Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Subterms

    More stories

    • 225 Shares189 Views

      in Athletics

      Why isn’t Usain Bolt at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and who is the favourite for the men’s 100m?

      by

      THE Tokyo Olympics is just around the corner and no event will be more eagerly anticipated than the men’s 100m sprint.However, it won’t feel quite the same without Usain Bolt competing.
      Usain Bolt will be playing no part in this summer’s OlympicsCredit: Reuters
      Why isn’t Usain Bolt at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics?
      Usain Bolt will not be at the Tokyo Olympic Games because he has retired.
      The Jamaican, who would be competing in Tokyo at the age of 34 if he had continued, last raced at the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London.
      There, he picked up a bronze medal after being beaten by American duo Christian Coleman and Justin Gatlin.
      That marked the first time he had been beaten in a sprint final since the 4x100m relay at the 2007 World Championships.
      And in the 4x100m in London, Bolt pulled his hamstring and was carried over the line in agony by his Jamaican team-mates in his final ever race.
      Trayvon Bromell is favourite to win the men’s 100m in TokyoCredit: AFP
      A year later, Bolt attempted to live a lifelong dream of pursuing a career in football as he signed for Australia’s Central Coast Mariners.
      However, after eight weeks he was unable to agree a contract extension and said: “My sports life is over.”
      He added that it was “fun while it lasted,” saying he “really enjoyed just being in a team and it was [much] different from track and field.”
      Bolt concluded: “I’m just doing many different things … the sports life is over, so I’m now moving into different businesses.
      “I have a lot of things in the pipeline, so as I say, I’m just dabbling in everything and trying to be a businessman now.”
      BETTING SPECIAL – CLAIM £180 IN FREE BETS FOR THE OLYMPICS

      Who will win the 100m in Tokyo?
      American Trayvon Bromell is the favourite to take up Usain Bolt’s mantle as the fastest man on the planet.
      As of Monday, July 19 the latest odds from Paddy Power are as follows:

      Trayvon Bromell (USA) Evens
      Ronnie Baker (USA) 7/2
      Akani Simbine (RSA) 9/2
      Andre De Graase (CAN) 5/1
      Fred Kerley (USA) 12/1
      Yohan Blake (JAM) 17/1
      Marcell Jacobs (ITA) 17/1
      Zharnel Hughes (GBR) 22/1 More

    • 200 Shares139 Views

      in Athletics

      Brit Paralympian Olivia Breen left ‘speechless’ after being told her sprint briefs ‘too short and inappropriate’

      by

      PARALYMPIAN Olivia Breen was left ‘speechless’ after being told her sprint briefs were ‘too short and inappropriate’.The Welsh star, 24, was competing in a long jump event at the English Championships in Bedford at the weekend when a volunteer raised concerns about her Adidas attire.
      Olivia Breen was left ‘speechless’ after being told her sprint briefs were ‘too short and inappropriate’Credit: Rex
      The comment was made by a volunteer during the English ChampionshipsCredit: Rex
      The 24-year-old will represent Team GB at the Tokyo Paralympics beginning on August 24.
      Breen, from Guildford, won bronze at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London for the 4x100m Relay T35-T38.
      She failed to medal four years later in Rio, but brilliantly bounced back to win gold in the long jump title at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
      Breen posted on Twitter: “I am always grateful for the incredible volunteers who officiate at athletics events.
      “They do an amazing job and make it possible for us to compete.
      “However, tonight I feel disappointed because just as I finished my long jump competition one of the female officials felt it necessary to inform me that my sprint briefs were too short and inappropriate. I was left speechless.
      “I have been wearing the same sprint style briefs for many years and they are specifically designed for competing in.
      “I will hopefully be wearing them in Tokyo. It made me question whether a male competitor would be similarly criticised.
      “I hope no other female athletes had similar issues.
      “I recognise that there needs to be regulations and guidelines in relation to competition kit but women should not be made to feel self-conscious about what they are wearing when competing but should feel comfortable and at ease.”
      Breen, who has cerebral palsy, revealed to The Guardian that she intends on making an official complaint to UK Athletics.

