The Summer Olympics return in 2021: Here are all the events to catch

The Tokyo Summer Olympics, after a year-long delay, is set to officially begin July 23rd, 2021. The first major global gathering since the start of the pandemic has become highly anticipated. Along with all of the classic Olympic sporting events, there have been some recent new additions!

We’re all looking forward to the Opening Ceremony which will surely be beautifully theatric. There are countless events this Olympic season to look forward to!  Let’s take a look at some of the much-awaited events at the Tokyo Summer Olympics.

Opening Ceremony

Many people tune into the Olympics just to watch the opening celebration. It’s easy to see why! Each Olympic games feature intricate and grand spectacles that are hard to find anywhere else. 

No one can forget the 2016 Rio Opening Ceremony which displayed insane acrobatics and colorful fireworks. The 2008 Beijing Olympics is also considered one of the most memorable Olympic Opening Ceremonies with its innumerable performers and artistic scroll paintings!

On July 23rd, Tokyo will commence its Opening Ceremony and we couldn’t be any more excited! The official ceremony takes place Friday evening Tokyo time. Due to the fourteen hour time difference, American viewers will have to be tuning in at 7 am Eastern time. 

New games at the 2021 Olympics

Surfing, karate, sport climbing, and skateboarding are new sports which have been recently added to the Olympic games. Each new sport brings its own unique excitement to the international competitions. 

Watching Olympic surfers ride the scenic Japanese waves will definitely be a treat for viewers. The surfing competition will take place at Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach (also referred to as Shidashita Beach). After three days of preliminaries, the final competition will be held July 27th 7 pm ET. 

Karate is another new Olympic sport debuting this summer. The traditional Japanese martial arts competition will take place at Nippon Budokan which is said to be the spiritual home of martial arts in Japan. 

Nippon Budokan is located in Kitanomaru Park near the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. At the 2021 Olympics, it will host both karate and judo competitions. The karate finals will take place towards the end of the summer Olympics on August 5th through the 7th. 

Skaters will be doing what many of their parents thought was impossible – going to the olympics. Watch skateboarders pull off the most insane tricks and dives on July 24th to 25th and August 3rd and 4th. The venue will be Ariake Urban Sports Park and will host both the skateboarding and BMX competitions. 

Gymnastics

Everyone looks forward to the gymnastics competitions. Nothing is more mind bending than seeing human beings fling themselves in the air and continuously flip and spiral. The U.S. team is sure to score highly but nothing is quite as nerve-wracking as watching the gymnastics competitions! 

The men’s individual final competition starts at 6:15 am ET on July 28th. Also make sure to tune in to the women’s final competition July 29th at 6:50 am ET. We all look forward to Simon Biles’s performance and hopefully her second gold medal win! 

Closing Ceremony 

The final events and closing celebration will take place Sunday, August 8th. Again, if you want to catch the Closing Ceremony live, American viewers will need to tune in at 7 am Eastern. Of course, recorded replays will likely be going on for the rest of the day, so you can still sleep in.

The Closing Ceremony always is a wonderful after party for the athletes and viewers alike! The final celebration always radiates international unity and bright optimism for the future. 

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Tokyo will certainly be jam-packed this summer and we wonder how Japan will handle COVID-19 precautions. No matter the difference these games will likely hold, it’s sure to be spectacular!

Let us know in the comments below which sport is your favorite at the Olympics!