The Tokyo Olympics are over, and now it is time to get a sense of how Japan did in its first Olympic Games. In this post, we will review the main events of the Olympics, all the British medal hopes, and the biggest stars of the Games.
On the whole, the Olympics are a great place to see sport at its best, and the 2012 Olympics in Tokyo is no exception. But a major impact of the Olympics is to provide a focus for the most talented athletes in the world, whose skills are so far beyond that of the rest of us that we can barely begin to imagine the level of expertise they possess. It’s not hard to see this in action for those that have competed at the Olympics, and the way they carry themselves in interviews and on TV.
Following on from our guide to the key events, a look at the big stars and British medal hopes.. Read more about bbc olympics 2021 schedule and let us know what you think.
| Tokyo, Japan is the host city. Dates: July 23rd through August 8th |
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We’ve all been waiting for the Olympics, so what better way to organize your two weeks than with our day-by-day schedule – all timings are in BST.
On the 8th of July, Team GB announced a roster of 376 competitors, the biggest ever for an overseas Games and the first time in a summer Games with more women than men.
Day minus one is Thursday, July 22nd.
There are no medal events.
Highlights
The men’s football season begins on Thursday. Brazil against Germany (12:30) is the penultimate game to begin; it’s a repeat of the 2016 Olympic final, in which hosts Brazil defeated Germany on penalties.
Keep an eye on the British.
There are no British soldiers in action. Since 1960, the United Kingdom has only entered a men’s football team in the Olympics once, in 2012 as the host country. In most cases, the home countries are unable to agree on how to merge.
Keep an eye on the world.
12:00 p.m.: Honduras vs. Romania, with Romania making their first appearance in the Olympic men’s football competition since 1964.
12:30 p.m.: Brazil vs. Germany, a repeat of the 2016 Olympic final, in which hosts Brazil won on penalties.
knowledge of an expert
At the Olympics, men’s football teams are usually limited to players aged 23 and under, plus three elder wildcards. To account for the year-long delay in hosting the Games, that number has been increased to 24 this year. Yes, VAR will be used.
Day one is Friday, July 23rd.
There are no medal events.
12:00 p.m. – Opening Ceremony – One, Red Button, and Online
The opening ceremony’s format is usually a source of speculation. The Covid-19 epidemic, and the implications it has on who is allowed to attend and participate in the event, has just added to the uncertainty this year.
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Japan’s then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe suited up as Mario for a Nintendo-themed handover ceremony. The opening ceremony in 2020 is anticipated to be equally inspired by Japan’s technological position.
Keep an eye on the British.
The six archers from Team GB will participate in the ranking phase, which will set seedings for the men’s and women’s individual archery competitions.
Four Team GB rowing boats are in action. Only eight of the 45 British rowers going to Tokyo are returning Olympians; one of them, Rio silver medalist Vicky Thornley, will compete in the single sculls preliminaries on Friday.
Keep an eye on the world:
Olaf Tufte, a 45-year-old Norwegian rower, will compete in his eighth Olympics, but his first in the quad scull. The farmer and fireman holds gold medals from the Olympics in Sydney and Athens, as well as bronze in Rio. He said, “I was just going to row for three weeks.” “It’s been 30 years since we last saw one other. That should suffice.”
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Teams will enter the opening ceremony in Japanese-language order for the first time (using the katakana form of written Japanese). The English-language order was utilized in previous Olympics hosted in Japan. Greece and Japan will be the only exceptions. Greece, being the first Olympic host country, is always the first to compete in any Olympics. This year’s hosts, Japan, will enter last, as is customary.
Saturday, July 24th is the first day of the festival.
11 medal events
Women’s epee, men’s sabre), judo (women’s -48kg, men’s -60kg), shooting (women’s 10m air rifle, men’s 10m air pistol), taekwondo (women’s -49kg, men’s -58kg), and weightlifting (women’s -49kg).
Highlights
The men’s cycling road race (03:00-10:00) is the most popular event on Saturday, with more than 20 Olympic sports in action. The race is seen to be wide open. Tao Geoghegan Hart, Geraint Thomas, Adam Yates, and Simon Yates make up Britain’s four-man squad.
At 11:30 a.m., the British women’s football team will play hosts Japan, who defeated Chile 2-0 in their first encounter. Saki Kumagai, the captain of Japan, led her nation to Olympic silver in 2012 and World Cup gold the year before. She is widely regarded as one of Japan’s greatest players.
From 02:00 to 14:00, it’s men’s qualifying day in artistic gymnastics. Max Whitlock, a double Rio gold medalist, leads the British men’s team, which is currently in sixth place at the 2019 World Championships.
Swimming starts elsewhere, but no finals, just heats, are planned for Saturday. At about 13:00, look for Olympic and world champion Adam Peaty in the men’s 100m breaststroke heats.
Max Whitlock created history at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio when he won Great Britain’s first medal in the all-around event in 108 years, then went on to win the floor and pommel horse competitions to become the first British gold medalist in artistic gymnastics.
Keep an eye on the British.
Seonaid McIntosh, who earned a World Cup silver medal in the women’s 10m air rifle (finishing about 08:00) in 2019, may be a possibility. This will most likely be the first gold medal given out in Tokyo 2020.
At 10:30 a.m., Team GB’s men’s hockey players face South Africa in their Olympic debut.
Helen Glover and Polly Swann compete in the women’s pair heats earlier in the morning, from 00:30-04:30. Glover, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in coxless pairs at London 2012 and Rio 2016, had a four-year hiatus from professional rowing before making a “very improbable” return.
Keep an eye on the world.
On Saturday, 3×3 basketball, a three-a-side sport played on a court with one hoop, makes its Olympic debut. In the men’s competition, Latvia and Serbia are among the favorites. Mongolia will compete in a team sport for the first time at Tokyo 2020 in the women’s event.
The Olympic tennis competition starts at 3 p.m. Depending on the sequence of play, you’ll get your first glimpse of superstar Naomi Osaka in action for hosts Japan in the women’s singles on Saturday or Sunday.
Ireland takes against South Africa in women’s hockey at 13:15 p.m. Ireland’s ladies have qualified for the Olympic hockey competition for the first time.
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As the event approaches its conclusion, the cycling road race course takes in part of the slopes of Mount Fuji, which includes a 14-kilometer ascent. The race will conclude at Fuji Speedway, where James Hunt won the 1976 Formula One World Championship. The path is generally hilly and favors climbers, but heat may also be a problem. The average daily maximum temperature in Tokyo in July is about 30 degrees Celsius.
Day two is on Sunday, July 25th.
18 medal events
Women’s team archery, cycling (women’s road race), diving (women’s 3m synchro), fencing (women’s foil, men’s epee), judo (women’s -52kg, men’s -66kg), shooting (women’s 10m air pistol, men’s 10m air rifle), skateboarding (men’s street), swimming (men’s 400m medley, men’s 400m free
Highlights
On Sunday, Jade Jones will compete in her third Olympic taekwondo competition. Around 13:00, the climax is expected. Jones, who competes in the -57kg weight class, and Wu Jingyu, who competes in the -49kg weight class, are both attempting to become the first three-time Olympic taekwondo champions in a sport that has been moved up the Olympic calendar to the first week due to its large Asian viewership.
Jones’ GB teammate Bradly Sinden, on the other hand, is aiming for Olympic taekwondo gold number one. In Manchester two years ago, the 22-year-old won the global championship in his -68kg division.
Team GB’s aspirations in the women’s cycling road race (05:00-09:30) are led by Lizzie Deignan, who will compete with teammate Anna Shackley. The Dutch team, headed by Annemiek van Vleuten and Marianne Vos, 2012 Olympic champions and both four-time Olympians, will be tough to beat.
The first medal events in the pool include Daiya Seto of Japan competing in the men’s 400m individual medley (02:30-04:20). In the event, he has three world championships to his credit, although he could only place third in Rio 2016. Keep an eye on Max Litchfield of Great Britain.
Keep an eye on the British.
Chelsie Giles competes in the women’s -52kg judo event at the Tokyo Olympics for the first time (03:00-11:50). This year, she has Grand Slam gold and silver to her credit as she prepares for the Olympic tournament.
Kimberley Woods (women’s K1) and Adam Burgess (men’s C1) have heats from 05:00 to 08:45 in canoe slalom.
From 01:30 to 09:25, archers Sarah Bettles, Naomi Folkard, and Bryony Pitman will compete for women’s team gold, having won global bronze together two years ago in an event dominated by Asian countries.
