, however, struck a 59-run partnership, bringing the score to 72/1 in 10 overs.

Zaman, who scored 30 runs off 27 balls, fell prey to a deceptive delivery by captain Mohammad Nabi, and was declared lbw.

Mohammad Hafeez failed to perform once again, and was caught on the long-on while trying to hit on a googly by right-arm spinner Rashid Khan.

Azam's lose shot also cost him a ticket to the pavilion, putting the team under pressure.

In the eventful 17th over, Shoaib Malik smashed a mighty six but was caught behind in the next over.

With Pakistan needing 24 from 12 deliveries to win, Ali (25 from seven) emerged a hero, hitting hit four sixes to young Karim Janat in the 19th over, finishing the nerve-shattering fixture with one over to spare. He was declared man of the match.

Pakistan beat India and New Zealand in their first two games, and matches against Namibia and Scotland are remaining.

Prime Minister Imran Khan congratulated Pakistan, but called Afghanistan's performance "impressive."

"Never have I seen a cricketing nation rise as rapidly as Afghanistan in international cricket amp; become so competitive," he said on Twitter. "With this competitive spirit amp; talent the future of cricket is bright in Afghanistan."

Police in the northern Uttar Pradesh state have arrested five out of seven people against whom cases were registered for celebrating Pakistan’s Oct. 24 win in Dubai.

The state chief minister’s office said on Thursday morning that a sedition law will be invoked against the individuals.

Shalabh Mani Tripathi, media adviser to Chief Minister Yogi Adiyanath, told Anadolu Agency that orders have been issued for strict action against those who celebrated Pakistan’s win.

“Four such cases have been reported in the entire state,” he said.

Among those arrested in Uttar Pradesh, a stronghold of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), are three students from Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, who are studying at the Raja Balwant Singh Engineering Technical College in Agra.

Vikas Kumar, a top police official in Agra, confirmed that three students from Agra were arrested in Uttar Pradesh, adding that “sedition charges will be added to the case against them.”

In Uttar Pradesh’s neighboring Rajasthan state, a teacher who was fired from her job for posting a WhatsApp status hailing Pakistan’s win was also arrested on Wednesday. She was, however, later released on bail.

Earlier this week, police in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir filed criminal cases under a stringent anti-terror law against students of two medical colleges who reveled after Pakistan beat India by 10 wickets in the rivals’ inaugural match of the World Cup campaign.

Indian authorities’ actions have been condemned by many and sparked several calls for the cases to be withdrawn.

“This is just sports. Cheering for or supporting any team should not be construed with someone’s political ideology,” Nasir Khuehami, who runs a student association, told Anadolu Agency.

“These cases will have severe consequences for the students. This can ruin their future.”

However, Arun Gupta, a BJP spokesman, reaffirmed that such actions will not be tolerated or accepted.

“The issue is that if your team has lost, you should be sad about that. Why are you cheering for a team that is not yours? You’re either an Indian or you’re not,” he said.

Cricket matches between India and Pakistan, who have a decades-long political and military rivalry in South Asia, have long been highly charged affairs for the region’s cricket-crazed population.

Apart from the arrests, the rising vitriol triggered incidents of violence in parts of India, including an attack on students by fellow students in the northern state of Punjab.

Mohammed Shami, a Muslim member of the Indian cricket team, was also singled out in a barrage of abuse on social media, which has been resoundingly denounced by fellow cricketers, including from Pakistan, and people from all walks of life.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Gazoz, who brought his nation its first-ever Olympic medal in archery, said that after clinching the gold at Tokyo 2020, interest in the country surged both in himself and archery.

The 22-year-old went on to say that he hopes to participate in the Paris 2024 Olympic team as well and win another medal.

"With the project that started in 2013, we aim to further the success in archery," he said.

Gazoz noted that his goal in Turkey's archery team was to maintain its rising success.

"I'm planning to stay in archery until I'm 48-49 years old. I've been doing archery since I was born," he said, adding that he would "probably continue" to practice the sport even after quitting professionally.

Referring to his recent success, Gazoz said that although he has not shot arrows since the Olympic Games ended, he came third in the Archery World Cup Final and got a bronze alongside Yasemin Ecem Anagoz in the mixed team at the World Championships in Yankton, South Dakota.

"Both competitions were fun. We're very happy with the result, too," he said.

Gazoz won the gold beating Italy's Mauro Nespoli in the men's individual archery final at Tokyo 2020 in July.

