TOPLINE The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will not pressure China over its human rights record ahead of the Beijing 2022 Winter Games, a senior official said on Wednesday even as several human rights groups and some U.S. lawmakers have called for a boycott of the games over the Chinese government’s treatment of Uyghurs and its crackdown on Hong Kong.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



While addressing the press in Australia, IOC vice president John Coates said confronting a sovereign nation on human rights issues was not within the committee’s remit.



Coates said that IOC’s remit was only limited to ensuring that no human rights abuses take place in respect to the conduct of the Games within the national Olympic committees or “within the Olympic movement.”



He further added that the IOC has no ability to go into any country and tell them what to do and all it can do is ensure that the conditions set out in a host contract are followed.



When asked about the IOC’s decision to intervene in Afghanistan—where the body said it helped around 100 members of the “Olympic community” leave the country on humanitarian visas—Coates insisted that was within the committee’s remit.



Coates also said he did not see any point in any country boycotting the games as such moves in the past had achieved nothing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



In May, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called for a diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Winter Games which means no official delegation would be sent to Beijing while athletes are still allowed to compete. Dominic Raab, the British deputy prime minister, has also indicated he will not attend the games even though his instinct is to “separate sport from diplomacy and politics.” Earlier this year, several western nations, including the U.S., U.K., Canada and the European Union,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56487162" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">imposed sanctions</a>&nbsp;on Beijing for alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang. China has been accused of detaining the region’s mostly Muslim Uighur residents in camps where they reportedly face torture, forced labor and sexual abuse according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/11/16/world/asia/china-xinjiang-documents.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">leaked documents</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://xjdp.aspi.org.au/explainers/exploring-xinjiangs-detention-facilities/#" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">satellite images</a>. Beijing has also come under fire for its ongoing crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2021/10/14/beijing-winter-olympics-ioc-china/?utm_campaign=wp_main&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Olympic officials won’t push China on human rights ahead of Beijing Games, as calls for boycott grow louder</a>&nbsp;(Washington Post)



<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-13/john-coates-ioc-rules-out-pressure-on-china-over-human-rights/100536494" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">John Coates rules out IOC pressuring China over human rights ahead of Beijing Winter Olympics</a> (ABC News)



By Siladitya Ray, Forbes Staff

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Venue Tour

Olympic Committee Won’t Confront China Over Human Rights Despite Calls For Beijing 2022 Boycott

A number of Africa’s finest sportsmen and women failed to make the Tokyo Olympic Games for a variety of reasons that in the most part had little to do with performance.



By Nick Said



The Tokyo Olympic Games were for some athletes the pinnacle of their career and a stage for outstanding achievements, but for others, the Japan National Stadium (the venue of the Games) will always represent a field of broken dreams.



A number of Africa’s finest sportsmen and women failed to make it to the Games, which was held from July 23 to August 8 in Tokyo, for a variety of reasons that in the most part had little to do with performance.



Amidst the ecstasy of winning a gold medal, there is always equal pain being felt elsewhere, leaving some of the continent’s top stars at a crossroads in their hugely successful careers. 



The most high-profile of these is two-time former 800-metersOlympics champion Caster Semenya, who failed in her bid to qualify for the Games in the 5,000-meters, having been forced into the longer distance by World Athletics’ regulations for athletes with Differences in Sexual Development (DSD) who wish to compete in races from 400-meters to a mile.



Athletes such as Semenya, Francine Niyonsaba from Burundi and Kenya’s Margaret Wambui, were forced into the sporting wilderness in their chosen distance in a ruling described by Come Damien Georges Awoumou, minister- counsellor at the Cameroon mission to the United Nations, as having the “same effect as apartheid, one of the international crimes against humanity”, which he said at a special debate on sports and human rights at the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva.



The latest to fall foul of the regulations were Namibian teenagers Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi, who were in blistering form in the 400-meters ahead of the games and seen as genuine medal contenders until World Athletics barred them from competing over that distance. Semenya is taking the fight, not just for herself, but all DSD athletes with naturally high levels of testosterone, to the European Court of Human Rights, who are likely to make a ruling later this year on whether the regulations should be suspended.



She has not given up on competing at the 2024 Olympics in Paris and there will be many other athletes from the global south hoping she wins.