The women’s hockey team of Great Britain will face Germany at 01:30 on Sunday.
Grace Reid and Katherine Torrance are British 3m synchro gold medal hopefuls.
Keep an eye on the world.
Nyjah Huston, one of the greatest names in skateboarding, is set to make his Olympic debut in the men’s street competition (01:00-06:00). Huston, from the United States, won four global championships and over a dozen X Games gold medals in the sport.
Meanwhile, one of the most well-known athletes in the world will compete for the first time in Tokyo 2020. In women’s qualification, Simone Biles, the most decorated US gymnast of all time, will lead her squad (02:00-14:00). The 24-year-old has four Olympic gold medals and a bronze medal to her credit thus far. Alice Kinsella, Amelie Morgan, and twin sisters Jennifer and Jessica Gadirova, all of Britain’s female artistic gymnasts, are competing in their first Olympics.
Don’t expect fireworks between China’s Sun Yang and Australia’s Mack Horton in the men’s 400m freestyle, after Horton called Sun a “drug cheat” at Rio 2016 then refused to share a podium with him in 2019 – neither of them made it to Tokyo. Sun is serving a ban for breaking anti-doping rules while Horton failed to make the Australian team in the event.
At these Olympics, Caeleb Dressel will be frequently compared to Michael Phelps. Dressel has a chance to replace Phelps as Team USA’s next Olympic swimming star now that Phelps is out of the picture. He won two relay golds in Rio 2016 and has gone on to win 13 global championships since then. Watch for Dressel in the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay heats at about 13:00 in Tokyo’s swimming program, which runs in reverse order with finals in the morning and heats for following events in the evening local time.
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Surfing is on the agenda for Sunday, but with a caveat: it all depends on the wave conditions. As the sport makes its Olympic debut, organizers have scheduled four backup days. If everything goes well, the first and second rounds of both the men’s and women’s competitions will be held on Sunday. (There will be no British surfers at Tokyo 2020.)
At this year’s Olympics, there are two styles of skateboarding on display: street and park. Stairs, rails, walls, slopes, and benches are examples of urban characteristics. A curving course is used by Park to promote mid-air feats.
Day three is Monday, July 26th.
21 medal events
Men’s team archery, artistic gymnastics, canoe slalom (men’s C1), cycling (men’s cross-country mountain bike), diving (men’s 10m synchro), fencing (women’s sabre, men’s foil), judo (women’s -57kg, men’s -73kg), shooting (women’s skeet, men’s skeet), skateboarding (women
Highlights
Adam Peaty begins his quest to finish five years of absolute dominance in the men’s 100m breaststroke just after 03:00. Since his gold medal at Rio 2016, he has set world records after world records and won two world championships; will he add Tokyo gold to his collection?
Another of Team GB’s Rio 2016 winners was not to be. Alistair Brownlee was not chosen for the British triathlon squad in Tokyo, but his younger brother Jonny Brownlee, who has previously placed second to his brother on the podium in London and Rio, now has a chance. The men’s triathlon starts late on Sunday evening UK time (22:30) and finishes shortly before 01:00 in an attempt to avoid the heat of Tokyo by holding a morning event.
Tom Daley begins his fourth Olympic season in the diving pool. In the men’s 10m synchro event, Daley is partnered with Olympic rookie Matty Lee, who won bronze with Daniel Goodfellow in Rio five years ago. The final will take place from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Japan, Russia, and China beat the British gymnasts to fourth place in the men’s team event in Rio. On Monday (11:00-14:10), Japan will attempt to retain its championship, although the event will be devoid of the famous Kohei Uchimura, who will compete as an individual but is not part of the team for the team event.
Marcus Mepstead will be Team GB’s lone fencer at Tokyo 2020. He has a slim chance of winning a medal in the men’s foil event on Monday (01:00-08:20). Two years earlier, Mepstead won world silver in the event.
Keep an eye on the British.
Lauren Williams of the United Kingdom competes in the women’s -67kg division in taekwondo (02:00-14:30, two sessions). Williams has two European championships to her credit, however in this year’s European final, she was beaten by Croatia’s Matea Jelic.
Adam Burgess hopes to compete in the inaugural canoe slalom medal race of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Semi-finals in the C1 class begin at 6:00 a.m., with medals awarded at 8:00 a.m.
In the men’s mountain bike cross country, Tom Pidcock will compete for gold (07:00-09:00). The 21-year-old has recovered from a fractured collarbone that he sustained earlier this season.
On Monday, there will be no Olympic football, but rugby sevens will get underway, with Britain’s men competing twice, first against Canada at 01:00 and then against hosts Japan at 08:30. In each of those games, Team GB will be the favorite. New Zealand, Fiji, and South Africa are among the teams aiming to win the event.
Both the men and women of the United Kingdom are competing in hockey. The men’s team will face Canada at 3:45 p.m., while the women’s team will face South Africa at 10:30 p.m.
In the double sculls, rowing reaches the semi-finals, while in the single sculls, it reaches the quarter-finals (01:00-03:20).
Keep an eye on the world.
The pool isn’t entirely Peaty. The women’s 400m freestyle final, which starts around 03:20 after Peaty’s, may reignite the Tokyo rivalry between Ariarne Titmus of Australia and Katie Ledecky of the United States. In the 2019 World Championships, Titmus defeated Ledecky for the first time over this distance in a major event. Because this isn’t Ledecky’s trademark race (which is over 800 meters), Titmus’ greatest chance of winning comes on Monday.
Leticia Bufoni, a five-time X Games winner from Brazil, will be one of the biggest names in the women’s street event (01:00-05:55). If you’re hoping to see Sky Brown, who will compete for Team GB for the first time at the age of 13, her park event isn’t until August 4th, but the street event has similarly young athletes from other countries.
For the first time, table tennis will have a mixed doubles event at the Olympic Games (medal matches 12:00-14:10). This may be excellent news for China, which has won 28 of the 32 gold medals in table tennis since the sport was introduced to the Olympics in 1988. Sixteen teams will compete for the first-ever mixed doubles gold, but the United Kingdom will not be one of them.
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The mountain bike cross-country route (men’s race 07:00-09:00) has been praised as one of the most beautiful, varied, and difficult ever designed for an Olympic sport. Keep an eye out for a spectacular TV picture of motorcyclists “leaping” over Mount Fuji with a camera positioned at the perfect angle.
Day four is Tuesday, July 27th.
22 medal events
Women’s team artistic gymnastics, women’s K1 canoe slalom, women’s cross-country mountain bike, women’s 10m synchro diving, equestrian (dressage team), fencing (women’s team epee), judo (women’s -63kg, men’s -81kg), rowing (women’s quad sculls, men’s quad sculls), softball,
Highlights
Team GB has one of the strongest lines-ups in the world for the women’s triathlon (22:30 Monday to 01:00 Tuesday): Vicky Holland, 2020 world champion Georgia Taylor-Brown, and 2019 world silver medalist Jess Learmonth are all Rio bronze medalists. Flora Duffy of Bermuda is expected to be one of the trio’s major competitors.
Bianca Walkden represents Great Britain in the women’s +67kg division (02:00-14:30) in taekwondo, having won two additional global championships after taking bronze in Rio 2016. In April, she also won European gold. In the men’s +80kg division, Mahama Cho defeated Lutalo Muhammad to earn a spot on Team GB, which takes place on Tuesday.
Duncan Scott will be one of Great Britain’s busiest swimmers in Tokyo, competing in six separate events. He’ll compete in the men’s 200m freestyle final on Tuesday (02:45). In 2019, he won world bronze in the event.
The women’s team final at Tokyo’s Ariake Gymnastics Centre is anticipated to draw one of the largest television audiences of the Olympics (11:45-14:10). The United States, headed by Simone Biles, are unquestionably the favorites. Can Britain, who finished sixth at the previous World Championships, make it to the final and compete for a medal?
Keep an eye on the British.
At 12:00 p.m., Team GB will play Canada in their last women’s football group game. It may be make-or-break for qualifying from the group stage in a difficult group that also includes hosts Japan.
At 09:30, Britain’s dressage riders will compete in the team final for medals. The three-person Tokyo squad includes Carl Hester, 54, who is participating in his sixth Olympics, and Charlotte Fry, 25, who is making her debut. Charlotte Dujardin, who will be 36 just before the Olympics, will be hoping to add to her three Olympic medals.
Sarah Davies, who won a European silver medal in weightlifting three months ago in Moscow, competes in the 64kg category from 11:50 to 14:00.