Herlings finished the race with a time of 34:42.407.

His team-mate Jorge Prado of Spain finished in second with 34:47.941, followed by the GASGAS rider Pauls Jonass of Latvia, who put in a time of 34:48.643 at the Afyonkarahisar Motor Sports Center.

"Having dominated viewer ratings throughout the months of June and July 2021, the eagerly awaited tournament left its mark in viewership history, landing audiences that rank amongst the most viewed moments of all time and breaking live streaming records along the way," the European football’s governing body said in a statement.

It added that EURO 2020 was the first major organization since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, and was completed successfully.

The EURO 2020 was available in 229 territories through 137 broadcasters as it attracted a 5.23 billion cumulative live match audience.

A total of 328 million fans watched the final between England and Italy, equaling the record of the previous tournament held in 2016.

With 7.5 billion interactions and two billion views on the UEFA social media accounts, the EURO 2020 became the most engaged European Championship.

Pehlivanlar won with a total of 234.5 points in the final.

The 41-year-old previously won a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Iranian Paralympic shooter Sareh Javanmardi won the gold medal with 239.2 points, while Krisztina David from Hungary won the bronze medal with a score of 210.5.

Another Turkish athlete competing in the final, 43-year-old Aysel Ozgan, came in 8th place.

Turkmenoglu secured silver after a narrow loss to the Czech Republic’s David Drahoninsky in the gold medal clash of the men’s individual W1 class.

Drahoninsky edged the match by 142-141, equaling the record he set at the 2016 Rio Paralympics.

Turkey’s Hekimoglu won bronze in the same category, beating Iran’s Mohammadreza Zandi 139-134.

Ozturk, 17, completed the 50-meter backstroke S5 final in the third spot with a time of 43.48 seconds to claim the bronze medal in Tokyo.

China's Dong Lu won gold with a time of 37.18, which is a new World and Paralympic record.

Teresa Perales from Spain had silver, completing the contest in the second position with 43.02.

Another Turkish swimmer Sumeyye Boyaci was among the finalists but the 18-year-old ranked fourth with a time of 43.94 and failed to make the podium in the final.

Ozturk, 31, beat South Korea's Kim Young-gun 3-1 in the Class 4 gold medal match in Tokyo to secure Turkey’s first gold medal of the Paralympics.

This is the Turkish athlete’s third Paralympic medal, having previously won gold in the same category at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio and another bronze.

The Games were postponed for one year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Japanese Emperor Naruhito declared the 2020 Paralympics open at the Tokyo National Stadium.

Tokyo became the first city to host the Summer Paralympics twice. The first one was in 1964.

A total of 4,403 athletes from 161 countries and regions and a small refugee team will participate in 539 medal events in 22 sports.

Taekwondo and badminton will be held for the first time during the 2020 Paralympics.

COVID-19 pandemic

Infections in Japan are currently at a worrying level.

Tokyo's daily infection figure has been more than 5,000 lately, roughly three times higher than the start of the Olympics on July 23.

Samoa, Kiribati, Tonga and Vanuatu were unable to send athletes to Japan due to the pandemic.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee developed COVID-19 playbooks regarding the organization.

Participants will be tested daily for the virus and must wear face masks and maintain social distancing even in the athletes' village.

Such is the craze for playing with the left hand in the game of uncertainty that mesmerizes many countries, even right-handed crickets like Brian Lara of West Indians, Mark Taylor Justin Langer, and Adam Gilchrist of Australia have batted left-handed.

On eve of International Lefthanders Day which is being observed on Friday, Pakistani cricket fans recall thrilling games of the lefthanded cricketers. Many teams prefer to open bating with lefthanders. Since 2000, out of 18 opening batsmen in the Australian team, 12 have been left-handers.

In Pakistan as well, fast bowlers like Wasim Akran and Saleem Jaffar, slow spin wizards Iqbal Qasim, stylish batsmen, Sadiq Mohamad, Saeed Anwar, Waseem Hasan Raja, and Aamir Sohail, and Nasim-ul-Ghani, all were southpaws – the affectionate term for lefties – and mesmerized cricket fans all over the world through their glorious performances.

Unusual advantage

According to Qamar Ahmed, a former BBC commentator and sports journalist, the simple and rational aspect of being a left-hander, particularly sportsmen, is that they produce something unusual, which the right handed majority is not used to face.

