The biggest sporting event in the world is almost here! This text is for you who, like me, can't wait to watch the opening of the Olympics in Tokyo. The Japanese city had all sports lovers eager for this edition even at the closing of Rio 2016, when it brought Mario Bros to the event.
One of Tokyo 2020's strategies will be to heavily leverage its anime, manga, and gaming culture in the event's opening. And that's to be expected from an edition that will feature names like Sailor Moon, Goku, and Naruto among its ambassadors.
Date change
The wait for Tokyo 2020 had to last a little longer than usual due to the COVID-19 pandemic that brought the world to a standstill. A year after the date scheduled on the Olympic calendar, Tokyo will open its doors to athletes from all over the world, but with many adaptations, since we are still in the midst of the pandemic.
One measure that will certainly have a major impact on the event is the lack of spectators in the Olympic arenas. The decision was made at on the eve of the start of the gamesPrior to this, the intention was to open the event to 50% of the audience capacity of each arena.
Furthermore, the Japanese government cancelled the famous Olympic torch relay through the city streets because of the virus. It is common for the Olympic torch to pass through several cities in the host country of the games until it reaches the Olympic cauldron on opening day. A 15-day relay was planned in Japan until its arrival at the Olympic Village on July 23.
Not everything is flowers
A few days ago, news shocked many sports fans: some athletes from Brazilian delegation refused to take the Covid vaccine.This news shocked many people on social media, who expressed their opinions on the matter, with many even saying they believed it to be fake news.
If only that were the case, but the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) confirmed that 30 of the 302 athletes registered for the games did not receive the first dose of the vaccine. Jorge Bichara, deputy head of the committee, confirmed that there were refusals by athletes to receive the immunizing agent, even though the vaccine is a requirement of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Another piece of news that shocked the public was seeing that big names in athletics were left out of the Olympic Games. Names like Sha'Carri Richardson, Caster SemenyaCece Telfer and Christine Mboma were disqualified from this edition due to hormone testing, which was seen by many as an arbitrary, racist, and misogynistic choice.
A new edition
Tokyo will host the debut of five sports that have been absent from the competition for several years. Softball, Baseball, Karate, Skateboarding, Surfing, and Competitive Climbing have joined the Olympic sports program.
The inclusion of these sports has allowed several athletes to realize their dream of participating in the Olympics. One example is the young skateboarder, Rayssa Leal, better known as the Skate Fairy, who has already made history at the Games as the youngest athlete in the Brazilian delegation, at 13 years old.
Even skateboarding was a sport that required a series of adaptations within the Games; it was necessary to design uniforms that wouldn't hinder the athletes' development while still respecting Olympic regulations. The uniforms feature a modern and casual look – typical of skateboarding – in the colors of each delegation's flag.
The wait is finally over, in just a few days we'll be able to watch the Olympic Games!! Tell us which sport you're most excited to see ⚽️ ⚾️
