The 2020 Summer Olympics is a multi-sport event, which will take place in Tokyo, Japan, from July 23 to August 8, 2021. It was originally scheduled for July 24 to August 9, 2020, but as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was postponed. It still maintains the Tokyo 2020 name for commercialization and naming purposes, despite being rescheduled for 2021. This is the first time that the Olympic Games have been delayed and not canceled.
In 2013, Tokyo was chosen as the host city. It will be the second time Japan host the Olympic Games, after 1964. In addition, Tokyo is the first Asian city to host the Summer Olympics twice. Japan can also boast of hosting two other Olympic Games, in 1972 in Sapporo, and in 1998 in Nagano - both Winter Olympics.
New sports, including 3x3 soccer, BMX freestyle, as well as madison biking, and more mixed events will be launched at the 2020 Games. In the latest policy of the IOC, which permits the host organizing committee to bring new activities to the Olympic program and add permanent core competitions, karate, sports climbing, surfing, and skateboarding will also return to the Games for the first time since 2008.
Which sports have been dropped from the 2012 program?
The IOC evaluated 26 sports at the 2012 Olympic Games, with the task of abandoning one sport, maintaining 25 core sports joined by golf and rugby at the 2020 Games. It is all as part of the aim of controlling costs and guaranteeing that they remain "sport-relevant to all generations." This transition will mean that there are 27 sports, one less than the required 28, leaving the Olympic Games a single vacancy. They are now seeking to fill out the shortlist of seven unrepresented sports, as well as some of the sports that were abandoned in 2012.
Over the whole 20th century, Baseball flirted with the Olympics and also became a demonstration sport during the Summer Games. Baseball first came into being in 1992, with its sister sports, softball, participating four years later as an official Olympic sport. In 2012, however, the number of sports decreased, and both baseballs for softball got dropped for the first time since 1936.
Pro Baseball players were permitted to participate in the Olympics, but most of them chose not to as a result of the fact that the Olympic Games often overlap with the Major Major League Baseball regular season. The IOC referred to MLB's refusal to change their season as a major reason for abandoning both sports. However, the snub was not long-lasting. Baseball and softball were reintroduced in 2016, and they will also be included in the 2020 Tokyo Games.