      British shot putter Amelia Strickler backed up Breen’s comments and believes officials who make ‘unnecessary’ comments should not officiate.
      Strickler, 27, said: “Female athletes shouldn’t be subjected to such criticism when there is already so much pressure on women to be ‘perfect’.
      “We are there to compete. You don’t like the outfits? Don’t officiate. We don’t need officials adding unnecessary stress in those moments.”
      Ugandan weightlifter Julius Ssekitoleko goes missing from Tokyo 2020 training camp and ‘leaves behind just a note’ More

    • 225 Shares99 Views

      in Athletics

      Inside Tokyo’s Covid-19 secure Olympic and Paralympic village – where athletes are forced to sleep in anti-sex beds

      by

      TOKYO is a city full of famous buildings and iconic architecture.And its Olympic and Paralympic Village comes across as a homely, if slightly sterile, home for athletes that will descend upon it next month.
      Olympians will sleep in eco-friendly, anti-sex single bedsCredit: Getty
      Chairs will bring some colour to athletes’ roomsCredit: Getty
      Stars will be instructed to eat alone in the dining areaCredit: Getty
      Athletes will sleep in single beds, with decoration kept to a minimum within the Covid-19 secure bubble.
      The Tokyo 2020 pads possess a clean feel, while tenants will be ordered to eat alone.
      Rio’s 2016 Olympics was a Tinder hotspot, with matches having rocketed up 129 per cent in the area during the games.
      Sex is set to be BANNED at this summer’s edition – but precautions have been taken anyway.
      Organisers are distributing a staggering 160,000 condoms for the event, to encourage romping athletes to be safe.
      The official line is that the mass distribution is to ‘raise awareness’.
      And rule-breaking rompers could be left red-faced if they attempt to have threesomes, as the beds will likely COLLAPSE.
      Tokyo organisers are committed to being as eco-friendly as possible, with each bed having been built from recycled cardboard.
      Athletes will take questions in a state of the art media centreCredit: Getty
      Athletes will walk these streets between July 23 and August 8Credit: Alamy
      Press were given a tour of the village this morningCredit: Getty
      FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN NEW CUSTOMER DEALS

      A spokesperson for Airweave, who made the beds, stated: “We’ve conducted experiments, like dropping weights on top of the beds.
      “As long as they stick to just two people in the bed, they should be strong enough to support the load.”
      In the main dining hall, where athletes will be instructed to eat alone, hand sanitising stations are a regular feature.
      Pink and orange signs add some colour to the otherwise dull features.
      And multi-coloured chairs aim for the same effect.
      Competitors will be tested by anti-doping officials hereCredit: Getty
      Beds will be fully recyclableCredit: EPA
      The world’s greatest athletes will descend upon TokyoCredit: Getty

      Snowboard king Shaun White talks about sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll in Olympic village More

    • 175 Shares189 Views

      in Athletics

      Who is USA sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson and what substance did she test positive for?

      by

      THERE are few greater thrills in sport than watching an Olympic sprinter run on the biggest stage.And that was the dream for US 100 metres star Sha’Carri Richardson, who was tipped by many for a medal at this summer’s Olympics in Tokyo.
      Richardson had been expected to take the Olympics by storm this summerCredit: Reuters
      Who is Sha’Carri Richardson?
      Born in Dallas, Texas in 2000, Richardson is one of Team USA’s rising stars.
      An exciting sprinter, she competes in the 100m and 200m and rose to fame after a stunning run for Louisiana State University in 2019.
      Sha’Carri ran a 10.75sec race for the 100m, breaking the NCAA record and in turn becoming one of the fastest teenagers of all time.
      Fast forward to 2021 and she was breaking records again, recording a personal best 10.72sec in the run-up to the Olympics in Tokyo.
      As a result of that run, she is now the fourth-fastest American woman in history.
      But the US star will not be competing in TokyoCredit: Getty
      Richardson has always been a talented sprinter and won the 100m title at the Junior Olympics in 2016.
      She is known for her colourful hair styles and revealed after qualifying for the Olympics that her girlfriend picked the colour.
      She told USA Today: “My girlfriend actually picked my [hair] colour.
      “She said it like spoke to her, the fact that it was just so loud and vibrant, and that’s who I am.”
      Richardson’s stunning athleticism has seen fans compare her to the legendary Florence “Flo Jo” Griffith Joyner.
      Flo-Jo won gold medals in the 100m, 200m, and relay race at the 1988 Seoul Olympics in South Korea.