Eden Cheng and Lois Toulson of Great Britain compete in the women’s 10m synchro event (07:00-08:00). Cheng was just 15 years old when they won the European championship together in 2018.
Kimberley Woods of the United Kingdom may compete in the women’s K1 canoe slalom final (06:00-09:00).
The women’s and men’s quadruple sculls compete in their inaugural finals (00:30-04:00). In each event, Team GB boasts crews who, although not medal favorites, may be challengers in competitive fields.
At 02:00, the British men’s hockey team will play Germany, while Team GB will face Fiji in rugby sevens before the knockout games begin.
Keep an eye on the world.
The men’s 200m freestyle final (02:45) will pique the attention of more than just Brits. Katsuhiro Matsumoto of Japan won global silver in the event in 2019, while the winner, China’s Sun, is serving a suspension for Tokyo 2020. Matsumoto, who reduced his Japanese record earlier this year, may benefit from this, albeit Britain’s Scott has since gone faster.
The hosts will aim to play in the Olympic softball final later on Tuesday (1200-1430). Japan shocked the United States by winning the last Olympic softball final 3-1 in 2008, despite the fact that the US had previously won all three Olympic championships.
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At 104th place in the Olympic women’s football competition, Zambia is the lowest-ranked team, slightly ahead of Tahiti and the Cook Islands. After defeating Cameroon to win a spot in Tokyo 2020, the Copper Queens face Brazil (ranked seventh in the world) in the group stage on Tuesday at 12:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, in a sport dominated by European countries, Angola’s women’s handball team has maintained a remarkable run of appearances. Angola is making its eighth straight Olympic participation in women’s handball (they’re also the African champions, having defeated Cameroon earlier this year, who aren’t faring well in this area of the guide). At 11:30 a.m., they take against Norway.
Day five is Wednesday, July 28th.
23 medal events
Men’s all-around artistic gymnastics, basketball (women’s 3×3, men’s 3×3), cycling (women’s time trial, men’s time trial), diving (men’s 3m synchro), equestrian (dressage individual), fencing (men’s team sabre), judo (women’s -70kg, men’s -90kg), rugby sevens (men’s), surfing (women’s, men’
Highlights
The British men have won the Olympic coxless four event five times in a row. Sholto Carnegie, Oliver Cook, Rory Gibbs, and Matthew Rossiter will compete this time after finishing third in the previous two World Championships. However, since the boats in front of them were changing, the field might still remain wide open. The start time for the event is 02:10.
The medal matches have begun in the men’s rugby sevens event (08:30-11:00). After losing to Fiji in the 2016 Olympic final, Team GB won silver five years ago, while Japan finished fourth. This time, the hosts will be aiming to finish on the podium.
The men’s and women’s time trials will be held at the Fuji Speedway (03:30-09:40). Britain’s greatest chance of winning a medal may be Geraint Thomas. In the men’s event, he competes with Tao Geoghegan Hart, while in the women’s event, Anna Shackley represents Great Britain.
Jack Laugher will attempt to defend the men’s 3m synchro diving championship he won with Chris Mears in Rio five years ago with new partner Daniel Goodfellow. At the 2019 global championships, Laugher and Goodfellow became silver medalists behind China. The diving starts at 7:00 a.m.
Can Charlotte Dujardin of Great Britain win another Olympic medal on a new horse? Mount St John Freestyle, nicknamed Mrs Valegro, is competing in her maiden Olympics in Tokyo. Dujardin will be aiming to win his third individual Olympic dressage gold in a row (09:30-13:25).
Charlotte Dujardin is Great Britain’s most successful Olympic equestrian, with three gold medals and one silver.
Keep an eye on the British.
It’s time for the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay in the pool. The final is scheduled to begin shortly after 04:20 p.m. Britain, the 2017 global winners, placed sixth in the most recent world championships in 2019, with the top five teams separated by less than a second.
On Wednesday, Gemma Howell, a 2018 European bronze medalist in judo, participates in the women’s judo -70kg division (03:00-11:50).
In hockey, the British women take against India at 2:00 p.m., followed by Ireland vs. Germany. After knocking off the United States in qualification, India’s women qualified for the Olympic hockey competition for the third time, after 1980 and 2016. In hockey’s women’s global rankings, England, the highest-ranked of the home countries, is fifth, while India is ninth.
Keep an eye on the world.
Katie Ledecky of Team USA may compete in two finals on Wednesday: the women’s 200m freestyle (02:42) and the 1500m freestyle (03:51). The shorter of the two distances may be a rematch with Ariarne Titmus of Australia. In Rio, Ledecky won the 200m and has three world championships in the 1500m.
In 2016, Japan’s Kohei Uchimura won the men’s all-around gymnastics final (11:15-14:10), but this year he’ll concentrate on the individual high bar competition, paving the way for a new winner. Max Whitlock, who won bronze for Team GB five years ago, will not compete in this event. Joe Fraser, who is competing in his first Olympics this year, was the highest-placed British athlete at the most recent global championships, placing eighth. Nikita Nagornyy of Russia, who won three world championships in 2019 including the all-around, is a strong candidate for gold.
Baseball starts now that softball is gone. At 4:00 p.m., Japan takes on the Dominican Republic in the first game. The Dominican Republic’s 24-man baseball team makes up almost half of the country’s Olympic team. It’s their first appearance in an Olympic baseball competition since 1992, despite the fact that the sport was not played in London or Rio. Japan, which has a strong domestic baseball industry, has only made it to the Olympic baseball final once, in 1996, losing to Cuba.
This will be medal day in men’s and women’s surfing if the weather and waves cooperate. Kanoa Igarashi from Japan has a special connection to the venue, Tsurigasaki Beach, because it’s where his father used to go surfing before the family moved to the United States. In the women’s event, Carissa Moore is considered a gold medal possibility for the United States.
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Wednesday is the last day of 3×3 basketball. Despite the fact that the United States typically puts a high priority on Olympic basketball (think of the 1992 Dream Team), Team USA failed to qualify for the men’s competition, marking the first time the country has ever lost out on an Olympic basketball tournament.
Basketball regulations are changed for 3×3. There are two three-person teams, one basket, a 12-second shot clock, and the game finishes after 10 minutes or when one of the teams scores 21 points. If you make a basket, you get one point, and if you shoot from beyond the arc, you get two points.
Day six is Thursday, July 29th.
17 medal events
Women’s all-around artistic gymnastics, canoe slalom (women’s C1), fencing (women’s team foil), judo (women’s -78kg, men’s -100kg), rowing (men’s pair, women’s pair, men’s lightweight double sculls, women’s lightweight double sculls), shooting (women’s trap, men’s trap), swimming (men’
Highlights
Helen Glover, who has been out of rowing for four years, may make a comeback on Thursday if she and Polly Swann win the women’s pair (01:30). They’re the European winners this year, so it’s very possible. Glover is attempting to win her third Olympic gold medal.
At 11:00 a.m., the British women’s hockey team will face the Netherlands in a rematch of the Rio final. In 2016, Team GB stunned the world by winning the penalty shoot-out, with goalie Maddie Hinch as the hero. The Dutch, who are now regarded as the greatest team in the world, will seek vengeance. (Britain’s men face the Netherlands in hockey on Thursday at 04:15 p.m., which may be a crucial group game.)
Simone Biles will become the first woman in more than half a century to retain the Olympic all-around gold if she wins the women’s final (11:50-14:05). Even for an athlete who is already regarded as one of the best in her field, it would be a significant accomplishment. It’s difficult to tell who is in her path.
Mallory Franklin of Great Britain, the 2017 world champion in the women’s C1 slalom canoe, will compete in the Olympic final of the event at the Kasai Canoe Slalom Centre (06:00-08:45).
Keep an eye on the British.
Ross Murdoch and James Wilby, both European medalists in the event, may have a chance in the men’s 200m breaststroke final (02:45). If 20-year-old Shoma Sato, who has been shattering Japanese national records this year, continues his form, it might turn into a celebration for the hosts. Alys Thomas, the Commonwealth champion, has a chance in the women’s 200m butterfly (03:27).
Look out for the GB lightweight women’s double scull in the rowing competition, in addition to the women’s pair (02:10). In 2019, the global bronze medalists were Emily Craig and Imogen Grant.
Three Brits compete in trap finals day (01:00-08:55) at the shooting range. In the men’s event, Matthew Coward-Holley and Aaron Heading compete, while in the women’s event, Kirsty Hegarty represents Team GB. Coward-Holley is the global champion for 2019 and the first British woman to win a world championship in an individual Olympic shotgun event.
