Related video above: Russian skater Kamila Valieva finishes fourthThe U.S. figure skaters whose Olympic silver medals are being withheld have filed an appeal to have them awarded before the end of the Beijing Games, with a decision expected as soon as Saturday night.The Court of Arbitration for Sport confirmed to The Associated Press that it was hearing the case Saturday evening in Beijing and expected a rapid ruling.In a letter sent to IOC president Thomas Bach, a copy of which was obtained by AP, attorneys for the skaters said they sought a ruling before Sunday's closing ceremony.Kamila Valieva led the Russian team to a victory in last week’s team event, and the U.S. finished second. Soon after, a positive doping test for the 15-year-old skater was disclosed. CAS allowed her to continue skating at the women's event, but the International Olympic Committee said it would not award medals in any events in which she finished among the top three.She finished fourth in the women's event — crying as she left the ice, then criticized by her coach after a mistake-filled long program.This case involves the team event held the previous week. The Russians won the event by a large margin. Japan was third and Canada finished fourth.The letter sent on behalf of the American runners-up says the IOC's “own rules mandate that a victory ceremony ‘to present medals to the athletes shall follow the conclusion of each sports event.’"In a meeting earlier this week with the skaters, Bach offered them Olympic torches as something of a holdover memento while the doping case, which could take months, or even years, plays out.In their letter to Bach, the attorneys said they hoped the IOC would reconsider but that because of the urgency, they were filing the appeal.U.S. Figure Skating executive director Ramsey Baker sent the AP a statement standing in support of the skaters.“Having a medal ceremony at an Olympic Games is not something that can be replicated anywhere else, and they should be celebrated in front of the world before leaving Beijing,” Baker said.The letter to Bach, sent by attorney Paul Greene, who represents athletes in doping and other cases against Olympic authorities, said the IOC president had asked the athletes for their input.“A dignified medal ceremony from our clients’ vantage point is one in the Medals Plaza as originally planned and afforded to all other medalists,” he wrote.After Valieva's test became public, Russia's anti-doping agency at first put her on provisional suspension, then lifted the suspension. That triggered the IOC and World Anti-Doping Agency to lead an appeal to CAS, which acted swiftly and said Valieva could still compete.That did not resolve the larger question about the result from the team competition.Nine Americans stand to get some sort of medal out of that — either the second-place prize they're aiming to receive this weekend, or a gold that could become theirs if the Russian's are disqualified because of Valieva's doping case.Because she is 15, Valieva is considered a “protected person” under anti-doping rules, and is not expected to receive a harsh penalty. Her coaches and doctors are being investigated by Russian and world anti-doping authorities.___AP Sports Writer Graham Dunbar contributed to this report.

The cauldron will be snuffed Sunday on the exhausting, enlightening, sometimes enraging 2020 Tokyo Olympics — held, actually, in 2021. These are the Games that were to be tolerated, not celebrated.They will be both.Imperfect but not impossible, these Olympics — willed into existence despite a pandemic that sparked worldwide skepticism and hard-wired opposition from Japan's own citizens — just might go down as the Games that changed sports for good.The countries that typically dominate the numbers game have done so again when tallying gold, silver and bronze. But there have been some big surprises along the way, some of them delivered by smaller nations, older athletes and teenage newcomers. Sunday is the last day of competition in Tokyo.As they did in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, the United States and China rank first and second in total medals. After Saturday, the U.S. led the total medal count with 108, including 36 gold.China wanted a big medal count ahead of hosting the 2022 Beijing Winter Games in February. China had 87 total medals after Saturday, 38 of them gold, bolstered by strong results in diving, shooting, weightlifting and gymnastics.Here are some things to watch as things wrap up: Women's basketballSue Bird and Diana Taurasi will try to lead the U.S. women's basketball team to a seventh consecutive gold medal when the Americans play Japan in the Olympic final.Bird and Taurasi will be going for a record fifth gold — an achievement no other basketball player has ever accomplished.Japan has already assured itself the first Olympic medal in women’s basketball in the country’s history. Coach Tom Hovasse had said when he was hired a little over four years ago that his team would be playing against the Americans for gold at the Tokyo Games.His team proved him right.Women's volleyballThe U.S. seeks its first gold medal ever in women’s volleyball when the Americans take on Brazil in the finals on Sunday.The United States has won three silver medals and two bronze since 1984, but has never stood at the top of the podium at the Olympics. The Americans lost to Brazil in 2008 and '12 and to China in 1984.U.S. coach Karch Kiraly is looking to join China’s Lang Ping as the only Olympians to win gold as a player in volleyball and also a coach. His team is led by three-time Olympians Jordan Larson and Foluke Akinradewo Gunderson, who have already won silver and bronze medals.