Like in boxing, he observed, a Southpaw is rather more successful and dangerous because his punch comes from an unusual angle.

" Similarly, in cricket or other sports, a left- hander mostly excels because a bowler is not used to bowling regularly to a left-handed batsman or a right-handed batsman is not used to play left-arm bowlers, which becomes difficult to tackle," Ahmad, himself a left-hander who played first class cricket in Pakistan and league cricket in England, told Anadolu Agency.

The same goes in tennis, table tennis, baseball, and many other sports, he said adding that left-handed sportsmen are a "unique lot."

Endorsing Ahmad's views, Ehsan Qureshi, a Karachi-based sports analyst observed that Pakistan's left-handed cricketers, despite having been outnumbered, stand way ahead of their right-handed colleagues in terms of records and match-winning performances.

"Left-handers are unique in cricket.

In my vivid memory Pakistan left-arm spinner Iqbal Qasim single handedly led Pakistan to victories against strong sides like Australia, India. I can't forget the exceptional performance of Wasim Akram who swang World Cup (1992) in Pakistan's favor with his remarkable swing (bowling)," Qureshi said, while speaking to Anadolu Agency.

Here are a few left-handed Pakistani cricketers whose match-winning performances are still fresh in the minds of cricket lovers.

Wasim Akram

Akram is undoubtedly considered one the best left-handed pacers the world of cricket has ever seen. He singlehandedly led Pakistan to victory not only through his crippling pace but the power-hitting as well, especially in the final overs, on numerous occasions.

Also known as the " Sultan (king) of reverse swing," because of his grip on the old and rough ball, Akram would force the already panicked batsmen to dance.

An equally advantageous in both Test and One-Day (ODI) formats, he led Pakistan's squad twice during his 19-year career from 1984 to 2003.

A pick of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the then captain of the Pakistan team, the 6.3 feet tall pacer played his first match – a one-day game against New Zealand in 1984 and ever since remained an integral part of the national squad.

His marvelous performance in the final of the 1992 World Cup against England in front of over 80,000 spectators, propelled Pakistan to win its only World Cup title.

Saeed Anwar

An engineer by profession, Anwar was a left-handed opening batsman who added many feathers to his cap during his 14-year career.

Stylish and wristy Anwar set a new trend for otherwise sluggish openers who would try to stay maximum on the crease and save the wickets to give a license of power hitting to the middle order and the tailenders.

An otherwise middle-weight and middle-height batsman, Anwar would appear aggressive from the very first ball, giving the bowler no chance to set his line and length.

He remained the top scorer in cricket for 13 years. His hammering knock of 194 runs off 146 deliveries at a packed-to-capacity Kolkata stadium in 1997, is fondly remembered by cricket fans.

Iqbal Qasim

Cricket fans still remember the sunny afternoon of March 19, 1987, when the snaking deliveries of left-arm leg spinner Iqbal Qasim and right-arm off-spinner Tauseef Ahmad destroyed the strong Indian batting line in the southern Indian city of Bangalore, snatching a sure victory from the archrival.

With a flat action, approaching the wicket in angular steps between the umpire and the stumps, Qasim who was called in after a gap of two years, sent Indian batting giants one after another.

He spent most of his career under the shadow of legendary leg-spinner Abdul Qadir but at the end of the day, proved himself better than most of the vaunted spinners of his era in terms of records and statistics.

Nasim-ul-Ghani

Ghani, who batted lefthanded belongs to an early breed of cricketers in Pakistan.

He was the youngest cricketer, only 16 when he made his debut against West Indies in 1958 as a left-arm orthodox spinner.

In 1962, Ghani made the headlines as he became the first night watchman to hit a century. He scored 101 against a top English pace battery in Lords.

Ghani is, perhaps, the only cricketer in the world who opened the batting for Pakistan and also came in at number 11.

Sadiq Mohamad

Sadiq Mohammad is one of the best openers Pakistan has ever produced. He was the youngest of the five famous Mohammad brothers, who represented Pakistan international and first-class cricket at different times.

Often love to take on the pacers, Sadiq played against New Zealand in October 1969 in Karachi as a debutant. His last appearance as a test cricket was against West Indies in January 1981 in Pakistan's northeastern city of Multan.

He was one of the cricketers who gathered a huge fan club at a time when cricket was not as glamorous and professional as it is nowadays.

