Tokyo 2020(1)

So the Olympics have ended and I have to say that it's one I will never forget. I've never been a big one for sports, and in all honesty, my athletic ability would never allow me to play any form of sports in the first place. I do, however, love to watch and support sports and the Olympics is probably one of the biggest events that I look forward to. So, when I heard that the Tokyo Olympics where still going ahead this year, despite COVID-19 still being a pretty big issue, to say I was ecstatic is an understatement. It was nice to have a bit of normality return to my life.

There was a lot of things that made the 2020(1) Olympics different from other Olympics of the past, the lack of an audience being the main one. But even though an audience wasn't there, that didn't stop the athletes filling the arenas with their own cheers and screams. I can't speak for others, but for me this years Olympics have been the most inspiring that I have ever seen, on and off the podium. For team GB's rowing all of our eyes were on Helen Glover and her team mate Polly Swann. Although they finished fourth overall, I can't help but feel immensely proud of the two. Helen decided only at the start of last year to try and go for the Tokyo Olympics, therefore came forth despite only trailing for a year in a pandemic. Bethany Shriever took Great Britain by storm winning a gold medal in the BMX racing final without any funding, which has now raised questions about funding for different Olympic sports in Great Britain. Tom Daley also won the world's heart with his knitting by the pool slide, which I have to say is one of the most cutest things I have seen.

Another part of the Olympics this year that is new is the introduction of mixed race events in some sports, such as the mixed rely swimming and the mixed triathlon. Five new sports were also introduced at the Olympics this year, and I don't know what it was like for others, but the focus seemed to all be on the Skateboarding. Sky Brown winning a bronze for team GB was amazing to watch, but someone please tell me that i'm not the only one left wondering what on earth they are doing with their lives after seeing the ages of the female medalists in skateboarding. The youngest was 12 and the eldest was 19! 19!!!! That's my age and I'm one mental breakdown away from pulling a Donna from Mamma Mia! Seriously though why did my mum not throw me into a pool when I was a baby.

I do have to say, my favourite part about the Olympics this year has to be the athletes gaining TikTok accounts. My god was this something else. It felt like I was seeing a part of the Olympic Village we should never see but at the same time I couldn't get over it. Some of my highlights have to be the cardboard beds and the challenge of trying to break them, the collects of pins form each country, tours of the athletes village, athletes simping over each other, and the pulling of pranks on each country (I'm looking at whoever stole Canada's moose here!) Overall, TikTok has made me realise that the athletes village is just one giant summer camp full of extremely attractive athletic people (Camp Half-Blood may have been a better comparison).

However, there has been more serious moments during the Olympics. The protests from the Japanese public has to be a big one. COVID-19 cases in Japan were rising and getting out of hand in Japan so it is no surprise that the Japanese public didn't want the Olympics to take place. Another serious event that took place was Simone Biles dropping out of a few of her events due to mental health issue. Simone is probably the biggest name in gymnastics so her taking time out to focus on mental health is a huge deal and an amazing opportunity to raise awareness about mental health in athletes. These people having been training for these sports most of their lives and quite often gain some form of body dysmorphia or eating disorder due to the constant training. It's nice to see such a big name on a big platform take a stance for herself and raise awareness.

Sexism is also, once again, a playing part of Olympics and this year is takes the form of what the female athletes wear. The female Norwegian Beach Handball team were fined by the European Handball Federation for choosing to wear shorts instead of the bikini bottoms they were told to wear. I mean for gods sake it is 2021! Why are we still dictating what women can or can't wear. The men get to wear long shorts so why can't the women? Because the rule book states that women have to wear bikini bottoms to attract more attention! Disgusting. The American singer Pink did however offer to pay the fine for the girls showing her stance in the matter and the Norwegian Handball Federation have told the girls not to worry since they have it covered. Meanwhile a British Paralympian was told that her track shorts were "too short and inappropriate" on the same day the Norwegian team were fined! Women just can't win can we! At least the female German gymnastics team took a stance with full body suits instead of leotards. As far as I know, they haven't been fined or criticised fort his choice which I am thankful for.

Overall, this year's Olympics was one to remember and I fully look forward to Paris 2024. Lets see how they mach and, hopefully, I will be there in person with a bit more normality.

Sincerely,

A Waste of Space.