Caeleb Dressel is expected to be the star of Day 7 at the Tokyo Games as he seeks his third gold medal in Friday night coverage of the Olympics.The U.S. women's soccer team plays the Netherlands in a rematch of the World Cup final, and Allyson Felix can become the most decorated female Olympian in track and field.Both the U.S. men's and women's water polo teams play and Hannah Roberts in BMX freestyle will try to become the youngest U.S. medalist in cycling since 1912. She’d also be the first female teenager to win an Olympic cycling gold medal.SwimmingLilly King took silver and Anne Lazor won the bronze in the women's 200 meter breaststroke at the Tokyo Aquatics Center. Shortly after, Ryan Murphy captured the silver medal in the men's 200 meter backstroke event. Caeleb Dressel is the favorite in the men’s 100-meter butterfly, an event he won at the past two world championships and is the world record holder. He's already won two golds in Tokyo.Katie Ledecky will be attempting to earn her 10th career medal as a big favorite in the women’s 800-meter freestyle. A victory would give Ledecky six individual golds over her career, which would be the most of any female swimmer. Ledecky is currently tied with Hungarian great Krisztina Egerszegi after winning gold in the 1,500 free.The mixed 4x100 medley relay makes its Olympic debut. The chaotic event features teams comprised of two men and two women, but there are no restrictions on which swimmers take each of the four strokes.That sets up some odd-looking but thrilling races where big leads can quickly evaporate.Here are some other events to watch (all times Eastern): Track & FieldActivity has hardly started at Olympic Stadium but Friday gives a preview of what could be the race of the Olympics.The women's 400-meter hurdles opening round puts Sydney McLaughlin and Dalilah Muhammad in action. The two have lowered the world record each of the past three times they’ve raced in a major competition. McLaughlin currently holds it at 51.90.In the mixed 4X400 relay, a medal for the Americans would push Allyson Felix past Merlene Ottey of Jamaica as the female Olympian with the most track and field medals. She currently has 10 medals. Water PoloThe U.S. women’s water polo team faces the Russian Olympic Committee in its first game since its first loss at the Olympics since 2008. Trying for its third consecutive gold medal, the U.S. lost 10-9 to Hungary in group play on Wednesday. It was the United States’ first loss since Jan. 16, 2020, at Australia. It dropped to 130-4 since it won gold at the 2016 Games. Alex Obert and the U.S. men’s water polo team take on Krisztian Manhercz and Hungary. Obert scored twice during a tough 12-11 loss to Italy on Thursday, and Manhercz had five goals on five shots in a 23-1 victory against South Africa.The U.S. is looking to strengthen its position for a likely berth in the quarterfinals.Early Morning SoccerThe U.S. women’s national soccer team has advanced to the quarterfinals in Japan.The Americans face the Netherlands — the team’s opponent in the 2019 World Cup final in France — on Friday in Yokohama. If they lose, they will go home. Freestyle BMXHannah Roberts, a three-time BMX freestyle world champion at the age of 19 and the first woman to land a 360 tailwhip in competition, will try to become the youngest U.S. medalist in cycling since 1912. She'd also be the first female teenager to win an Olympic cycling gold medal.Roberts since 2019 has won three world cup titles, three world championships and has a Pan American Games gold medal. For the late crowdOlympic first-timers Sarah Sponcil and Kelly Claes, the youngest U.S. beach volleyball team ever to qualify for the Summer Games, have a chance to finish with a perfect 3-0 record when they play Brazil in the round-robin finale. The U.S. women’s volleyball team will play the Russian Olympic Committee live, and the men's trampoline final will also be held.Tennis begins to wind down. The women's singles final is the headliner, along with the bronze medal matches for men's singles, women's singles, women's doubles and mixed doubles.The third round of the men's golf tournament will also be played.