Waseem Hasan Raja

At the first sight, Raja appeared to be a film hero. Sporting a short beard and fluttering hair, he had had many feathers in his cap, apart from being a cricketer. A school teacher, match referee, a coach, and a philanthropist.

A glorious left-handed middle-order batsman and a right-arm leg spinner, Raja made his debut against England in 1973. His fearless batting against a fearsome West Indian attack in 1976 tour of the Caribbean earned him a reputation as a dependable batsman.

He died while playing a charity match in Marlow, England.

Raja was fielding in the slip when he suffered a heart attack.

"He first knelt and then fell to the ground. An ambulance was called to transport him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead," Qamar Ahmad said.

Raja was the elder brother of former Pakistan captain, and a famous cricket commentator Ramiz Raja.

Turkey this year won two gold medals, two silvers, and nine bronzes in the Games, postponed from last summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Turkey ranked 35th in this year’s medal ranking, led by the US and China in the top two slots.

Turkey enjoyed its best Olympics ever in the Japanese capital, beating its medal record from London 1948, where it bagged 12 Olympic medals – six golds, four silvers, and two bronzes.

Turkey earned two gold medals at Tokyo 2020, in archery and boxing.

On July 31 Mete Gazoz took the gold in the men's individual archery final, bringing Turkey its first-ever Olympic medal for archery.

Gazoz, 22, beat Italy's Mauro Nespoli 6-4 in the gold medal match. It was Turkey's first gold in Tokyo as well.

Turkey took its second and final gold in Tokyo in women's boxing when Busenaz Surmeneli, 23, became the Olympic welterweight champion on Saturday, the Games’ penultimate day.

Surmeneli defeated China’s Gu Hong 3-0 to secure the first-ever Olympics medal in boxing for Turkey.

- Turkey's medal-winning athletes in Tokyo

Gold: Mete Gazoz (archery), Busenaz Surmeneli (boxing)

Silver: Eray Samdan (karate), Buse Naz Cakiroglu (boxing)

Bronze: Hakan Recber, Hatice Kubra Ilgun (Taekwondo), Ferhat Arican (gymnastics), Riza Kayaalp, Yasemin Adar, Taha Akgul (wrestling), Ali Sofuoglu, Merve Coban, Ugur Aktas (karate)

- Gymnast Arican seals first-ever gymnastics medal for Turkey

Ferhat Arican, 28, also made history in Tokyo by bringing home the first-ever Olympic medal for Turkey in gymnastics.

On Aug. 3 Arican earned a bronze medal with 15.633 points in the men's parallel bars final.

- Wrestling below expectations

Historically wrestling has been Turkey's best area in the Olympics, as over the years it has scored a total of 66 medals – including 29 gold medals.

But at Tokyo 2020, Riza Kayaalp, Yasemin Adar, and Taha Akgul all won bronze medals, in a sub-par year for the Turkish team.

Before the 2020 Games, Turkey had expected gold medals from Kayaalp and Akgul, as the Turkish duo were seen as favorites.

Akgul, 30, was a gold medalist in the freestyle 125 kg at Rio 2016.

Kayaalp, 31, bagged a silver in Greco-Roman 130 kg in Rio, and a bronze in the 120 kg category at London 2012, his first Olympics.

At Rio 2016, Turkish wrestlers took five medals.

- Thrilling showing in women's volleyball

The Turkish women's national volleyball team reached the Tokyo 2020 quarterfinals, scoring the country's best Olympic performance yet.

Turkey previously qualified for the last eight phase in the 2020 Games, completing Pool B in the number three position with 3-2 win/loss record.

In Tokyo, the Turkish team was eliminated in the quarterfinals on Aug. 4, losing to South Korea 3-2.

With the defeat, Turkey this year came in fifth.

In its Olympic debut in volleyball in London 2012, the Turkish women's team ended the games in the number nine spot.

During the ceremony, which was held without fans, athletes carried flags from all countries to the center of the field.

The athletes, who did not leave Tokyo after their competitions, came to the field and participated in the closing event.

The Olympic Stadium also hosted a spectacular fireworks show, concerts, and parades. Volunteers working during the Games were also given the plaques.

Olympic flag passes to France

The Olympic flag was passed to France as the next Olympics will be held in Paris in 2024.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike handed over the Olympic flag to International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, who then passed it on to Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris for the 2024 Games.