The women’s sevens competition starts at 01:00-11:30 a.m. with Great Britain taking against the Russian Olympic Committee’s team, followed by New Zealand. Both games will be challenging, but after a dominating 2020, New Zealand in particular may be difficult to defeat.
On Thursday, the mayhem that is BMX racing starts (02:00-04:00). GB’s athletes include Kye Whyte and Beth Shriever, the 2017 junior world champion.
Keep an eye on the world.
Caeleb Dressel, a potential heir to Michael Phelps’ title, is expected to compete in the 100m freestyle final for the United States (03:35). Kyle Chalmers of Australia, the Rio Olympic champion, has been plagued by injuries, but in the lead-up to the Games, he ran his best time in two years.
In the men’s lightweight double sculls, Ireland has a medal chance (01:50). Paul and Gary O’Donovan earned the country’s first-ever Olympic rowing medal in Rio 2016, finishing second behind France. Paul will compete in Tokyo 2020 alongside Fintan McCarthy, a new partner.
Women’s singles table tennis often means an all-Chinese final, but nations can now only enter two athletes each, so the bronze-medal match has taken on more meaning. In Rio, after that change took effect, it meant a medal for North Korea’s Kim Song-I – one of only three North Korean medals that came from sports other than weightlifting. Ding Ning, China’s 2016 women’s singles champion, won’t be returning for Tokyo 2020 but China still have the world number one and two heading into the event (medal games 12:00-14:10).
In previous Olympics, two of the 12 fencing events had to be omitted. Women’s team foil was one of the events that was dropped from the Rio program. This year, for the first time, all 12 are on the list, and women’s team foil will compete for the first time in nine years on Thursday (02:50-13:30). Italy is the Olympic champion from 2012, while Russia is the global champion going into the competition.
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The men’s Olympic golf tournament begins on Thursday at Kasumigaseki Country Club, 40 minutes north of Tokyo. The East Course at the club was originally built in 1929 and then renovated five years ago in preparation for the Olympics, mainly to lengthen the course in order to accommodate the world’s best players. Play in the first round starts at 23:30 UTC on Wednesday and continues until 08:00 UTC on Thursday.
Day seven is Friday, July 30th.
21 medal events
Women’s individual archery, men’s 10,000m run, mixed doubles badminton, men’s K1 canoe slalom, cycling (women’s BMX racing, men’s BMX racing), fencing (men’s team epee), judo (women’s +78kg, men’s +100kg), rowing (women’s single sculls, women’s eight, men’s eight),
Highlights
The men’s high jump and discus, as well as the early rounds of the women’s 800m, men’s 400m hurdles, and women’s 100m, all begin in Tokyo, giving fans a chance to witness GB’s world silver medalist Dina Asher-Smith in action (03:40-04:30).
On the last day of rowing, the British men’s eight had a chance to replicate their outstanding performance in Rio, when they finished the week with a gold medal. That may be difficult to duplicate: the British team finished third in the 2019 global championships. Vicky Thornley competes in the women’s single sculls, which begins at 00:45 and runs until 02:55. In the women’s eight, the United States has a chance to capture a fourth straight gold.
Women’s football has advanced to the quarter-finals, with games scheduled for 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, and 12:00 p.m.
In 2016, Bryony Page came in second place on the trampoline, resulting in a surprise British medal. Page, the first British woman to win an Olympic trampoline medal, will compete with Laura Gallagher in the women’s event (05:00-07:30).
Keep an eye on the British.
Athletics may be in full swing, but Mo Farah isn’t one among them. The London and Rio 10,000m winner will not compete in Tokyo (12:40-13:10) after failing to meet the British selection time in June. Team GB has selected Mark Scott and Sam Atkin to compete.
Joe Clarke, the 2016 Olympic canoe slalom K1 winner, was not chosen for Tokyo 2020 and will not be able to defend his title. Bradley Forbes-Cryans, a 2018 world champion in the K1 team event with Clarke and Christopher Bowers, now competes for Great Britain (06:00-09:00).
Luke Greenbank, a 2019 global bronze medalist in the men’s 200m backstroke (02:40), and Freya Anderson, who will compete in the women’s 100m freestyle final, are two British swimmers to watch on Friday (03:25).
Individual and team dressage are held over two days in eventing (00:30-12:10). Laura Collett, Tom McEwen, and Oliver Townend are part of a British squad aiming to make up for Team GB’s failure to medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
Sarah Adlington of Great Britain makes her Olympic debut in judo following near-misses in London and Rio. She participates in the women’s +78kg division (09:00-11:50) after being awarded a continental quota spot.
Pat McCormack, who was defeated by a split decision in a world championship fight in 2019, will be hoping to return to action when the men’s welterweight category enters the quarter-finals on Friday (03:00-12:10).
After Britain’s match against Kenya, women’s rugby sevens also advances to the quarter-finals (01:00-11:30).
At 13:15 p.m., the British men’s hockey team will play Belgium. At 3:45 p.m., Ireland’s ladies will face India.
Men’s golf is in its second round (23:30 Thursday to 08:00 Friday), with Paul Casey and Tommy Fleetwood representing the United Kingdom. Tyrrell Hatton, who withdrew in June, was replaced late by Fleetwood.
Keep an eye on the world.
After a year in which his personal life – and admission of an affair – made headlines in his native nation of Japan, Daiya Seto, the men’s 200m individual medley world champion, will attempt to convert that into an Olympic gold on Friday (03:10). He’ll likely meet Michael Andrew, who, behind Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte, is the third-fastest American in the 200m medley.
Medals for BMX racing will be awarded (02:00-04:20). Kye Whyte of the United Kingdom finished sixth in the 2019 World Championships. The US, on the other hand, will be counting on reigning Olympic champion Connor Fields to spearhead a clean sweep of the men’s and women’s events. Mariana Pajon of Colombia, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, competes against Alise Willoughby of the United States in the women’s event.
On Friday (04:00-12:00), the men’s doubles event will determine the first tennis medals, while the men’s singles event is in the semi-finals. Mate Pavic and Nikola Mektic of Croatia are the world’s top-ranked men’s doubles combo.
knowledge of an expert
China’s hold on the medal standings in badminton may be eroding. Zheng Si Wei and Huang Ya Qiong are the favorites to win Olympic gold in mixed doubles in Tokyo, but Japan’s Watanabe Yuta and Higashino Arisa, who began challenging China’s supremacy in 2016, may pose a threat on home territory. Japan came within one medal of matching China’s badminton victory in Rio five years ago. Meanwhile, Marcus Ellis and Lauren Smith of Great Britain are considered medal contenders (01:00-13:30).
Day eight is Saturday, July 31st.
21 medal events
Archery (men’s individual), athletics (men’s discus, mixed 4x400m relay, women’s 100m), badminton (men’s doubles), fencing (women’s team sabre), judo (mixed team), rugby sevens (women), sailing (women’s RS:X, men’s RS:X), shooting (trap mixed team, women’s 50m rifle 3 positions), swimming (men’s 100m
Highlights
Dina Asher-Smith will compete in the final of the women’s 100m (13:50), an event in which she won world silver in 2019 behind Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. Sha’Carri Richardson, who was the quickest over 100m in the US Olympic trials in June, will be unable to compete due to a 30-day ban for cannabis usage. Keep an eye on the new 4x400m mixed relay (13:35), where the United States is the world champion and the United Kingdom placed fourth in 2019.
Dina Asher Smith is the fastest British woman in history and was a member of the bronze-winning 4x100m relay team in Rio 2016.
On Saturday, the mixed relay in triathlon makes its Olympic debut in Tokyo (23:30 Friday until 01:30 Saturday UK time). Each team’s two men and two women must swim 300 meters, cycle for eight kilometers, and then run for two kilometers. In less than 90 minutes, the entire affair is done. At the most recent global championship, Great Britain finished third.
On Saturday, the mixed relay in triathlon makes its Olympic debut in Tokyo (23:30 Friday until 01:30 Saturday UK time). Each team’s two men and two women must swim 300 meters, cycle for eight kilometers, and then run for two kilometers. In less than 90 minutes, the entire affair is done. At the most recent global championship, Great Britain finished third.
On Saturday, the women’s sevens competition comes to a close. The British ladies finished fourth in Rio five years ago, barely missing out on the podium after losing to New Zealand and then Canada. From 1:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m., there is activity.
Keep an eye on the British.