“The ban doesn’t make sense at all. But hey, that’s none of my business. I’ll leave it up to the right people to handle the situation, I’ll keep fighting for my rights,” Semenya said in June to Belgian television after finishing fourth in a 5,000-meter race in Liège, Belgium.



“Of course I hope the rule changes. I’m an 800-meters runner. There’s no doubt about that. I keep hoping that I can run my preferred number (distance). But right now my focus is on being healthy. To be an inspiration for young athletes. I will continue to fight for my rights.”



Says a spokesperson at World Athletics: “For many years, World Athletics has fought for and defended equal rights and opportunities for all women and girls in our sport today and in the future. Throughout this long battle, World Athletics has always maintained that its regulations are lawful and legitimate, and that they represent a reasonable, necessary and proportionate means of ensuring the rights of all female athletes to participate on fair and equal terms. It has rejected the suggestion that they infringe any athlete’s human rights, including the right to dignity and the right to bodily integrity.”



Kenya’s David Rudisha, regarded as the greatest 800-meters runner in history and a double-Olympic champion in 2012 and 2016, missed the Tokyo Games after a succession of injury setbacks.



He was desperate to compete but had not run since 2017 following ankle, leg and back injuries, as well as a serious car accident in which his SUV was written off when he collided head-on with a bus in Nairobi.



His race to be fit and in shape to fight for a gold medal was hampered, in part, by the Covid-19 pandemic, which meant limited training and competition.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-style-large is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">Covid-19 ruled Nigerian basketball star Michael Eric out of the Games after he admitted to battling with the after- effects of the virus.</blockquote>



Two of Kenya’s other current greats were also high- profile absentees as world 1,500-meters champion Timothy Cheruiyot and 2016 Olympic 3000-meters steeplechase winner Conseslus Kipruto both failed to make the team.



At the Kenyan trials, Cheruiyot, who had not finished worse than second in any race for four years, was passed down the final straight and finished fourth to drop out of contention.



Kipruto won the World Championship titles in 2017 and 2019, but soon after the second of those wins, was reportedly charged with sexual assault and has entered just three races since, without finishing any of them. Neither have commented on their futures.



South African long-jump silver medalist from the 2016 Games, Luvo Manyonga, a self-confessed former methamphetamine addict who missed the 2012 Olympics because of an 18-month drugs ban, cleaned up his act to be one of South Africa’s stars at the Games in Rio de Janeiro five years ago. But he was handed a four-year ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) in June after missing three scheduled drugs tests having not provided details of his whereabouts as required by the AIU.



Covid-19 ruled Nigerian basketball star Michael Eric out of the Games after he admitted to battling with the after- effects of the virus, saying “my health and physical shape went through a traumatic experience”. It shone a spotlight on the effects the virus has on athletes’ bodies, and how it is not just performance that can suffer, but confidence too.



And then there were some who were simply not released by their employers to compete – among the most high-profile of these being Liverpool and Egypt striker Mo Salah.



He was desperate to feature at the Games, but Liverpool reportedly refused to allow him to travel as it would have meant a disrupted pre-season and start to the new English Premier League campaign.

Ian MacNicol Archive

If Not Tokyo, Then Paris 2024?

South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker won gold at the Olympics in Tokyo on Friday, setting the tone for Uganda and Ethiopia following on the leader board. With more events still to unfold, there is still room for strong showings.



South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker brought home the continent’s first gold medal on Friday, in the process smashing the world record for the women’s 200m breaststroke, with a finishing time of 2:18.95.



The 24-year old became the first female South African swimmer to win gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in a quarter of a century, delivering a supreme performance to finish ahead of America’s Lilly King and Annie Lazor. Emotional at her victory, Schoenmaker was still in the water when she saw the scoreboards indicate she had set a new world record, and shrieked with delight before being congratulated by her rivals, and earning her second medal for the games so far after having won the silver in the women’s 100m breaststroke earlier in the week. Schoenmaker received a surprise congratulatory phone call from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday after her victory. Given the tumultuous few weeks the country has seen, the president had some supportive and unifying words for the swimmer, who was strongly celebrated back home.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="736" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1331501475-1024x736.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-52007" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1331501475-1024x736.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1331501475-300x216.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1331501475-768x552.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1331501475-1536x1104.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-1331501475-2048x1472.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>TOKYO, JAPAN &#8211; JULY 30: Gold Medalist Tatjana Schoenmaker of South Africa during the medal ceremony of the 200m Breaststroke final on day seven of the swimming competition of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre on July 30, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



