The countdown is officially on. With less than a year to go until the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, there’s a lot to look forward to as athletes, coaches, families, and sponsors head back to Asia. Let’s take a look at the top five reasons to set your countdown clock and gear up for the Games…
Tokyo!
As a cultural mecca for all things art, fashion, food, and history, Tokyo isn’t just a destination to watch the world’s best athletes compete for gold; it’s so much more. For one, it’s the safest city in the world – somehow managing to simultaneously be both the largest and safest. It also has the world’s most sophisticated railways and is home to over 160,000 eateries. In fact, it has more Michelin stars than any other city in the world. 17 days won’t be nearly enough time to taste test all that Tokyo has to offer.
The most gender balanced Olympic Games to date.
For the first time in the history of the Games, the number of female athletes inches closer to even with the men, with 49 percent female and 51 percent male. This is up 3 percent from PyeongChang and an indicator of what we can expect in the coming years. And it’s all likely due to an increase of popular, new events that attract a younger, more gender balanced, demographic (see point 3). Let’s give it up for the ladies, #girlpower!
New event alert!
Do you like surfing? How about skateboarding? For the first time ever, these sports and three others will officially be dubbed Olympic level sports. Baseball/softball comes back into the fold, and we welcome a few newbies. Here’s the official list of new sports: baseball/softball, karate, surfing, skateboarding, and sport climbing. These additions alone bring 475 new athletes, along with 18 total competitions, into the fold.
Out with the old, in with the new.
We love Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt (I mean, who doesn’t!), but it’s time to give some love to the next generation of young athletes entering the spotlight. #amiright? Did someone say Naomi Osaka and Sky Brown? These two are poised to make headlines in just a few short months.
The most innovative Olympic Games ever.
At least, that’s what the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games is saying. From self-driving cars, to facial recognition software and robotic guides that speak 10 languages, the host-city is doing everything it can to prove that they are a society still firmly situated at the cutting edge of technology and innovation. We are here for it.
And there’s so much more. With less than a year to go until the Opening Ceremony, there’s no doubt that Tokyo 2020 will only continue to impress as we get closer. So, we’ll just have to stay tuned! Connect with me here if you have any questions.