      What did she test positive for?
      Unfortunately, Richardson will not be competing this summer at the Olympics.
      She was disqualified last month from participating in individual Olympic events after testing positive for THC, the chemical found in marijuana.
      Cannabis was banned by WADA as of January 1 this year and could carry a ban of up to four years.
      Sha’Carri claims that she only smoked weed to cope with the pain of finding out that her biological mother had died. 
      Richardson had qualified for the Olympics earlier this year but that run has been scrubbed from the record booksCredit: Reuters
      Her cousin Chasity Lanell told the US Sun: “I really feel [the ban] is unfair.
      “Sha’Carri really does inspire a lot of people and everybody makes mistakes. 
      “She is going through a very hard time because of the loss of her mother. 
      “It’s unfair to take something from someone who started from the bottom and made their way up to the top, from nothing. 
      “People are judging her from the outside but they don’t really know what she’s going through on the inside. 
      “It was just a little marijuana, it is a legal substance in the state where she took it.” More

    • 200 Shares99 Views

      in Athletics

      Australian basketball star Elizabeth Cambage pulls out of Tokyo Olympics over ‘terrifying’ coronavirus bubble in Japan

      by

      AUSTRALIAN basketball star Elizabeth Cambage has pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics over fears of living in a Covid-19 bubble.Several athletes have already withdrawn from the Games due to Covid concerns, with British tennis player Dan Evans testing positive for the virus.
      Elizabeth Cambage, 29, has pulled out of the Olympics due to mental health concernsCredit: Getty
      Tokyo’s 68,000-seater stadium, built for the Olympics, will be empty this summerCredit: EPA
      All athletes competing in the delayed Games will be forced to live in a bio-secure bubble in Tokyo until their participation ends.
      Social contact will be kept to a minimum during that time, with stars even being forced to eat alone.
      There are fears the strict environment will have a detrimental effect on the mental wellbeing of the athletes, with Cambage being the first to pull out.
      The 29-year-old said: “Anyone that knows me knows one of my biggest dreams is winning an Olympic gold medal with the Opals.
      “Every athlete competing in the Olympic games should be at their mental and physical peak, and at the moment, I’m a long way from where I want and need to be.
      “It’s no secret that in the past I’ve struggled with my mental health and recently I’ve been worried about heading into a ‘bubble’ Olympics.
      “No family. No friends. No fans. No support system outside of my team.
      “It’s honestly terrifying for me. The past month I have been having panic attacks, not sleeping and not eating.
      “Relying on daily medication to control my anxiety is not the place I want to be right now. Especially walking into competition on the world’s biggest sporting stage.
      “I know myself, and I know I can’t be the Liz everyone deserves to see compete for the Opals. Not right now at least.
      “I need to take care of myself mentally and physically.
      “It breaks my heart to announce I’m withdrawing from the Olympics, but I think it’s best for the Opals and myself.
      “I wish them nothing but the best of luck in Tokyo and I hop they go forth and win a gold medal.”
      The Olympics are due to begin on July 23 – despite several athletes pulling out of the Games due to Covid-related problems.

      JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET A FREE £10 BONUS WITH 100s OF GAMES TO PLAY AND NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED (Ts&Cs apply)

      Tennis stars Evans, Alex de Minaur and Johanna Konta have all been forced to withdraw from the event due to a positive Covid test.
      And tennis icon Serena Williams has decided against competing, although she hasn’t clarified whether the pandemic is a reason for her decision.
      Covid cases in Tokyo have hit a six-month high and there are fears the Olympics could become a super spreader event.
      Fans will not be in attendance at the Games but thousands of people are still expected to flood in and out of Japan in the coming weeks.
      The lack of spectators has led to tennis star Nick Kyrgios withdrawing, claiming ‘it doesn’t sit right with me’ to play with no fans.
      The Olympic village in Tokyo is deserted ahead of the GamesCredit: AP
      British tennis star Dan Evans will miss the Olympics after contracting Covid-19Credit: Getty
      Man Utd hero Gary Neville pulls hamstring during race with Team GB’s Tokyo 2020 Olympics star Dina Asher-Smith More