Mixed relays have a huge day today. At 03:35 p.m., the 4x100m mixed medley relay promises to be an exciting opening to the day in the pool. Britain finished third in the globe in this event in 2019, behind Australia and the United States. Ben Proud is expected to compete for Great Britain in the men’s 50m freestyle semi-finals shortly before the Olympics.
Seonaid McIntosh competes in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions (04:00-09:10), a shooting event in which participants fire while kneeling, laying down, and lastly standing. Meanwhile, the mixed trap team event will include three of Great Britain’s best trap shooters, all of whom are medal hopefuls (01:00-06:50).
Keep an eye on the world.
With games at 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, and 12:00 p.m., the men’s football competition has reached the quarter-final round.
In Rio five years ago, the men’s discus event produced a Harting-to-Harting moment. For the first time in Olympic history, one brother succeeded another as the champion in the same event as Christoph Harting of Germany won gold four years after his brother Robert Harting. Christoph hasn’t raced in a few years and his brother has retired, so a departure from Harting in 2021 is possible. The final takes place from 12:15 to 13:25 p.m.
Judo begins its mixed team event on Saturday, not wanting to miss out on all the mixed excitement (03:00-11:50). This is a new event for Tokyo 2020, and it includes teams of six athletes. To advance, your team must beat the opposing country by a score of at least 4-2. A 3-3 tie necessitates a ‘golden score’ competition to choose a winner.
knowledge of an expert
On Saturday, the first sailing medals of Tokyo 2020 will be determined in the RS:X windsurfing class. In the men’s event, Tom Squires is competing for Great Britain. Emma Wilson, 22, will have to place sixth or better in the women’s race to be the greatest Olympic windsurfer in her own family. Penny, her mother, came in sixth place in Barcelona in 1992 and seventh place in Atlanta four years later.
Day nine is Sunday, August 1st.
25 medal events
Athletics (women’s shot put, men’s high jump, women’s triple jump, men’s 100m), badminton (women’s singles), cycling (women’s BMX freestyle, men’s BMX freestyle), diving (women’s 3m springboard), fencing (men’s team foil), golf (men), sailing (laser radial women, laser men), swimming (men’s 50m free, women’s
Highlights
For the first time since 2004, the Olympics will have a men’s 100m final (13:50) without Usain Bolt. This time, who will supply the drama? Noah Lyles of the United States is a good option in the 100m, but he may be a better bet in the 200m, where he is the world champion. Andre de Grasse of Canada finished third in Rio. Bolt believes the favorite is Trayvon Bromell, who won the US Olympic trials. Along with Reece Prescod and Chijindu Ujah, Zharnel Hughes is expected to spearhead the British quest for a medal. Christian Coleman, the current world champion, has been barred from competing.
In gymnastics there are two finals where Brits took gold five years ago: the men’s floor (09:00) and men’s pommel horse (10:30), both won by Max Whitlock in 2016. Whitlock is the world champion on pommel horse, while Ireland’s Rhys McClenaghan will be in Tokyo after winning world bronze in the same event two years ago. The women’s vault (09:45) is one of the Olympics’ more spectacular events – expect fireworks from Simone Biles.
Expect Adam Peaty to return earlier in the day as Britain attempts to convert their global championship in the men’s 4x100m medley relay into an Olympic gold (03:30). In 2019, the United States and Russia were their closest rivals. Watch the 50m freestyle finals from 02:30 to witness the world’s quickest sprinters compete in a one-length dash for gold, which may include GB’s Ben Proud and Anna Hopkin.
At the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Adam Peaty won gold in the 100m breaststroke and is the current world record holder in the 50m and 100m breaststroke events.
The men’s singles final will kick off a jam-packed day of tennis (04:00-12:00), which will also include the women’s doubles and mixed doubles finals.
It’s also the men’s golf tournament’s final round (result expected around 08:00). Hideki Matsuyama is a home favorite after being the first Japanese player to win the Masters. Only Dustin Johnson, the world’s number one golfer, will not be competing in Tokyo.
Keep an eye on the British.
Sophie McKinna of the United Kingdom, who established a new indoor personal best earlier this year, will compete in the women’s shot put final, which starts at 02:35.
For Tokyo 2020, BMX freestyle (02:10-04:50) is a new event. While normal BMX racing has already been featured in the Olympics, the freestyle event focuses on a minute-long sequence of stunts and abilities. When freestyle was introduced to the Olympics, Charlotte Worthington gave up her job as a chef to train full-time, and she enters this event as a world bronze medalist. Hannah Roberts, a two-time world champion, will be the first young woman to win an Olympic cycling championship if she wins for the United States. Declan Brooks is the men’s British competitor.
Medal races in sailing are held in the Laser and Laser Radial classes (04:00-10:00). Elliott Hanson (Laser) and Alison Young (Laser Radial), who is looking to improve on her eighth-place finish in Rio despite breaking her ankle in the build-up to those Games, will represent Great Britain.
Grace Reid, a 2018 European champion in the 3m springboard event (07:00), competes for Great Britain with teammate Scarlett Mew Jensen.
Men’s hockey has advanced to the quarter-finals.
Keep an eye on the world.
Qatar has never won an Olympic gold medal, but that may change in the men’s high jump (11:10-13:00), when Mutaz Barshim, the first athlete to successfully defend the world high jump title, will participate. One of Barshim’s main competitors will be Belarus’ Maksim Nedasekau.
Caterine Ibarguen, Colombia’s flagbearer, will defend her Olympic triple jump championship (12:20-1340), although admitting she hasn’t had the greatest of preparations. In a Latin American showdown, she’ll almost certainly face Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela, who has beaten Ibarguen to win the previous two world championships. This event’s world record, which has held for more than a quarter-century, may be broken.
On Sunday, Greco-Roman wrestling will begin (from 03:00). Two of Cuba’s five gold medals in Rio 2016 were won by wrestlers, including one by Ismael Borrero in the men’s 60kg division, which kicks off the Tokyo wrestling program. Borrero is said to have recovered from Covid-19 and is ready to participate.
knowledge of an expert
Although the expected heat has already had an effect, Sea Forest Park, an island of reclaimed land in Tokyo Bay, could prove to be a beautiful site for the eventing cross-country stage. To safeguard the health of people and horses, the cross-country will take place early in the morning in Tokyo (23:45 Saturday to 03:10 Sunday UK time). It’s not the first time this has happened: the cross-country course in Beijing 2008 was similarly reduced.
Day 10 is Monday, August 2nd.
22 medal events
Men’s rings, women’s floor, men’s vault), badminton (women’s doubles, men’s singles), cycling (women’s team sprint), equestrian (eventing team, eventing individual), sailing (49er FX women, 49er men), shooting (men’s 25m rapid fire pistol, men’s 50m rifle 3 positions), shooting (men’s 25m rapid fire pistol, men’s 50m rifle 3 positions), shooting (men’
Highlights
Monday is the first day of competition at Tokyo’s Izu Velodrome. Qualifying for the team pursuits and the complete women’s team sprint race kicks off a week of track cycling (07:30-10:30). There will be no British participation in that event, which is dominated by Germany and Australia, although both GB pursuit teams will compete.
The eventing season comes to a close with the presentation of team and individual gold medals (09:00-14:25). Britain currently has the team world championship, but only Tom McEwen from that victory will compete in Tokyo (Piggy March, also in the world gold medal-winning team, is a Tokyo alternate for Team GB). Oliver Townend and Laura Collett will join McEwen in the team event.
The women’s 5,000m is the main athletics event of the day (13:40-14:00). Along with Jessica Judd and Amy-Eloise Markovc, Eilish McColgan, who recently broke Paula Radcliffe’s British record, heads Team GB’s aspirations. Hellen Obiri of Kenya has won the previous two global championships but has never won an Olympic gold in the 5,000m.
At a Diamond League meeting in Oslo in February, Eilish McColgan broke Paula Radcliffe’s 17-year-old British women’s 5,000m record.
Women’s football has advanced to the semi-finals, with games scheduled for 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.
Keep an eye on the British.
Medal races in the women’s 49er FX and men’s 49er FX are scheduled on Monday (04:00-10:00). Saskia Tidey, who competed for Ireland in Rio 2016, will now compete for Great Britain in the 49er FX with Charlotte Dobson at Tokyo 2020. Stuart Bithell and Dylan Fletcher, the 2017 world champions in the 49er class, will represent Great Britain.
Emily Campbell won the +87kg European championship just four months before her Olympic event (11:50-14:00), so she’ll be in great shape when she arrives in Tokyo.
Women’s hockey has advanced to the quarter-finals, with games beginning at 01:30 a.m. and ending at 10:30 a.m.
