What You Should Know About the 2021 Olympics

The Tokyo Olympics are finally happening this month. The opening ceremony will take place on the 23rd of July, and the closing ceremony is scheduled for the 8th of August.

Here are a few things you should know about the Olympics this year:

First Olympics to be Delayed

Throughout their long and storied history, the Olympic Games have never been delayed. The Tokyo Games are unique in being the first postponed Olympics, having moved from the summer of 2020 to the summer of 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Year Issue

Even though many fans and news reports are calling them the 2021 Olympics, the Tokyo Games are officially known by their original year. According to an agreement between the organizers and the International Olympic Committee, all 2020 branding would be retained despite the postponement.

The Shadow of the Pandemic

Olympic Games are huge events, attracting crowds of athletes, visitors, and reporters from around the world—but things will be different this year. Many safety protocols have been established, keeping the pandemic in mind.

Restrictions on Athletes

While all nations and sports will be represented at the Olympics as usual, participating athletes will be subject to certain rules due to the pandemic. These include coronavirus tests, temperature monitoring, no public transport use, and no visits to unapproved public places.

Second Time Hosts

Japan has hosted the Olympics before. Back in 1964, Tokyo served as host to the Olympic Games for the first time, which also marked the first time that the Olympics were held in an Asian country.

Ghana at the Olympics

I’m proud to say that Ghana is headed to the Summer Olympics. This year will mark my country’s fifteenth appearance at the Olympics. Five Olympic-level athletes from Ghana will be participating in track and field events and will be joined by three boxers, a judoka, and a weightlifter.

New and Old Venues

As a former host city with many existing facilities, Tokyo has been able to emphasize renovation instead of having to construct a lot of new venues. Olympic events will be held at 43 venues in the city, and only 11 of these venues have been built for the upcoming Games.

The Most-Watched Sports

Some sporting events are always more popular than others at the Olympics. Spectators gather in person and tune in across the world to keep up with swimming, track and field, and gymnastics events. These three sports are sure to be a highlight this year as well.

Climate Concerns

Summer temperatures in Tokyo can approach 90 °F or about 32 °C. This has raised questions about athletes’ well-being and safety. High temperatures and humidity will be a major concern for outdoor events, which is why athletes have incorporated these conditions into their training regimens.

Being Ghana’s first skeleton Olympian, I’ll be cheering for Ghana at the Olympics. I encourage you to join my Hope of a Billion movement by proudly rocking Frimpong clothing from my Hope of a Billion collection, now available on the Frimpong store.

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