After a year of canceling sports venues, the Olympic Games of 2021 will take place in Japan. The games were initially scheduled for 2020, and the highly anticipated athletic event was postponed due to the outbreak of the COVID pandemic worldwide. Athletes who had dedicated themselves to train mercilessly since the 2016 games can once more focus on competing this year in their respective sports. I anticipate a high degree of competition this summer as most athletes have taken advantage of the added year of training to enhance their skills.
The schedule begins on July 23rd with closing ceremonies on Sunday, August 8th, and Japan has promised a memorable affair. There’s a full slate of sports planned as usual, with Track and Field being the marquee sport. Gymnastics will highlight the games along with Basketball, Boxing, Futbol, Wrestling, and 28 additional events on the agenda. All total, there are 339 events that will be awarding medals to the winning participants.
Athletes such as Trayvon Bromell and Sha’Carri Richardson will highlight the USA team in track and field along with Shamier Little, who posted the fastest time in the world in the women’s 400-meter race. In gymnastics, look for Simone Biles to pick up where she left off in 2016 with a host of her teammates also medaling. The men and women’s USA Basketball teams are currently going through the team selection process, but the expectations are that with a field of pro players to select from, we will again dominate the competition. Unfortunately, in Soccer, the USA Men’s team failed to qualify for the games, but the Women’s team is expected to medal.
Personally, I anticipate being glued to the television set from the opening ceremony to the closing event. I will enjoy watching a team of one nation competing for gold in the events, and it doesn’t get any better than that.
The Traveler Weekly 