After a year of delays, the Summer Olympics are nearly here. While the Games will be different than usual – with no fans in attendance and other changes made for increased safety – it still features hundreds of events and thousands of the best athletes in the world.
Along with watching the games, you can bet on hundreds of the events by checking out the best online betting sites in Canada. Now, to get you ready for the Summer Games – here are some of the individual athletes and teams you should watch at the Tokyo Summer Games.
The United States Men’s Basketball Team
With the best roster in the world, the U.S. Men’s Basketball Team is always must-watch television. They are especially a must-watch after seeing them slip up against some inferior opponents and have a few players now in isolation after contact tracing.
The team is a heavy favourite to win the Gold Medal, but with so much going on before the start of the Games, could this be one of the years the U.S. does not walk away with the Gold Medal? We will have to watch to find out.
Sky Brown (Skateboarding)
At only 13-years, Sky Brown is the youngest participant in skateboarding, which is making its debut at the 2020 Summer Games. The chance to see a fearless teenager (just turning 13, 11 days before the Games) could turn into a star-making event, with plenty of opportunities to remain an Olympic staple for many Summer Games to come.
Stephanie Gilmore (Surfing)
Another event making its debut at the Summer Games is surfing. Stephanie Gilmore from Australia is the most decorated woman in the event, with seven world titles. A Gold Medal at the Tokyo Summer Games would cement her status as one of the greatest surfers ever.
Eliud Kipchoge (Marathon)
Making his Olympic debut back in 2004, Eliud Kipchoge finally captured an Olympic Gold Medal after winning the marathon event at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Games in 2016. Despite his age (36 years old), Kipchoge is still a world-class marathon runner.
In 2018, Kipchoge set the world record time for a marathon distance, finishing the Berlin Marathon in 2 hours, 1 minute and 39 seconds.
In 2019, Kipchoge took part in the Ineos 1:59 challenge. While not an official marathon, the race was a marathon-length and a test to see if anyone could run a marathon distance in under two hours. Kipchoge successfully completed the challenge with an official time of 1 hour, 59 minutes and 40 seconds.
It will be interesting to watch him challenge himself to break his own record and win another Olympic. And with the added subplot of a sub-two-hour marathon, it is even more interesting going into the Games.
The Japanese Men’s Baseball Team
While Major League Baseball is never one to allow their players time off to compete in the Olympics, the same cannot be said about the Nippon Professional Baseball league in Japan. The NPB is taking a month-long hiatus to allow players to play for their country in the Olympics. As the second-best league in the world and full of Japanese players, Japan should be fun to watch and the favourite to win the Gold Medal in baseball.
Trayvon Bromell (100m)
With Usain Bolt retired from running in the Olympics, the 100m sprint is up for grabs. The current favourite to win the event is American Trayvon Bromell. He owns the fastest 100m sprint this year, clocking in at 9.77 seconds. He won at Gateshead, Great Britain – one of the final track and field events before the Summer Games.
The last time the U.S. had a Gold Medalist in the 100m event was 2004 – and the country is hungry for another champion in one of the Games’ premier events.
Novak Djokovic (Tennis)
After winning Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic’s quest for the Golden Slam remains alive. For those who do not know, the Golden Slam is all four Grand Slams and an Olympic Gold Medal in a calendar year. No man has ever accomplished the feat, but with only a Gold Medal and the 2021 U.S. Open left to win, Djokovic has a chance.
