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Tokyo 2020

5 Things You Need to Know About This Year’s Olympic Games

May 2020

by Tod Olson

Update: Olympics Canceled Until 2021
We finished working on this issue in early March. At the time, the coronavirus was just starting to spread around the world. In the weeks it took to prepare and print the issue, a lot changed. Schools closed. Governors across the U.S. ordered people to stay inside. And the Olympics were moved to July 2021. Read more about how the virus has affected our lives in our exclusive online-only In the News article.

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It’s almost that time again. For two weeks in July and August, the fastest, strongest, most athletic humans on Earth will be gathering in Tokyo, Japan. They’ll come from more than 200 countries to sweat it out on the basketball court, flip through flawless gymnastics routines, and more. But even if you aren’t a sports fan, you still may want to pay attention to what’s happening at this year’s Games. Here are five things that might just set these Olympics apart from the rest.

It’s almost that time again. For two weeks in July and August, the best athletes in the world will gather in Tokyo, Japan. They’ll come from more than 200 countries. They’ll sweat it out on the basketball court. They’ll flip through gymnastics routines. They’ll do much more. Even if you aren’t a sports fan, you might find these Games interesting. Here are five things that might just set these Olympics apart from the rest.

It’s nearly that time again. For two weeks in July and August, the fastest, strongest, most athletic humans on Earth will be gathering in Tokyo, Japan. They’ll come from more than 200 countries to sweat it out on the basketball court, flip through flawless gymnastics routines, and more. Even if you’re not a sports fan, what’s happening at this year’s Games may still be of interest to you. Here are five things that might just set these Olympics apart from the rest.

1- Exciting New Sports

The modern Olympics are 124 years old. And some of the sports—like Greco-Roman wrestling—are even older. But the Games are evolving with the times. Every four years, the new host country gets to propose new sports. This year, skateboarding, surfing, sport climbing, and 3x3 basketball will make their debut.

These new events sound cool, right? That’s exactly the point. The organizers want to keep young people interested in the Olympics. They won’t accept just any sport, though. Sports that rely only on the mind are out. Sports that use machines won’t make it either. So if you like chess and auto racing, you’re out of luck. But if you’re a breakdancing fan, stay tuned. It may actually be an Olympic sport in 2024!

1- Exciting New Sports

The modern Olympics are 124 years old. Some of the sports are even older. Greco-Roman wrestling is one of them. But the Games are evolving with the times. The host country gets to propose new sports. This year, skateboarding will make its debut. So will surfing, sport climbing, and 3x3 basketball.

The organizers want to keep young people interested in the Games. But they won’t say “Yes” to every sport. Sports of the mind get a “No.” So if you like chess, you’re out of luck. Sports that use machines are also not allowed. That means no auto racing. But do you like breakdancing? Then stay tuned. It may be an Olympic sport in 2024!

1- Exciting New Sports

The first modern Olympics were held 124 years ago, and some of the sports—like Greco-Roman wrestling—date back even further. But the Games are always evolving with the times. Every four years, the new host country gets to propose new sports. This year, skateboarding, surfing, sport climbing, and 3x3 basketball will make their debut.

These additions sound cool, right? That’s exactly the point. The organizers want to ensure that the Olympics remain popular with young people. However, officials won’t consider adding just any sport. Those that rely on the mind only and those that use machines won’t be accepted. So if you’re into chess or auto racing, you’re out of luck. But stay tuned if you’re a breakdancing fan—it may actually be an Olympic sport in 2024!

PAUSE AND THINK: What is a big reason new sports are added every four years?

2- Inspiring Young Athletes

The best moments at the Olympics often happen when a young athlete suddenly becomes a star. Remember Chloe Kim from the 2018 Winter Olympics? She won a gold medal in snowboarding before she graduated from high school!

This year, one young athlete to watch is Sky Brown of Great Britain. She’s one of the best skateboarders in the world. And she’ll be 12 when the Olympics start.

Up to now, the youngest Olympic champion in an individual event is a 13-year-old named Marjorie Gestring. She took home a gold medal in diving in 1936. Could Brown be the one to finally beat her record?

2- Inspiring Young Athletes

Sometimes at the Olympics, a young athlete becomes a star. Chloe Kim was in the 2018 Winter Olympics. She won a gold medal in snowboarding. She was still in high school!

This time, look out for Sky Brown. She’s from Great Britain. She’s a skateboarder. She’s one of the best in the world. She’ll be 12 when the Olympics start.

Up to now, the youngest champion in an individual event is Marjorie Gestring. She was a diver. She won in 1936. She was 13! Will Brown beat her record?

2- Inspiring Young Athletes

At the Games, young athletes can suddenly become stars—creating some of the best moments of the Olympics. Remember Chloe Kim from the 2018 Winter Games? Before she had even graduated from high school, she had won a gold medal in snowboarding!

This time around, the young athlete to watch is Sky Brown of Great Britain. She’s one of the top skateboarders in the world, and at the start of the Olympics, she’ll be just 12 years old.