After the handover ceremony, the national anthem of France was played, and the introduction film of the Paris Games was projected on the stadium's screens.

Bach took the podium with medalists from every continent to deliver a speech, congratulating the athletes who fought with the unifying power of sports.

"For the first time since the pandemic began, the entire world came together. Sport returned to center stage. Billions of people around the globe were united by emotion, sharing moments of joy and inspiration. This gives us hope. This gives us faith in the future," he said.

"You, the best athletes of the world, could only make your Olympic dream come true because Japan prepared the stage for you to shine."

The Olympic closing ceremony ended after the Tokyo Olympic flame was extinguished.

By defeating China’s Gu Hong, Surmeneli sealed the first-ever Olympics medal in boxing for Turkey at Kokugikan Arena in the Japanese capital.

Surmeneli, 23, became world champion at the 2019 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships in Ulan-Ude, Russia.

“It's gold for Turkey! Busenaz Surmeneli is the inaugural women's Boxing welterweight Olympic champion and Turkey's first ever gold in the sport!” wrote the official Olympics Twitter account.

Several national and international cricket players are taking part in the league's first edition aimed at promoting Kashmir globally, as well as nurturing local talent.

The event will also manifest Kashmir's "alluring geography and culture" besides the promotion of sports in the region, the league said in a statement.

In the inaugural edition, six teams – Rawalakot Hawks, Kotli Lions, Mirpur Royals, Muzaffarabad Tigers, Overseas Warriors, and Bagh Stallions – will contest for ten days. The final match will be played on Aug. 17.

Akgul, 30, beat his Mongolian opponent Lkhagvagerel Munkhtur 5-0 to claim the second Olympic medal of his career, following his gold at Rio 2016.

The 24-year-old lost to France's Steven da Costa 5-0, who achieved a gold.

Samdan won a bronze and gold at the European Karate Championships of 2019 and 2021 respectively.

"I have to say it is a cluster," said Masanori Takaya, spokesman for the Tokyo Organizing committee.

At least 29 new cases were detected that included three Greek artistic swimmers, Kyodo News reported.

Greek Olympic Committee had said a day earlier that its team will be withdrawn from the games as swimmers were infected with the coronavirus.

The Tokyo Olympics organizing committee said a total of 322 infections have been reported so far, during the world's biggest games.

Meanwhile, Tokyo -- the main host city of the Olympics and Paralympics games -- reported 4,166 daily coronavirus cases on Wednesday.

Japan has reported 956,407 virus cases until Tuesday night including 15,219 deaths.

Busenaz Surmeneli defeated Lovlina Borgohain of India with a unanimous 5-0 decision in the women's welterweight semifinals.

Surmeneli will meet China’s GU Hong for the gold medal on Saturday.

Another Turkish boxer, Buse Naz Cakiroglu, moved to the final after beating Chinese Taipei's Huang Hsiao-Wen on a unanimous decision, 5-0, in the women's flyweight semifinals.

She will square off against Bulgarian Stoyka Zhelyazkova to seal the gold medal in Saturday's flyweight boxing final.

Mu, 19, ran the 800-meter final with a time of one minute and 55.21 seconds – breaking the US record – to bring home the gold.

The only other US gold in the Olympic event took place way back in 1968, when Madeline Manning ran 2:00.9 in the Mexico City Games.

Also on Tuesday, Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson grabbed the silver in the event with her time of 1:55.88.

American Raevyn Rogers got the bronze with a time of 1:56.81.

Biles, 24, earned bronze in the women's balance beam category, scoring 14.000 points in the final.

Sixteen-year-old Guan Chenchen of China won gold with 14.633 points.

Chenchen's compatriot Tang Xijing took silver with a score of 14.233 in the final.

Biles completed the Tokyo 2020 with two Olympic medals; silver with the US team and bronze on the individual balance beam.

Last week Biles pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics women’s team final to "focus on mental health," as US Gymnastics previously said on Wednesday.

The American gymnastics' governing body said on Twitter that Biles withdrew from the final individual all-around competition in the Olympics for her mental wellbeing and back Biles for her choice.

On Monday, US Gymnastics announced that Biles would compete in the balance beam final, where she earned a bronze.

Biles won four gold medals at the Rio 2016 Games.

She is one of the most decorated athletes, combining 31 Olympic and world medals so far.

Kayaalp, 31, defeated Iran's Amin Mirzazadeh 7-2 to bag his third Olympic medal.