 “You have lifted the country,” said Ramaphosa in a recording of the clip released by the Presidency, “Thank you so much. It was just unbelievable. You have done this for the country and for yourself and we honour you &#8230; we are really delighted to have seen this unbelievable performance.&#8221; South Africa leads the continent’s medals at the games so far, which has seen Ethiopia’s Selemon Berega win gold for the men’s 10,000m, and Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei set world records in three different events at the games so far. South Africa currently stands at one gold and two silver medals, Uganda with one silver and one bronze, and Ethiopia with one gold. With many of the athletics events still to come, there is still plenty of room for the teams to bring more success and glory to their countries.

Swimming – Olympics: Day 7

Making A Splash And More Glory

TOPLINE The Tokyo 2020 Games are now in the path of a tropical storm, weather agencies warn, yet another threat athletes must face as they battle searing heat and a growing number Covid-19 infections, a far cry from organizers’ assurances of a “safe and secure” Games with “mild” weather.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



Tropical Storm Nepartak&nbsp;<a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/07/25/national/tropical-storm-nepartak/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">could</a>&nbsp;make landfall in Japan on Tuesday, the country’s Meteorological Agency forecast Sunday, which warned of heavy rain, strong winds and high waves.



It is&nbsp;<a href="https://thehill.com/policy/international/asia-pacific/564745-tokyo-olympics-threatened-by-tropical-storm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">possible</a>&nbsp;Nepartak could hit Tokyo or its surrounding region and organizers have moved&nbsp;<a href="https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/olympics-tokyo-braces-storm-snarls-091502305.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rowing</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/no-plans-reschedule-any-more-events-storm-approaches-olympics" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">archery</a>&nbsp;events from Tuesday to avoid the weather.&nbsp;



Officials say they have no plans to reschedule other events due to the storm and on Monday said they&nbsp;<a href="https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/news/possible-impact-of-tropical-storm-no-8-on-the-games" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">expect</a>&nbsp;it to “have limited impact on the Games.”&nbsp;&nbsp;



In addition to the impending tropical storm, athletes are also dealing with outbreaks of Covid-19 and scorching heat and humidity as the Japanese capital endures a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/olympics/heat-wave-hits-tokyo-olympic-organizers-battle-keep-covid-rates-n1274899" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">heatwave</a>&nbsp;that could make it the hottest Olympic Games on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/20/tokyo-olympics-fears-athletes-could-face-hottest-games-on-record?CMP=twt_a-world_b-gdnworld" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">record</a>.&nbsp;



Despite Organizers<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/20/as-record-heat-threatens-tokyo-olympics-heres-what-climate-change-means-for-future-sporting-events/?sh=11a204d84fb2">&nbsp;taking steps&nbsp;</a>to mitigate the worst of Tokyo’s stifling summer, beach volleyball players complained the sand is too hot to play on, leading tennis players slammed the “<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/tokyo-olympics-heat-11627186166" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">brutal</a>” conditions on court and a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/olympics/heat-wave-hits-tokyo-olympic-organizers-battle-keep-covid-rates-n1274899" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Russian archer collapsing during</a>&nbsp;a qualifying round.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



On Monday, officials&nbsp;<a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Tokyo-2020-Olympics/Tokyo-heat-and-typhoon-compound-Olympics-complications" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;16 more people linked to the Games had tested positive for Covid-19, including three athletes, bringing the total since July 1 to 148.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



While the Covid-19 pandemic has been a major concern for organizers—leading to a year-long delay and an unprecedented Games devoid of spectators—Tokyo’s lethal combination of high heat and high humidity has been the overarching health concern for officials since before the city won its bid to host. Tokyo’s Medical Association&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/20/tokyo-olympics-fears-athletes-could-face-hottest-games-on-record?CMP=twt_a-world_b-gdnworld" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warned</a>&nbsp;that holding the games in July and August was “a serious issue even before the coronavirus pandemic” and the last time the city hosted in 1964 events took place in October after the worst of the heat had dissipated. As&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/20/as-record-heat-threatens-tokyo-olympics-heres-what-climate-change-means-for-future-sporting-events/?sh=11a204d84fb2">climate change</a>&nbsp;pushes temperatures higher around the world, these issues will increase, as will disruption from storms.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-fact">SURPRISING FACT</h3>



