Tokyo Olympics: A look at some of the firsts

Like all previous editions, the Tokyo Olympics next month will also see a long list of firsts. The Games will see five new sports making their first appearances at the world’s biggest sporting event. There will be several debutant athletes at this year's game as well.

The Tokyo Olympics was originally scheduled for 2020 but got postponed for a year due to the COVID-19 lockdown globally. The Tokyo Olympics will start on July 23. Despite appeals from several sections of the society to cancel the Tokyo Olympics, the IOC and the Games authorities have maintained that the event will go on.

The Olympic Games #Tokyo2020 will be held from 23 July until 8 August 2021.More information here: https://t.co/ST25uXKglE pic.twitter.com/sQo1TIcH5O

— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) March 30, 2020

Let's take a look at some of the firsts at Tokyo Olympics

#1. Tokyo - First Asian city to host two Olympic Games

Tokyo will become the first Asian city to host a Summer Olympics twice. The Japanese capital was selected as the host city during the 125th International Olympic Committee (IOC) session in Buenos Aires on the September 7, 2013.

The last time Tokyo hosted the Olympic Games was back in 1964. 93 countries participated in the 1964 edition and saw 163 events across 19 sports. The US topped the list with 90 medals including 36 gold. The hosts, Japan, finished third with 29 medals.

Japan has also hosted Winter Olympics in 1972 (Sapporo) and 1998 (Nagano).

# 2. Five new sports to make Olympics debut in Tokyo

Skateboarding will make its debut at the Tokyo Olympics

Every year, several new sports make their debut at the Olympics. As many as five new sports will be making their first appearances at the Tokyo Olympics. The IOC has approved surfing, sport climbing, skateboarding, karate and baseball (men)/softball (women) for the Games.

The Shidshita beach will stage surfing events (men’s and women’s). Sport climbing will have three forms – bouldering, lead climbing and speed climbing. Park and street will be the two skateboarding disciplines.

Kata and kumite will be the two categories in karate. Baseball and softball will follow their own respective rules.

#3. Bhawani Devi – first Indian fencer at the Olympics

Bhavani Devi will be the first Indian fencer to compete at Olympics

Among the many firsts at the Tokyo Olympics, one of the major mentions is Bhavani Devi – the first Indian fencer in history to be at the Olympics. The 27-year-old sabre fencer booked her Tokyo Olympics ticket at the World Cup in March. She qualified through the Adjusted Official Ranking (AOR) Method after hosts Hungary lost in the quarterfinals.

Fencing has been a part of the Olympic Games since 1896. The sport started in India in 1974 before getting recognized by the Union Government in 1997. Bhavani Devi became the first Indian fencer to win an international gold medal when she won the sabre event at the Turnoi Satellite Fencing Championship in Iceland in 2017.

"Our universal language is sport, let's go and bring joy."Meet the 29 athletes who'll represent the IOC Refugee Olympic Team at #Tokyo2020.Their aim is to bring solidarity to millions of refugees around the world.#RefugeeOlympicTeam @RefugeesOlympichttps://t.co/U3tF1WZo4V

— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) June 8, 2021

# 4. 2020 Games to have highest number of events in history

The Tokyo Olympics will see a total of 339 scheduled events – the highest in the history of the Summer Games. The previous highest was at the Rio Olympics in 2016. As many as 18 new events will be introduced at the Tokyo Olympics.