Tokyo 2020 Olympics

News, highlights, trivia, schedules and statistics about the Tokyo Olympic Games

1.Who started the Olympics and why?

The Olympic Games began around the 8th century B.C. in Ancient Greece. The term is named after the city of Olympia, where the games were held. With the decline of the Greek civilization in the ancient world, sports competitions such as the Olympics lost their force.

Centuries later, in 1890, the French aristocrat and educator Charles Pierre de Frédy, better known as Baron de Coubertin, decided to recreate a sports competition along the lines of the Greek Olympics. In 1894 the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was created and in 1896 the first Olympic Games of the modern era were held in Athens, Greece.

2.Where have the Olympics been held?

Since then, every four years a city is chosen to host the games, welcoming athletes and fans from all over the world. The complete list of host cities is: Athens (1986), Paris (1900), Saint Louis (1904), London (1908), Stockholm (1912), Antwerp (1920), Paris (1924), Amsterdam (1928), Los Angeles (1932), Berlin (1936), London (1948), Helsinki (1952), Melbourne (1956), Rome (1960), Tokyo (1964), Mexico City (1968), Munich (1972), Montreal (1976), Moscow (1980), Los Angeles (1984), Seoul (1988), Barcelona (1992), Atlanta (1996), Sydney (2000), Athens (2004), Beijing (2008), London (2012), and Rio de Janeiro (2016).

3.What do the 5 Olympic rings stand for?

Baron de Coubertin, the creator of the Modern Olympic Games, is also responsible for the creation of the Olympic rings. The main Olympic symbol is composed of five intertwined rings, in five different colors – blue, yellow, black, green, and red – representing the five continents of the planet: America, Oceania, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

4.What is this year's edition?

  • The 2020 Olympic Games are scheduled to take place in the Japanese capital, Tokyo, between July 23 and August 8, 2021.
  • The competition was originally scheduled to take place in July and August 2020, but was eventually postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
  • Despite taking place in 2021, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to continue calling the event Tokyo 2020.
  • The Paralympic Games are scheduled to take place between August 24 and September 5.
  • The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will feature more than 11,000 athletes from 205 countries. In total, the event will feature a record 33 competitions and 339 events held across 42 competition venues.
  • Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Japan's borders are closed to foreigners, meaning that no international fans will be able to travel to the Games.
  • International athletes and support staff will have to be tested upon arrival in Japan and before the competitions. There will be no need for quarantine on arrival in Japan, but everyone will have to stay in bubbles and avoid mixing with locals.
  • This is the first time in its 124-year modern history that the Olympic Games have been postponed. The competition had, however, been canceled on three previous occasions: 1916, 1940, and 1944, because of the First and Second World Wars.

5.Six facts you didn't know about the Olympics

  • In the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece, only the champion was awarded, receiving a palm branch and a laurel wreath. At the end of the Games, the champions gathered at the temple of Zeus where they had their heads anointed with sacred oil.
  • American swimmer Michael Phelps currently holds the record for the most medals won in the history of the Olympic Games, with 28, including 23 gold, three silver, and two bronze.
  • From 1924 to 1992, the Winter and Summer Olympic Games were held in the same year. But now, they take place in separate, alternating cycles every two years.
  • In the ancient era, the Games consisted of events such as running, discus throw, pentathlon, chariot race, horse race, long jump, javelin throw, and wrestling.
  • The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will feature five new sports: baseball/softball, climbing, karate, skateboarding, and surfing.
  • During the modern era, the Olympic Games have had some rather strange sports, such as tug-of-war, one-handed weightlifting, and even pigeon shooting.

Who follows the Tokyo 2020 Olympics channel?

Alessia  Cucciola Modu N Ahmed Hussein Ali اسلام عبدالباسط Oluwadara Akingbohungbe Diego Omar Costa Mahmoud Hamoda
author-avatar

Prabir Ghose

author-avatar

Parasshuram Shalgar

author-avatar

Parasshuram Shalgar

author-avatar

Parasshuram Shalgar

author-avatar

ZeeGee Cecilio

author-avatar

Parasshuram Shalgar

author-avatar

Parasshuram Shalgar

author-avatar

Parasshuram Shalgar

author-avatar

Parasshuram Shalgar

author-avatar

Parasshuram Shalgar

author-avatar

Parasshuram Shalgar

author-avatar

Parasshuram Shalgar

author-avatar

Parasshuram Shalgar

author-avatar

Parasshuram Shalgar

author-avatar

Parasshuram Shalgar

author-avatar

Parasshuram Shalgar

author-avatar

Parasshuram Shalgar

author-avatar

Parasshuram Shalgar

author-avatar

Prabir Ghose

author-avatar

Parasshuram Shalgar

author-avatar

Bruno Fuschini

author-avatar

Parasshuram Shalgar

author-avatar

Parasshuram Shalgar

author-avatar

Parasshuram Shalgar

author-avatar

Parasshuram Shalgar

author-avatar

Prabir Ghose

This channel is curated by our expert
splnews
Contributor
I have been online in various capacities as a pro-blogger, top researcher, and now a senior editor at Blasting News US and Blasting News UK. I am also a video editor at Blasting News. I have over 14 years of experience in the field of online publishing.
Suggest a correction