The Olympics have been a spectacle many have enjoyed for years. The first games were held in Athens, Greece. The games have been hosted in 19 countries and the United States holds the record for most cumulative medals won at 2,800. Women have been allowed in the Olympics since 1900 but 2012 was the first year that all countries had female participants.
Friday, July 23 marks the 2020 Olympic Games (held in 2021 of course). Opening ceremonies took place in Tokyo Friday night. While they looked much different than usual (no crowds in the stands), they still had all of the flair and magical one typically sees in an opening ceremony. Naomi Osaka, lit the cauldron. A well known Emperor Naruhito of Japan made an appearance and an international group of athletes sang John Legend’s “Imagine”. It is moments like this where some hope is restored after a year of loss and extremely trying times.
Here’s what to expect from this year’s games:
We can expect 4 new sports: karate (to be divided up by weight classes and spar with those of similar builds), skateboarding (featuring both men and women’s divisions), sport climbing (think indoor rock-climbing and bouldering) and surfing (this one can vary based on wave levels). There are various scoring techniques and qualification rounds for each of these and the entertainment is guaranteed to be endless.
Both US Volleyball and soccer teams didn’t get the scores they wanted in the Rio Olympics. Watch as they aim for the gold this go around.
The lady of the hour: Simone Biles. Recently in practice rounds, she nailed a move that no other woman ever has. That’s not the only records she’s breaking. She now has several moves named after her and holds a record of seven national women’s all around titles. Watch her in the games to see what other tricks she can pull out of her hat.
Many other stars to shine. Keep an eye on US Olympic Athletes such as Katie Ledecky on the swim time, Kyle Dake for wrestling and Carissa Moore for surfing. All of these athletes have already achieved huge milestones outside of the game and the adrenaline of the Olympic games is sure to bring out their best.
Things to laugh about: the entertainment doesn’t stop at the competition. For a laugh, check out some of the horse’s names that will be featured in the equestrian disciplines. Hot chocolate, Funky Fred and Blue Movie are a few you’ll find.
Take me out to the ball game! Baseball will return to the Olympic games for the first time since 2008! Watch to see who scores home runs and who throws a foul.
The stadium: being the beginning, the end and where all of the action happens be sure to check out the features of Tokyo’s Olympic stadium This was a stadium that was used for the 1964 Olympics and then was revamped for this year. Look out for all of the new bells and whistles.
For a full schedule and the most current articles about the Olympic games, visit https://www.nbcolympics.com/full-schedule
Featured image via Max Pixel
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