This week was supposed to be a momentous one for Tokyo, with the Olympics Opening Ceremony originally planned for July 24. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games were postponed back in March, what feels like an eternity ago, and will now commence next summer on July 23 2021. The state of the Games is still fragile, with social distancing protocols and international travel bans due to Covid-19 coronavirus still in force, although Tokyo 2020 organisers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) seem positive that we’ll see the event next summer, even if it’s at a reduced scale.
Good news for next year: the competition schedule has been confirmed and all of the same venues will be used, including Sapporo’s Odori Park, the marathon’s controversial new home, announced last year for the cooler northern temperatures. The Olympic Games will begin with women’s softball and football, the latter held in different stadiums throughout Japan, including in Miyagi and Sapporo, on July 21, two days before the opening ceremony. The first medal event, for women’s shooting, will be held on July 24.
July 31 and August 1 have been dubbed ‘Super Saturday’ and ‘Golden Sunday’ and will see a grand total of 46 medal events over the weekend, including triathlon, men’s athletics and tennis, and gymnastics. The second ‘Super Saturday’, with 34 medal events, will take place on August 7, the day before the closing ceremony. Events include men’s basketball and football, women’s marathon and rhythmic gymnastics.
Tickets for this year’s Games are still valid for 2021, although Tokyo 2020 organisers will refund those who can’t make it. The exact competition schedule for the Paralympics is yet to be announced, although the Paralympic Games will be held from August 24 to September 5.
Check out the full Tokyo 2020 Olympic schedule here.
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