    • 225 Shares159 Views

      in Soccer

      Why is there no Team GB men’s football team but a women’s team in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics?

      by

      THE TOKYO OLYMPICS will see Great Britain field a women’s football team this summer, but there will be NO men’s side.Hege Riise, the Team GB head coach, named an 18-person squad for the games set to be held in Japan between July 23 and August 8.
      Team GB will field a women’s side at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo this summerCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Team GB will take on Japan, Canada and Chile in the group stage.
      But for the second Olympic Games running, there will NOT be a men’s team playing for GB.
      Why is there no Great Britain men’s football team at the Olympics?
      When London won the rights to hold the Olympics in 2012, Great Britain immediately began plans to enter a men’s team for the games.
      The Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish FA, however, expressed doubts over taking part over fears they would lose their Home Nations status which had been established by Fifa.

      Fifa president at the time Sepp Blatter assured all four nations that their individuality would not be lost, despite combining to create Team GB for the Olympics.
      A compromise was reached and only English and Welsh players took part for Team GB in London.
      Plans were put forward for a team to be created for the Rio Olympics in 2016, but they were once again rejected by the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish associations.
      And subsequently, no efforts were made for a men’s team to enter the Tokyo games.
      Ryan Giggs captained the men’s Team GB side at the 2012 OlympicsCredit: PA:Press Association
      But Team GB Chef de Mission Mark England says that potential success from the women’s team may spark up a revival for the men’s side.
      He said: “I would absolutely love to take a men’s football team to the Olympic Games.
      “I think the experiences that the women have had through the home country FAs hopefully will be that positive step and impetus for an open dialogue on men’s teams in the future.
      “Obviously the strength now that we can see in women’s football (means) we’d be very disappointed if, in France in Paris in 2024 and on to Los Angeles in 2028, we weren’t fielding competitive teams across all sports but in particular competitive teams in football as well.”
      However, even if the four football associations had agreed to a Team GB men’s side, they would not have qualified for the Olympics this year.
      The women qualified for the Olympic Games by virtue of England’s run to the semi-final of the 2019 Women’s World Cup.
      However, qualification for the men’s tournament was decided by performance in the 2019 Under-21 European Championship.
      And in that tournament, England failed to get out of the group stage after being beaten by France and Romania.
      As a result of their runs to the semi-finals of that competition, France, Romania, Germany and Spain are Uefa’s representatives at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. More

    • 238 Shares109 Views

      in Soccer

      Watch Man Utd hero Gary Neville pull hamstring during race with Team GB’s Tokyo 2020 Olympics star Dina Asher-Smith

      by

      GARY NEVILLE pulled his hamstring while taking on Team GB superstar Dina Asher-Smith in a 100m race.The Man Utd legend, 46, was interviewing the 25-year-old British Olympic hero for his YouTube channel The Overlap.
      Gary Nevill pulled his hamstring while racing Dina Asher-Smith forhis YouTube channelCredit: YouTube / The Overlap
      Neville set off with a 10m head-start but pulled up with a hamstring injury just seconds inCredit: YouTube / The Overlap
      After a heart-to-heart with Asher-Smith about the upcoming Games in Tokyo and the ongoing fight against racism, Neville was challenged to a 100m dash by the sprinter and coach John Blackie.
      Despite being given a 10m headstart, Neville managed pull his hamstring just seconds in – before blaming 2019 Sports Personality Coach of the Year, Blackie.
      After pulling up just a few metres in, Neville squeaked: “Oh no! I knew it would go. It was always going to go, wasn’t it?
      “Coach, you didn’t warm me up properly.
      “Coach of the Year? He’s pulled my hamstring!”
      Neville never pulled his hamstring during his 19-year playing career for United and England – despite making 687 appearances in all competitions for club and country.
      In fact, the right-back only ever suffered one major injury – an ankle issue that kept him sidelined for 11 months in 2007.
      Incredibly, having retired in 2011, Neville has since pulled his hamstring TWICE.
      COMPETITION: WIN ONE OF FOUR SUPERCARS OR A DREAM CAR AND £100k IN CASH
      Neville limped back to the start line before taking aim at coach John BlackieCredit: YouTube / The Overlap
      Neville was given a 10m head-start but pushed himself too hard before his hamstring wentCredit: YouTube / The Overlap