Official’s touted Tokyo’s “<a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210712-heat-risks-add-to-challenges-for-tokyo-s-pandemic-hit-olympics" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mild</a>” weather in the city’s successful Olympic bid. It beat out Doha, Qatar, which is due to host the FIFA 2022 World Cup in cooled statia in November due to the scorching heat. In the 2019 World Championships marathon, held in Doha, 28 out of 68 starters&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/49860159" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pulled</a>&nbsp;out due to the conditions, with one runner being taken away in an ambulance. The race had started at midnight in an attempt to avoid the worst of Qatar’s heat.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h3>



Nepartak was initially forecast as a typhoon, though was downgraded to a tropical storm.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h3>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/20/as-record-heat-threatens-tokyo-olympics-heres-what-climate-change-means-for-future-sporting-events/?sh=11a204d84fb2">As Record Heat Threatens Tokyo Olympics, Here&#8217;s What Climate Change Means For Future Sporting Events</a>&nbsp;(Forbes )



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/07/19/did-olympic-athletes-need-to-be-vaccinated-no---and-now-more-are-testing-positive-for-covid-19/?sh=6fb0b9244db7">Did Olympic Athletes Need To Be Vaccinated? No — And Now More Are Testing Positive For Covid-19.</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/07/25/national/tropical-storm-nepartak/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tropical Storm Nepartak could make Olympic landfall near Tokyo</a>&nbsp;(Japan Times)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/25/top-golfer-jon-rahm-the-latest-to-pull-out-of-tokyo-olympics-due-to-covid---heres-the-full-list/?sh=6391c81f2a27">Top Golfer Jon Rahm The Latest To Pull Out Of Tokyo Olympics Due To Covid — Here’s The Full List</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/20/tokyo-olympics-fears-athletes-could-face-hottest-games-on-record?CMP=twt_a-world_b-gdnworld" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tokyo Olympics: fears athletes could face hottest Games on record</a> (Guardian)



By Robert Hart, Forbes Staff

Tokyo 2020 – Triathlon

Tokyo Olympics Threatened By Extreme Heat And Tropical Storm As Another 16 People Test Positive For Covid-19

TOPLINE Some of the youngest athletes in the history of the modern Olympic games are competing in Tokyo this summer, and despite their young ages, they’re not here to play—even just a few days into competition, they’re already breaking records in their events.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



Tokyo’s youngest competitor was 12-year-old Syrian table tennis prodigy&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2021/07/24/first-round-exit-for-12-year-old-table-tennis-prodigy-hend-zaza-the-youngest-athlete-at-tokyo-olympics/?sh=52e70d661cd9">Hend Zaza</a>, who exited the Games Saturday after losing 4-0 in her first round match against Austria’s Liu Jia.



The second-youngest Tokyo Olympian is 12-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/skateboarding/athlete-profile-n1315697-hiraki-kokona.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kokona Hiraki</a>, a Japanese skateboarder who is Japan’s youngest athlete to ever represent the country in a Summer Games.



Hiraki isn’t the only child skateboarder competing in Tokyo: she’ll go up against Great Britain’s&nbsp;<a href="https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/skateboarding/athlete-profile-n1440048-brown-sky.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sky Brown</a>, who just turned 13 this month, making her Team GB’s youngest Summer Olympics competitor ever.



Another one of the Games’ youngest competitors is China’s&nbsp;<a href="https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/diving/athlete-profile-n1409063-quan-hongchan.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Quang Hongchan</a>, who is competing as a diver in the women’s 10-meter platform event at just 14 years old.



Another 14-year-old, Canada’s&nbsp;<a href="https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/swimming/athlete-profile-n1459618-mcintosh-summer.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Summer McIntosh</a>, set a new Canadian swimming record Sunday when she finished a 400-meter freestyle heat in 4:02.72.



