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Tokyo 2020 THE JOURNAL OF SPORT, LEISURE & RISK WITH AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE November 2021
The Winners the IOC continues to stick with its highly
Tokyo 2020: It is easy to be cynical about modern sport and for that reason many non-binary
controversial ruling of testosterone levels
(see below in The Losers section). But to
athletes were not able to compete in Tokyo.
witness athletes competing at this level
A Very 21st Century of performance is something that even Skateboarding was a particularly satisfying
non-sports fans embrace. There is never
addition to the Olympic roster given
an Olympics when a surprise isn’t sprung
its non-elite background. One beautiful
or a new star emerges. So, obviously it
is the athletes themselves that are the scene came when Japanese skater Misugu
winners. The USA ended the games with Okamoto fell and the other skaters picked
Olympics By Tim Mottram the top medal tally of 113, and standing on her up and carried her around the deck
the middle podium 39 times. China was in celebration of just being there. In fact,
behind by only one gold at 38, but lagging some of the youngest winners came
out of skateboarding. For example, in
Well, it happened! on the other medals. Japan, predictably the women’s street event, the podium
as the host country, came in third. In
fact, the Japanese population was pretty contained two 13-year-olds and a 16-year-
The Summer Olympics saw 17 days of furious content mainlining, with billions of ambivalent about the whole thing until it old. For young winners, gymnastics is
viewers, eagerly feasting themselves on what was billed to be a sporting competition started. Then public opinion turned very also a good place to look. American Suni
like no other. And that it was. The International Olympic Committee and the Japanese much into a thumbs up. Lee was 18 when she won the all-round
government came together to produce a fascinating event which was as uplifting gymnastic gold.
as it was controversial. There was a great deal of earnest intent, a huge amount of Italy rounded out the top ten, with some
fumbling and some backroom dealing. All at the low price of US$15 billion which stand-out performances on the track: The Losers
reports suggest could blow out to an overall loss of US$30 billion. Just like any Marcell Jacobs surprised everyone by Away from the Olympic Stadium, there
Olympics, there were plenty of winners. But the controversies are never far behind. becoming the world’s fastest man with a was plenty of shame to be spread around.
9.8 in the 100 metres. Italy followed this up Tokyo shows that the people in charge
by winning gold in the 4x100 men’s relay. sometimes don’t know what they are doing.
Returning to the US team, Caeleb Dressel Right from the start, even before the
sugar-coated a fairly flat performance for Games were awarded Japan’s way, there
the men with his five golds in the pool, were reports that the bid was being
which meant that the successful Olympic greased by “donations” to IOC voting
haul was made possible thanks to the US nations, particularly targeting African
women. In fact, this was the most gender- nations. Investigations later produced
balanced Olympics ever, with 49% of admissions from Japanese businessmen
the athletes being female. Many of the of giving gifts to IOC personnel. Then
events that have been switched out of there were the resignations that preceded
the Olympics - such as wrestling - were the Games, starting with Yoshiro Mori,
done to accommodate sports that have organising committee chief. He resigned
a women’s event attached. In fact, the after getting caught complaining about
spirit of inclusivity is perhaps the most how long meetings were taking because
impressive part of these Games. women talk too much; and should “know
their place”. Soon after, the creative
Tokyo 2020 saw the first ever openly trans director suggested putting media
athlete taking part: lifter Laurel Hubbard. personality Naomi Watanabe in a pig
Despite crashing out of competition suit and calling her Olympig. Then there
early, the New Zealander has become was the music composer for the opening
a pioneer of gender rights. However, ceremony, who belatedly got dumped
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