We’re more than midway through the Tokyo Olympics, which has come at a time of such huge global upheaval. From Covid restrictions to new sports, debate around American gymnast Simone Biles, and the inclusion of New Zealand transgender weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, take a look at some of the things that have made this Olympics different.  

Covid 

The Olympics was postponed for 12 months due to the pandemic According to athletes inside the Olympic village, the mood is somewhat different to other years. Athletes are required to undergo a Covid test everyday, and wear a mask when they aren’t competing, eating or training – including when they appear on the podium. A number have already been sent home after returning positive Covid tests.  

Most Olympic venues have completely barred spectators. In the first week of the Olympics, the number of Covid-19 cases in Tokyo reportedly doubled. Sight-seeing is not permitted, and athletes need to leave Japan within two days of the Olympics ending on August 8.   

New sports  

The Japanese martial art karate has been added to the Olympics, in two categories: kata and kumite. Kata is non-combat, while kumite is the fight version of the sport.  The kumite finals, on August 7, should be spectacular to watch. Kata is running all day on August 5.  

Skateboarding is also included and has been hotly awaited, with two categories: park and street. The street event has finished. Celebrated American street skater Nyjah Houston was tipped to perform well in this but did not gain a place. Gold medals in the men’s and women’s categories were taken by Japanese athletes Yuto Horigome and Momjii Nishiya. The park event is just beginning, and will unfold over the next two days. 

Sport climbing is also included this time, and is divided into three disciplines: boulder, lead and speed (where climbers race to the top). Catch the men’s and women’s finals of all three events on August 5 and August 6.  Surfing was included for the first time this year, and wrapped up on July 27. The gold medal for the men’s category went to Brazil, while a US surfer took away the women’s gold.  

The medal table 

On August 3, the countries leading the medal table were China, the US and Japan.  In fourth place was Australia followed by Russia in fifth place (appearing in the table as ROC) and Great Britain in sixth place. Rounding out the top 10 were Germany, France, the Republic of South Korea and the Netherlands.  

How are we doing?  

New Zealand is 11th in the medal table, just above Italy.  We’ve held our own in rowing, with three gold medals for Men’s Eight, Women’s Pair, and Women’s Single Scull. Lisa Carrington also won a gold medal for Women’s Kayak Single 200m. We have two further silver medals for Women’s Double Scull and Women’s Eight. We have won gold in the women’s rugby sevens; and silver in the men’s rugby sevens.  

Veteran competitor Valerie Adams has taken a bronze for women’s shotput, and Hayden Wilde has received a bronze for men’s triathalon. After placing 7th in the 2016 Rio Olympics, Aucklander Dylan Schmidt has also received a bronze for men’s trampoline gymnastics. 

Marcus Daniell and Michael Venus have received a bronze for men’s tennis doubles.  

New Zealand’s Laurel Hubbard, who sparked much debate as the first transgender athlete to compete in the Olympics, finished in the women’s weightlifting category without receiving a medal.  

 Over the next few days New Zealand athletes are appearing in single and double kayak events, weightlifting, the 1500m, equestrian, golf and team cycling events.  Golfer Lydia Ko and rower Lisa Carrington will be in action, and New Zealand’s first karate competitor, Andrea Anacan, is competing in women’s kata on August 5.  

On the final day of the Olympics, watch for two New Zealand athletes competing in the marathon: Zane Robertson, considered to be the third-fastest New Zealand 5000m+ runner of all-time, and the fastest over 10,000m, is running in the marathon event for the first time alongside Malcom Hicks.  

International athletes to watch  

Skateboarding: UK competitor Sky Brown is tipped to take gold in the women’s park skateboarding on August 4. Brown is the youngest UK competitor in the Olympics this year at only 13.   

Gymnastics: Star American gymnast Simone Biles, who has 31 Olympic and World Championship medals, received a lot of publicity in the build-up to the Olympics, but she has missed three Olympic events due to the “twisties”, a problem she described as her mind and body were not working in sync. She will return for the balance beam final tomorrow.  

Track and field: Noah Lyles is the 24-year-old American tipped to follow in the footsteps of Usain Bolt. Lyles is the world 200m champion and the favourite for the men’s 200 metre event: the final will be held on August 4.  

Allyson Felix: An American track and field star, Felix is the only female track and field athlete to win six gold medals. If she repeats this feat at Tokyo she will be the most-decorated female athlete in Olympic history. Felix is a favourite for the women’s 400m.  

Eliud Kipchoge: The 36-year-old Kenyan was the gold medallist for the men’s marathon in Rio in 2016. He is aiming to smash Olympic records by winning in two consecutive Olympic games.  

Beatrice Masilingi and Christine Mboma : these two teenage Namibian stars have been causing ripples. Both were banned from the 400m for having higher than permitted naturally-occurring testosterone, but they have blazed through the heats for the 200m event which has no such restrictions.  

Climbing: Janja Garnbret : Slovenian 2019 world climbing champion, is entered into all three climbing categories and is predicted to do well. Catch her in the heats on August 4. 

Notable victories  

Swimming:  Described as the next Michael Phelps, American Caeleb Dressel has taken away 5 gold medals, for the 100m freestyle, the 100m butterfly, the 50m freestyle and two relay events.  

Diving: Celebrated 29-year-old Chinese diver Shi Tingmao, who won two gold medals at Rio in 2016, has lived up to her reputation with a gold in the women’s 3m springboard.  

Track and field: Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah has taken away two gold medals for the 100m and the 200m, as she also did in the 2016 Rio Olympics. The second and third place winners  in the 100m race were also from Jamaica, Shelley-Ann Fraser-Price and Shericka Jackson.  

What next?  

The 2022 Winter Olympics will be held in Bejing, China.