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The 2020 edition of the Olympic Games was postponed to 2021 and has already begun. New disciplines, strong Latin American participation, and remarkable records!
With the apparition of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Olympic Games had to be put off for some time. That ‘some time’ became a year, actually. But the wait is over now. So, the best athletes worldwide are already offering their best efforts to get that precious golden medal for their countries. As a plus, new disciplines were added, and surprising performances will take place in what will be the return of the Olympic Games after a long, mandatory break.
This edition of the Olympic Games is held in the city of Tokyo, Japan. This is the second time this city is home to this kind of summer event. The first one had been back in 1964, although a prior edition was about to occur there in 1940. Unfortunately, on that occasion, they had to withdraw from hosting the Games due to war.
This edition of the Olympic Games introduced new disciplines to the traditional ones. These include sports such as surfing, skateboarding, sport climbing, karate, and baseball. Many other disciplines are candidates to become Olympic sports in the future as well. Among them, we can find American football, billiards, and bowling.
The Pacific coast of Japan will be home to the best surfers in the world. Many people will be eager to see who will stand out and get the gold medal in this discipline. The scoring system will consist of two waves out of a maximum of 25 each surfer can take to show their abilities. Handling and speed, among other factors, will influence the final score, from one to ten, given by the judges.
This individual discipline has two different presentations: street and park. The first one consists of a straightway that imitates a street with stairs, curbs, benches, and walls. The Scoring system will be based on tricks and skills on the skateboard. The second presentation, park, with high heights and curves, will allow competitors to show their onboard skills.
A vertical wall will be the scenario for climbers to show their finger strength. With three different disciplines, known as speed, boulder, and lead, competitors will exhibit their ability to climb complex challenges quickly and earn the gold medal.
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With origins in the hosting country, this discipline attempted to become an Olympic sport several times in the past. Finally, its debut in an Olympic Games edition will take place in the Nippon Budokan.
After its interrupted participation in the Olympic Games, baseball is coming back. The last time this discipline was part of the event was in Beijing in 2008. Once again, we will watch and enjoy what athletes have to offer on the pitch.
But these are not the only new disciplines for this edition of the Olympic Games. Other sports such as mixed archery and 3 on 3 basketball will also occur during the summer event. Besides, some modifications to already existing competitions will also be seen.
Out of the 206 countries that belong to the National Olympic Committee (NOC), only North Korea decided to withdraw from this edition due to the pandemic. Therefore, many Latin American athletes will have the possibility to shine and perform their best to earn a place in the top three positions in their corresponding disciplines.
Throughout the Olympic Games’ history, Latin American countries have shown their value. Cuba leads the table with 78 gold, 68 silver, and 80 bronze. Second to them is Brazil, with 129 medals in total. Their top sport is sailing. In third place comes Argentina, with 74 awards so far. Boxing is their supreme discipline. Mexico is not far from them. Their 69 medals, with diving at the top, is quite a threat to second place. Colombia takes the fifth spot. 28 medals, most of which correspond to weight-lifting and cycling.
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