Dina Asher-Smith in the 200m (02:30-03:20) and Laura Muir in the early stages of the 1500m are two athletes to watch in the athletics heats (01:35-02:05).
Keep an eye on the world.
After a five-year wait, Keni Harrison has an opportunity to redeem herself in the women’s 100m hurdles (03:50). Despite breaking the world mark only days before the Olympics, Harrison was not selected for Team USA in Rio 2016. Harrison will head the US challenge in Tokyo 2020, but she will have competition from Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico, who has recorded some of the year’s best timings. Nia Ali, the reigning world champion, will be watching from the comfort of her own home with her newborn baby (whose father is Canadian sprinter Andre de Grasse).
On Monday, two of gymnastics’ most prestigious competitions will be held. The men’s rings event (09:00) is a signature picture of strength in the Olympics, with competitors performing movements while suspended from a series of rings. Eleftherios Petrounias of Greece, the Rio 2016 gold medalist, is the likely favorite, while Ibrahim Colak of Turkey is the reigning world champion after winning Turkey’s first global championship in gymnastics in 2019.
Meanwhile, the women’s floor event (09:45) provides another opportunity to see Simone Biles in action. Jessica Gadirova of Great Britain will be the next European champion in Tokyo 2020.
The gold medal matches in women’s doubles and men’s singles round up the badminton competition (05:00-15:00). In the face of strong Chinese opposition, world number one and two-time world champion Kento Momota will aim to capture the men’s gold for hosts Japan. Lin Dan, China’s two-time Olympic champion, retired last year, but Chen Long, who won gold in both Rio and Tokyo, may follow in Lin’s footsteps and win back-to-back championships.
knowledge of an expert
On Monday, artistic swimming, previously known as synchronized swimming, will begin (11:30-13:45). Only women participate in this and rhythmic gymnastics, which are both Olympic sports. There is a duet event for two competitors and an eight-person team event. Swimmers are evaluated on their technical and artistic abilities, and they are not permitted to touch the pool’s bottom or sides. Since Sydney 2000, Russia has won every possible Olympic gold medal in artistic swimming.
Day 11 is Tuesday, August 3rd.
22 medal events
Athletics (women’s long jump, men’s 400m hurdles, men’s pole vault, women’s hammer throw, women’s 800m, women’s 200m), boxing (women’s feather, men’s welter), canoe sprint (women’s K1 200m, men’s C2 1,000m, men’s K1 1,000m, women’s K2 500m), diving (men’s 3m springboard), cycling (
Highlights
Dina Asher-Smith has returned. If all goes according to plan, the women’s 200m (13:50) may be part of a great day for Team GB. Asher-Smith is the world champion in the 200m, but she will be up against Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica and Gabby Thomas of the United States, who is the fastest woman in the world over 200m this year.
This may also be Britain’s velodrome moment. Laura and Jason Kenny will compete for gold in the women’s team pursuit (09:05) and men’s team sprint (09:35). Laura Kenny has won the team pursuit at the Olympic Games for the last two years in a row. Since Beijing 2008, Jason Kenny has won the team sprint at every Games.
In 2016, Jack Laugher, on the other hand, had to settle for second place in the 3m springboard event. On Tuesday, he’ll have a chance to outdo himself (07:00-08:30). He was in the lead going into the final round of the 2019 World Championships before taking bronze.
On the sea, Britain has a lot of medal chances. Olympic champion Giles Scott defends his title in the Finn class medal race (06:30-07:00). In this event, he’s a five-time world champion. John Gimson and Anna Burnet of the United Kingdom are the world champions in the mixed Nacra 17 class (07:30-08:00).
In the meanwhile, boxing receives its first medals. Pat McCormack, the men’s welterweight world silver medalist in 2019, will aim to reach the Tokyo final (11:05). Karriss Artingstall, the world bronze medalist in women’s featherweight, may be in action earlier in the day (05:05).
Keep an eye on the British.
Joe Fraser is a genuine medal danger for Great Britain on the last day of artistic gymnastics, as if the opportunities above weren’t enough. On parallel bars, Fraser was the 2019 world champion, and the final starts at 9:00 a.m. Following that, Simone Biles will compete in the beam final, and Japan’s Kohei Uchimura may put on a show in the last event, the stunning men’s horizontal bar final.
Showjumping gets underway (11:00-14:45) with three British riders: Ben Maher, Scott Brash, and Holly Smith, who each helped Great Britain win its first showjumping team Olympic championship in 60 years at London 2012.
Furthermore, men’s hockey has advanced to the semi-finals (02:30 and 11:00), which may include Team GB.
Keep an eye on the world.
The women’s 800m final (13:25) provides an opportunity to see Uganda’s Halimah Nakaayi, who won global gold in 2019 and did a celebratory dance with teammate Winnie Nanyondo. They were the first Ugandan women to compete in a global final in the middle distance. Laura Muir of Great Britain withdrew from the 800m to concentrate on the 1500m, therefore Alexandra Bell joins Keely Hodgkinson and Jemma Reekie in the British contingent.
The men’s 400m hurdles (03:20) final may be one of Tokyo’s most exciting as a slew of stars vie for the chance to follow Kerron Clement, who won gold in Rio but isn’t competing this time. Karsten Warholm, the Norwegian world champion, is at the top of the list, having broken the 29-year-old world record in the 400m hurdles at the start of July.
Thiago Braz of Brazil captured one of Rio’s defining images when he won the men’s pole vault gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games (11:20). Braz hasn’t finished on a big podium since, but he might still be a contender in Tokyo, where Sweden’s Armand Duplantis and American Sam Kendricks are likely to be the primary threats.
knowledge of an expert
With qualifying for the men’s combined event, sport climbing makes its Olympic debut (09:00-14:40). There are three disciplines, and the competitor who performs best in all three will be the champion. Athletes will compete head-to-head to tag a buzzer at the top of a climb, bouldering will include negotiating a series of climbs without a rope that emphasize physical and gymnastic skills, and lead climbing will track how far athletes can climb up a higher wall with each handhold earning a point. Combining all three events into one is a relatively novel idea, and it transforms the Olympic sport into a climbing triathlon.
Day 12 is Wednesday, August 4th.
17 medal events
equestrian (individual), marathon swimming (women), sailing (women’s 470, men’s 470), skateboarding (women’s park), weightlifting (men’s +109kg), wrestling (women’s freestyle 62kg, men’s Greco-Roman 67kg, men’s Greco-Roman 67kg, men’s Greco-Roman 67kg, men’s Greco-Roman 67kg, men’s Gre
Highlights
Sky Brown, who was born a month before the Beijing 2008 Olympics, represents Great Britain in the park skateboarding competition. Brown, a 13-year-old Japanese native, is a world bronze medalist in this sport (she was 11 at the time). Both of the competitors that finished ahead of her that day were Japanese, indicating that the host country had high expectations. From 01:00 until 05:30, you may watch the action.
Sky Brown, 13, will participate in Tokyo as Great Britain’s youngest ever summer Olympian.
GB’s track cyclists haven’t won the men’s team pursuit world championship in a few years (09:45-10:15), but they’ve held the Olympic title since 2008. Ed Clancy, who has helped Britain win Olympic gold in pursuit at the last three Games, has been re-inducted into the squad for Tokyo. The last world championship was won by Denmark in a world record time, while Australia is a regular challenger.
Nick Skelton became the first Briton to win individual Olympic gold in showjumping in Rio. (At the time, he was 58 years old, almost four times Sky Brown’s age in Tokyo.) Skelton retired the following year, but Ben Maher may be a possibility for Great Britain in this year’s competition (11:00-13:40).
Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark won silver in the 470-class sailing event in London, then won gold four years later in Rio. Mills won the global championship with new partner Eilidh McIntyre in 2019 and will be aiming for another Olympic gold in Wednesday’s medal race (07:30-08:00).
Keep an eye on the British.
Two years ago, Adam Gemili finished fourth in the men’s 200m (13:55) at the World Championships after leading late in the race. However, American Noah Lyles has emerged as the most probable contender to succeed Usain Bolt, who has won the championship three times in a row.
On Wednesday, the heptathlon will begin. At 01:35, world champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson, who finished sixth in Rio, will begin the seven-discipline event with the 100m hurdles. On Wednesday, Johnson-Thompson will compete in the high jump, shot throw, and 200m of the heptathlon.
As boxing’s men’s light-heavyweight category approaches its final at 07:35, world bronze medalist Ben Whittaker will aim to be involved. Arlen Lopez of Cuba, who has moved up in weight classes after winning middleweight gold in Rio five years ago, may be a danger.
