The Tokyo Olympics was one of the most anticipated sports events back in 2020. Unfortunately, the problems the world faced at that time simply didn’t allow for the games to happen and they had to be moved for the year 2021. People were looking forward to big crowds, robots, and everything else Japan was working on to make this into a true spectacle.
Still, the opening ceremony and the competitions looked amazing, it’s just that it wasn’t as nearly as crowded as it was originally hyped up. So, now that the event is over, let’s take a look at some of the highs and lows of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The Highs
If we were to keep score based on the number of medals then the US would be first with 39, China would be a runner up with 38, and the third-place would go to the host Japan with 27.
One of the big surprises was Lamont Marcell Jacobs from Italy who won gold in the 100-meter race. The reason why this is a big deal is that nobody has been able to beat Usain Bolt since 2004. There were no surprises in the women category though, as Jamaica dominated that disciple once again.
Neeraj Chopra made history by winning Olympic gold for India in the javelin throw. This is the first time ever that India won gold in this category of sports.
This year a new discipline was introduced, skateboarding. The gold medal went to Japan, and it was won by a 13-year-old Momiji Nishiya. This also made her the youngest Olympic gold medalist ever.
The Lows
Of course, there were some sad or better to say disappointing moments in this year’s event as well. This time it happened in a boxing competition when Mourad Aliev refused to acknowledge the decision of the judges. The talented Frenchman was irritated for being disqualified and refused to leave the ring. He intentionally headbutted his opponent, but in his words, he would have won the match if it weren’t for that disqualification.
Even if the US had won the most medals, their team did not qualify for a 4×100-meter race. Critics online said that this was an embarrassment for the nation.
There were also problems happening outside of the stadium.
Because of the big events, the virus started to spread more rapidly. The pandemic that resulted in the cancelation of the games during the previous years was seemingly making a comeback in Tokyo. The number of cases recorded on a daily basis was at an all-time high.
There were even protests demanding that the authorities stop the game, and end the Olympics. According to some polls, it seems that the majority of Japanese citizens were in favor of this decision.
Conclusion
Olympics are definitely an important sports event and they are a part of global tradition and culture. We were fortunate enough to have them take place the very next year after the big outbreak. Hopefully, the future competition will go as planned and with crowds filling up the stadium seats.