      As well as his injury while interviewing Asher-Smith, Neville also suffered the injury while playing for a Premier League all-stars team that took on a Vincent Kompany XI in 2019.
      Nev was forced off after just half an hour of the exhibition match after chasing after Craig Bellamy.
      At the time, he told Geoff Shreeves pitch-side: “I’ve never pulled my hamstring in my life – I’ve just pulled my hamstring.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Roy Keane, Gary Neville and Patrick Vieira discuss the Highbury tunnel incident from 2005 More

    • 238 Shares169 Views

      in Soccer

      Team GB footballers confirm they WILL take knee before kick-off at Tokyo Olympics in defiance after England race shame

      by

      TEAM GB footballers have confirmed they will take a knee before their Olympic matches.Sun Sport revealed last week that the squad, under head coach Hege Riise, had been determined to follow the stance used in the WSL as well as men’s football since last year’s restart.
      Riise has confirmed that her Team GB will be taking the knee before their games at the Tokyo 2020 gamesCredit: Reuters
      It had potentially brought the Team GB players, including two Scots and one from Wales, into conflict with Games chiefs.
      But a reversal allowing pre-match gestures sealed the deal.
      In a statement, Team GB said: “The Team GB Women’s Football squad have confirmed their intention to take the knee on the field of play ahead of kick-off in their games at the forthcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympic Football tournament in Japan.
      “The squad welcomed recent clarification provided by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in relation to Rule 50 which now permits athletes to make gestures on the field of play, provided they are done so without disruption and with respect for fellow competitors.”
      The confirmation came as Riise announced the captaincy of the side will be rotated in the three group games to reflect the unique circumstances of three Home Nations being united under one flag.
      England skipper Steph Houghton, Wales captain Sophie Ingle and Scotland vice-captain Kim Little will each wear the armband in the opening three games against Chile, Japan and Canada.
      Team GB’s opening two matches are in Sapporo, with the side the first British athletes in action on Wednesday, two days before the opening ceremony.
      Riise said: “We are fortunate to have so many experienced and talented players in our squad and we think of ourselves as a ‘leaderful’ team.
      The Team GB are determined to use the stance which has been widely used in the WSL and Premier LeagueCredit: PA
      Their decision to take the stance comes after Rashford, Sancho and Saka were racially abused following their penalty misses in the Euro 2020 finalCredit: Getty
      “Where every individual brings their own leadership strengths to the group.
      “However Steph, Sophie and Kim will lead the way on the pitch.
      “This is a very close group on and off the pitch and I have been so impressed how they have all come together.
      “When you get to an Olympics you realise you are part of something veryspecial and I know the players and support team are determined to give everything they can.”
      About the decision to kneel – as both England and Wales did before all their games in Euro 2020 – Riise added: “The players and staff have been taking the knee at club and international level for over a year now.
      “And we were all united in our decision to continue doing whatever we can to raise awareness of racism and discrimination in all itsforms.
      “Standing in unity and solidarity with all those whose lives are affected.
      “We are clear that taking the knee is an important symbol of peaceful protest against discrimination, injustice and inequality in society.
      “And we are glad that the IOC have acknowledged the importance of this form of freedom of expression.
      “We will do so with The utmost respect for our fellow competitors, officials and the IOC, with due regard for the ideals that lie at the heart of the Olympic movement.”
      Team GB’s decision to take the knee comes shortly after England stars Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Buyako Saka were all racially abused following their penalty misses against Italy in the Euro 2020 final.

      The trio were subjected to vile abuse from trolls on Twitter which has outraged the nation.
      Manchester United ace Rashford had his mural in the city vandalised. which left him on the brink of tears, but it was covered with messages of support shortly after.
      His new United team-mate Sancho also revealed he was saddened by the horrific jibes but declared that hate will never win.
      Hege Riise is appointed Team GB women’s football head coach for Tokyo Olympics More