On climbing’s Olympic debut, Britain only has one opportunity to earn a medal: Shauna Coxsey in the women’s combined event. From 09:00 until 14:40, the world bronze medalist will compete in qualification.
Women’s hockey has advanced to the semi-finals, with games scheduled for 02:30 and 11:00 a.m.
Keep an eye on the world.
The first round of the women’s golf competition has begun (23:30 on Tuesday to 08:00 on Wednesday). All three Rio medalists are returning, including world number one Nelly Korda of the United States, who will compete with her sister Jessica, and Nasa Hataoka of Japan, who will lead Japan’s aspirations.
On the last day of weightlifting, we advance to the highest weight class: men’s +109kg (11:50-14:00). Lasha Talakhadze of Georgia is the favorite. Talakhadze’s 485kg lift in April of this year is the greatest total ever recorded in the sport. An adult dromedary camel weighs around that much.
knowledge of an expert
The women’s 10km event kicks off the marathon swimming competition (22:30 Tuesday to 01:30 Wednesday). The event will take place at 06:30 local time to escape the worst of the summer heat, according to organizers, who claim an underwater filtration system will be employed to guarantee the water quality in the central Tokyo harbor is adequate. Look for a tiny Statue of Liberty with a background of Tokyo’s Rainbow Bridge. Alice Dearing, a GB entrant, is poised to make history as the first black woman to swim for Britain in the Olympics.
Day 13 is Thursday, August 5th.
27 medal events
Athletics (men’s triple jump, men’s shot put, men’s 110m hurdles, men’s 20km race walk, women’s pole vault, men’s 400m, women’s heptathlon, men’s decathlon), boxing (men’s feather), canoe sprint (men’s K1 200m, women’s C1 200m, women’s K1 500m, men’s K2 1,000m), cycling (women’s kei
Highlights
The long jump (01:40-02:20), javelin (04:35-06:30), and the grand finale, the 800m, bring Katarina Johnson-two-day Thompson’s heptathlon quest to a close (13:20). Johnson-preparation Thompson’s has been hampered by her rehabilitation from a severe Achilles injury, but she is still anticipated to compete for a gold. Nafi Thiam of Belgium, the Rio 2016 winner, is her biggest opponent.
At 03:25, Liam Heath, the defending Olympic champion of Great Britain, is scheduled to begin the men’s K1 200m final in sprint canoeing. Heath has now won two more global championships, but Sandor Totka of Hungary is proving to be a tough opponent.
At 11:00 a.m., the men’s hockey final will begin. For the first time since winning the championship in 1988, Britain has yet to reach the Olympic men’s podium in this event. Hosts Japan has only ever reached the final once, in 1932, when it was aided by the fact that only three teams competed in the first round.
Keep an eye on the British.
After winning global bronze in track cycling last year, Matthew Walls will compete for Great Britain in the omnium (07:30-10:30). For Tokyo 2020, the omnium format has changed: shorter sprint categories have been eliminated, and the race now consists of a mix of four endurance events stretched over one day of racing, including a new tempo race in which riders may earn points by sprinting on nearly every lap.
In the women’s pole vault, Holly Bradshaw, who finished fourth at the previous global championships and fifth in Rio, participates (11:20-13:30). Katie Nageotte of the United States is the world number one this year, and she is expected to compete for gold against Greek Rio 2016 winner Katerina Stefanidi and world champion Anzhelika Sidorova.
Hector Pardoe of the United Kingdom, who qualified for the Olympics by winning an Olympic qualifying in Portugal, will compete in the men’s marathon swim (which finishes just before 01:30). Swimming 90 kilometers per week is part of Pardoe’s training regimen.
In boxing, world bronze medalist Peter McGrail will compete for Great Britain in the men’s featherweight category, where the medals will be determined (07:35).
In the women’s 10m platform event, Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix and Lois Toulson compete for Great Britain (07:00-08:30).
Keep an eye on the world.
After Ashton Eaton won the decathlon in 2012 and 2016, the title in the 10-event athletics extravaganza is up for grabs. Kevin Mayer of France, Damian Warner of Canada, Niklas Kaul of Germany, and Maicel Uibo of Estonia are among the contenders. At 13:40 p.m., the decisive 1500m race will begin.
Meanwhile, Ryan Crouser, the American who shattered the event’s 31-year-old world record in the weeks leading up to the Games, will compete in the men’s shot put final (03:05-04:15). Breaking that record was, as Crouser put it, “a tremendous weight lifted.”
The men’s park skateboarding finalists will be welcomed to a custom-built park in Tokyo Bay (04:30-05:20). Heimana Reynolds of Hawaii is a strong chance for gold after winning the global championship in her breakout year of 2019. Reynolds’ favorite training method is rock running, which involves picking up a heavy boulder and jogging with it down the ocean bottom off the coast of Hawaii.
knowledge of an expert
Karate is one of the last sports to begin (02:00-13:40) in Tokyo as it makes its Olympic debut. There are two fields of study. In kata, you fight against a virtual opponent and perform offensive and defensive techniques on your own. Technique, timing, and athleticism all get you points. In kumite, which, unlike kata, is split into weight classes, you spar against opponents in a manner that is more akin to judo or taekwondo. In this year’s karate competitions, the United Kingdom will be represented by no competitors.
Day 14 is Friday, August 6th.
23 medal events
Athletics (women’s 20km race walk, men’s 50km race walk, women’s javelin, men’s 5,000m, women’s 400m, women’s 1500m, women’s 4x100m relay, men’s 4x100m relay), beach volleyball (women), boxing (men’s heavy), cycling (women’s madison, men’s sprint), football (women), hockey (women), karate (men
Highlights
At 3:00 p.m., the Olympic final for women’s football will take place. Four of the six Olympic women’s football events have been won by the United States, while Team GB has never finished on the podium. To be honest, they’ve only ever entered a team once before, in London 2012, when they were defeated 2-0 by Canada in the quarter-finals. Will this year’s record be broken? Going into Tokyo 2020, the United States is the best team in the world, with Germany coming in second.
It’s a different story in hockey. In 2016, Great Britain won Olympic gold in a thrilling penalty shootout against the Netherlands in Rio de Janeiro. However, things haven’t been simple for the home countries since then. England is currently ranked fifth in the world after losing 2-0 to the Netherlands in the World Cup quarterfinals. The Dutch have been dominating. The final will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Friday.
Laura Muir has been on the verge of winning a medal in the women’s 1500m (13:50) for years but has yet to accomplish it at the global or Olympic level. Muir has abandoned the 800m to concentrate only on turning her 1500m potential into a medal in Tokyo. Faith Kipyegon of Kenya may be tough to dethrone from the top of the podium; the Rio Olympic winner set a new national record shortly before the Games.
The madison has been reinstated to the Olympic velodrome program (the men’s madison was eliminated after 2008, while the women’s madison is debuting in Tokyo). The madison, which features two-rider teams, is primarily about strategy and endurance. If you haven’t seen it before, you’ll most likely be depending on the commentators to keep track of what’s going on. At 09:15, Katie Archibald and Laura Kenny will compete in the Madison representing Great Britain.
Shauna Coxsey’s big day may come on Friday, following years of preparation for her sport’s Olympic debut, climbing (10:30-14:20). Expect her to shine in the speed and bouldering portions, so her success may hinge on how well she manages the lead climbing, which determines how high she can climb. The main question is how she’s doing after a long-term back ailment. Janja Garnbret of Slovenia is generally predicted to win gold.
Keep an eye on the British.
The drama of a good 4x100m relay (14:30-14:50), the track equivalent of a penalty shootout, is loved by everyone. The simple passing (or not) of a baton may generate names, heroes, and villains. Britain has had some recent relay success, with both teams winning global silver in 2019 and the men winning world gold two years ago.
Cheavon Clarke is Britain’s heavyweight contender in boxing. Clarke represented Jamaica in the Commonwealth Games seven years ago, but has since switched allegiances, winning a bronze medal at the European Championships in 2019. At 7:05 p.m., the heavyweight final will take place.
Keep an eye on the world.
In general, the United States and Brazil have dominated beach volleyball in the Olympics, both being nations where playing volleyball on a beach has a particular attraction. However, this is changing. Other countries have won three of the last four world championships in the women’s event (02:00-04:50), the most recent of which was won by Canada. The medal games on Friday will reveal whether or not that change in power has reached the Olympic stage.