The youngest Olympic champion in an individual event—at least, up until now—was a 13-year-old named Marjorie Gestring. She took home a gold medal in diving in 1936. Could Brown be the one to finally beat her record?

PAUSE AND THINK: Who is the youngest Olympic gold medalist ever?

3 - Big Weather Worries

In Tokyo, athletes won’t just compete against one another. They’ll also have to battle the weather. The last two summers in Japan have been dangerously hot. Daytime temperatures climbed above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. More than 1,000 people died from the scorching heat.

So Olympic officials have been busy coming up with creative ways to beat the heat. They’ve moved the marathon to a cooler place in northern Japan. Other events will start very early in the morning to avoid the hottest temperatures. And organizers are even testing a secret weapon to keep visitors cool: a snow maker that blasts people with fake snow!

3 - Big Weather Worries

The last two summers in Japan have been very hot. Daytime temperatures were higher than 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The scorching heat killed more than 1,000 people.

Olympic officials are working on ways to beat the heat. They’ve moved the marathon to northern Japan. It’s cooler there. Other events will start very early in the morning. It’s not as hot in the morning. Organizers are even testing a new way to keep visitors cool. It’s a snow maker. It blasts people with fake snow!

3 - Big Weather Worries

In addition to competing against each other, the athletes will also have to battle the weather in Tokyo. The previous two summers in Japan have been dangerously hot, with daytime temperatures climbing above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The scorching heat was responsible for more than 1,000 deaths.

So Olympic officials have been thinking up creative ways to beat the heat, such as relocating the marathon to northern Japan, which is cooler. Other events will start very early in the morning to avoid the hottest temperatures. And, to keep visitors cool, organizers are even testing a secret weapon: a snow maker that blasts people with fake snow!

PAUSE AND THINK: What is being done to beat the heat at the Olympics?

Jae C. Hong/AP Images

4- Serious Planet Protection

Hosting the Olympics is a huge job. Tokyo needs stadiums for the events, beds for the athletes, and medals for the winners. But what happens to all that new stuff when the Games are over?

In the past, the Olympics have created a lot of waste. So the people planning this year’s Games are making them more sustainable. For example, they’re building 18,000 beds out of cardboard. When the athletes are gone, the beds will get recycled. And they’re creating the winners’ medals from pieces of old electronics!

4- Serious Planet Protection

Hosting the Olympics is a big job. Tokyo needs stadiums for the events. It needs beds for the athletes. It needs medals for the winners. What happens to all that stuff when the Games are over?

In the past, a lot of stuff has been thrown away. The people planning the Tokyo Games are making them more sustainable. They’re building 18,000 beds out of cardboard for the athletes. After the Games, the beds will be recycled. And they’re making the medals from pieces of old electronics!

4- Serious Planet Protection

Hosting the Olympics is a huge job. The events require stadiums, athletes need beds, and, of course, the winners are awarded medals. But what happens to all that stuff made just for the Games after they end?

In previous years, the Olympics have created a lot of waste. So this time, officials are making them more sustainable. For example, they’re building 18,000 beds out of cardboard that can be recycled after the athletes have headed home. And they’re using pieces of old electronics to create the winners’ medals!

PAUSE AND THINK: What does it mean if something is sustainable?

Robertus Pudyanto/Getty Images

Table Tennis

5- An Equal Playing Field

In Tokyo, for the first time, nearly half the athletes will be women. That’s a big step from the first Olympics in 1896, when only men were allowed to compete. Since then, women’s sports have been added one by one—golf in 1900, figure skating in 1908, swimming in 1912. (Fun fact: American women didn’t compete in the pool that year. Why? The U.S. team had a rule. It said women could only take part in the Games if they were wearing long skirts!)

Today, there are no male-only sports left in the Olympics. And more and more sports are putting men and women on the same playing field. This year they’ll play together in table tennis.

5- An Equal Playing Field

In the Tokyo Games, nearly half the athletes will be women. This is the first time that’s happened. It’s a big change from the first Olympics in 1896. Back then, only men could compete. Later, women’s sports were added. Golf was added in 1900, figure skating in 1908, and swimming in 1912. (American female swimmers didn’t compete that year. Why? The U.S. team had a rule: Women had to swim wearing long skirts!)

Today, the Games have no male-only sports. And more sports let men and women play on the same teams. In Tokyo, they’ll team up for table tennis. For the first time, they’ll run and swim relays together.

5- An Equal Playing Field

For the first time, at the Tokyo Games, nearly half the athletes will be women. That’s a big leap from the first Olympics in 1896, which were open only to male competitors. Since then, women’s sports have been added one by one—golf in 1900, figure skating in 1908, swimming in 1912. (Fun fact: American women swimmers didn’t compete that year. Why? The U.S. team had a rule that women could only participate in the Games if they were wearing long skirts!)

The Olympics no longer have male-only sports, and more and more sports are putting men and women on the same playing field. This year, they’ll play together in table tennis and, for the first time, men and women will team up for relays in swimming and track.