Individual all-around qualifying for rhythmic gymnastics starts on Friday (02:20-09:45). To British audiences used to only seeing artistic gymnastics, this sport is essentially “the other gymnastics,” since Britain has never competed in Olympic rhythmic gymnastics, which includes routines using ribbons, hoops, balls, and clubs to complement the performance. Russia dominates rhythmic gymnastics, and Dina and Arina Averina may make statisticians wonder when the last time twins won first and second place in a summer Olympic individual event, if ever.
knowledge of an expert
The women’s event in modern pentathlon, which is always one of the most difficult Olympic sports to get into, takes place on Friday. In a nutshell, competitors swim, fence, and ride a horse to earn points that determine their time handicap for the final event, which is similar to the Winter Olympics sport of biathlon: they must run a cross-country course while shooting at targets. After the run, the first person to cross the finish line wins.
The showjumping is typically a highlight since the regulations of the pentathlon stipulate that the rider cannot use their own horse and must instead rely on a horse provided at random, which may have surprising results. At Beijing 2008, a horse called Pingping suffered a spectacular breakdown, destroying the aspirations of Belarusian rider Yahor Lapo.
Despite the unusual combination of disciplines in pentathlon – intended to mimic the abilities a soldier would have required a century ago – the women’s sport has a strong British heritage, with numerous Olympic medalists. Both Kate French and Jo Muir will compete for Great Britain in Tokyo and have a chance to win a medal. The events run from 6:30 a.m. until 12:15 p.m.
Day 15 is Saturday, August 7th.
34 medal events
Athletics (women’s marathon, women’s high jump, women’s 10,000m, men’s javelin, men’s 1500m, women’s 4x400m relay, men’s 4x400m relay), baseball, basketball (men), beach volleyball (men), boxing (women’s fly, men’s fly, women’s welter, men’s middle), canoe sprint (women’s C2 500m, men’s C1 1,000m
Highlights
On Saturday, there will be more than 30 gold medals available, so there will be activity nearly everywhere. The men’s football final (12:30-15:00) will determine if the gold medal will go to Latin or South America for the fifth time, after been won by Argentina twice, Mexico once, and Brazil once in the previous four Games. Japan, who won bronze in the 2008 Olympics in London, will be hoping for a stronger performance in 2021.
Tom Daley has what is likely his last chance to win the Olympic 10m platform championship that has evaded him so far (07:00-08:30). Daley, a bronze medalist at London 2012, has won the global championship in the event twice, most recently in 2017. In May, Daley won gold in the 10m during a test event for Tokyo 2020.
At Beijing 2008, Tom Daley became Great Britain’s second-youngest Olympian, and he will compete in his fourth Olympic Games in Tokyo.
The men’s and women’s 4x400m relays are featured in athletics (13:30-14:00). Both of these championships were won by the United States in the 2019 World Championships. The British ladies finished second by less than a second that year, but the men were disqualified due to a botched baton handoff.
The women’s Olympic golf competition is in its final round, which runs from 23:30 on Friday to 07:30 on Saturday. GB is represented by Mel Reid and Jodi Ewart Shadoff. Reid’s global rating has risen dramatically in recent years, reaching a new career high of 30th this year.
Keep an eye on the British.
Jamie Cooke, the 2018 world and 2019 European champion, and Joe Choong compete in the men’s modern pentathlon (06:30-12:15). This may, however, be a late Valentine’s Day present for France, since both Valentin Belaud and Valentin Prades have a good chance of winning gold.
On Saturday, four boxing championships will be presented (06:00-07:55). Charley Davison will compete for the women’s flyweight championship, which was last held by Nicola Adams in 2012 and 2016.
Ethan Hayter and Oliver Wood pair up for Britain in the men’s Madison Day at the Track cycling event. The duo, who won bronze at the European Championships in 2018, are considered a long shot for a medal.
The team event in showjumping concludes at 11:00 a.m., with Ben Maher and Scott Brash aiming to repeat their roles in helping Great Britain win gold in London 2012. The third team member is Holly Smith. With two of the world’s best riders, Switzerland has a good chance at gold, while the US squad includes Jessica Springsteen, Bruce’s daughter.
Keep an eye on the world.
The men’s basketball final (03:30) is usually a crowning moment for the United States, which has won six of the seven Olympic championships since NBA players started participating in 1992. The fact that the gold-medal game is held far earlier than the bronze-medal game – in order to suit US prime-time television – says all you need to know about American confidence in their squad.
After concerns that Tokyo’s summer heat would be too much for such a rigorous race, the women’s marathon is held in Sapporo, the capital of the northern island of Hokkaido, far from Tokyo. Because to the Covid-19 measures, the marathon will go place without any spectators lining the streets, which will be an uncommon sight. Steph Twell, Jess Piasecki, and Stephanie Davis are the British competitors.
At 13:00, the men’s handball final will take place. In a sport dominated by European nations, France, Denmark, and Norway will all hope to compete for gold. The return of talismanic star Nikola Karabatic from a knee injury may be crucial for France’s aspirations.
knowledge of an expert
Water polo consists of four eight-minute periods during which players are unable to touch the pool’s sides or bottom and must tread water utilizing an eggbeater kick. The sport is popular in Hungary, where the men have won Olympic gold nine times, despite the fact that Hungary’s women have never made it to the top of the podium since its inception in 2000. The women’s final (08:30) may include a resurgent Hungarian team, but it is almost certainly going to be dominated by the United States.
Water polo consists of four eight-minute periods during which players are unable to touch the pool’s sides or bottom and must tread water utilizing an eggbeater kick. The sport is popular in Hungary, where the men have won Olympic gold nine times, despite the fact that Hungary’s women have never made it to the top of the podium since its inception in 2000. The women’s final (08:30) may include a resurgent Hungarian team, but it is almost certainly going to be dominated by the United States.
13 medal events
Women’s basketball, men’s basketball, boxing (women’s light, men’s light, women’s middle, men’s super-heavy), cycling (men’s keirin, women’s sprint, women’s omnium), handball (women), rhythmic gymnastics (group), volleyball (women), water polo (men).
Highlights
The reigning Olympic marathon champion and world record holder, Eliud Kipchoge, is generally anticipated to compete strongly in Tokyo 2020’s final sports event (conclusion shortly after midnight on Sunday). In the lead-up to the Games, Kipchoge claimed he is “still hungry” at 36 years old and disregarded worries about the heat. He said that the weather in Sapporo, some 500 miles north of Tokyo, would be the same for everyone and that it will not be an issue. For Great Britain, Callum Hawkins, Ben Connor, and Chris Thompson run.
At Tokyo 2020, the men’s super-heavyweight category will come to an end (06:00-07:55). The British participant is Commonwealth champion Frazer Clarke, although Uzbekistan’s Bakhodir Jalolov is the favorite to take gold.
Tokyo will bid the Olympics farewell in a closing ceremony beginning at 12:00 p.m. What shape it takes will be determined in part by the epidemic and related public health efforts in Japan.
Keep an eye on the British.
On Sunday, there are three more boxing finals, all of which may attract British attention, headed by 2019 world champion Lauren Price in the women’s middleweight division (06:00-07:55). In the men’s lightweight category, Luke McCormack, the twin brother of GB teammate Pat, participates. Caroline Dubois, the youngest of 11 siblings, competes in the women’s lightweight category.
Keep an eye on the world.
Lang Ping won Olympic gold in volleyball as a player in 1984, then returned as a coach to lead China to Olympic gold in Rio five years ago. Lang, dubbed the “Iron Hammer” in a later documentary, is back in Tokyo to defend his championship. Her squad may meet Japan in the women’s final on Sunday (05:30), which would mean a reunion with Japan coach Kumi Nakada, another veteran of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, when she was a member of the team that won bronze.
knowledge of an expert
The men’s keirin has been postponed to the final day of the Olympics (02:00-05:15), due to the popularity of the track cycling sport in Japan. The keirin is a Japanese sport in which riders are paced by a motorized scooter for many circuits before sprinting to the finish line. It was developed in Japan and introduced to the Olympics in 2000 as a result of Japanese lobbying. The last three Olympic keirin championships have been won by Great Britain’s Chris Hoy (2008, 2012) and Jason Kenny (2016). This time around, Kenny or Jack Carlin may be medal possibilities for Britain. Katy Marchant competes in the women’s sprint, while Laura Kenny competes in the women’s omnium.
The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, will be held February 12-27. The games are set to be the most expensive and complex in history, and will showcase the best that the world has to offer in winter sports.. Read more about tokyo 2020 and let us know what you think.
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