<a href="https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/swimming/athlete-profile-n1869712-grimes-katie.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Katie Grimes</a>, a 15-year-old swimmer, is the youngest member of the U.S. swim team since gold medal recordholder Katie Ledecky, who debuted in the Olympics at age 15 and, now 24, called Grimes “<a href="https://www.insider.com/katie-ledecky-katie-grimes-video-usa-swimming-tokyo-olympics-2021-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the future</a>” of the sport during Olympic trials.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-fact">SURPRISING FACT</h2>



The youngest Olympian in the modern history of the games to win a medal was 10-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://olympics.com/en/athletes/dimitrios-loundras#" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dimitrios Loundras</a>, a Greek gymnast who helped his team win a bronze medal in team parallel bars at the 1896 Athens Summer Games. Loundras never competed in another Games, but did serve on Greece’s Olympic committee as an adult.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



There is no universal minimum age for Olympians set by the International Olympic Committee, but individual sports have eligibility limits. Gymnasts, for example, must be 16 years old to compete at the Games, while boxers must have turned 18. Olympic skateboarding, notably, has no minimum age requirement, opening the door for young competitors like Brown and Hiraki.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



The young athletes competing in Tokyo this year are doing so during an unprecedented Games. After a year’s delay over the coronavirus pandemic, the Games are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/07/23/tokyo-olympics-opening-ceremony-in-photos-drones-fly-athletes-celebrate-in-muted-kickoff-to-summer-games/?sh=4307fcdd28ed">going forward</a>&nbsp;with strict pandemic protocols in place. On Sunday, organizers said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/25/top-golfer-jon-rahm-the-latest-to-pull-out-of-tokyo-olympics-due-to-covid---heres-the-full-list/?sh=2c142c9e2a27">137 people</a>&nbsp;connected to the Olympics had tested positive for coronavirus, including more than a dozen Olympians who have since been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/25/top-golfer-jon-rahm-the-latest-to-pull-out-of-tokyo-olympics-due-to-covid---heres-the-full-list/?sh=2c142c9e2a27">pulled from competing</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2021/07/25/see-skateboarders-and-surfers-make-their-olympic-debut-in-tokyo-photos/?sh=38389bc66e85">See Skateboarders And Surfers Make Their Olympic Debut In Tokyo</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2021/07/24/first-round-exit-for-12-year-old-table-tennis-prodigy-hend-zaza-the-youngest-athlete-at-tokyo-olympics/?sh=52e70d661cd9">12-Year Old Syrian Table Tennis Prodigy, The Youngest Athlete At Tokyo Olympics, Exits After First Round</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/25/top-golfer-jon-rahm-the-latest-to-pull-out-of-tokyo-olympics-due-to-covid---heres-the-full-list/?sh=2c142c9e2a27">Top Golfer Jon Rahm The Latest To Pull Out Of Tokyo Olympics Due To Covid — Here’s The Full List</a> (Forbes)



By Carlie Porterfield, Forbes Staff

Table Tennis – Olympics: Day 1

Meet The Youngest Olympians Competing At The Tokyo Games

TOPLINE: <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewalsh/2021/07/24/olympic-ratings-fall-sharply-nbc-says-17-million-watched-opening-ceremony-in-us/">Millions of people</a> all around the world are tuning into hours of Olympics events this week, but many athletes competing in Tokyo have taken to the app TikTok to show followers what it’s like at the Olympic Village during the Games, often going viral in the process.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



The first Olympic meme to go viral in Tokyo showed athletes jumping on beds in the Olympic Village in TikTok videos after rumors swirled that the bedframes were <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2021/07/19/the-anti-sex-cardboard-beds-of-the-olympics-explained/">made of cardboard</a> to prevent Olympians from having sex and breaking pandemic protocol—as Argentian basketball players Fran Caffaro and Tayavek Gallizzi proved in one viral video, the beds are <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@caffarof/video/6987334212575661317?sender_device=pc&amp;sender_web_id=6985254902423651845&amp;is_from_webapp=v1&amp;is_copy_url=0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sturdier than they appear</a>. 



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-tiktok wp-block-embed-tiktok"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@caffarof/video/6987334212575661317" data-video-id="6987334212575661317" data-embed-from="oembed" style="max-width:605px; min-width:325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@caffarof" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@caffarof?refer=embed">@caffarof</a> Trying the Olympic cardboard beds with 480 pounds ✅ <a title="olympics" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/olympics?refer=embed">#olympics</a> <a title="olympics2020" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/olympics2020?refer=embed">#olympics2020</a> <a title="olympics2021" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/olympics2021?refer=embed">#olympics2021</a> <a title="tokyo" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/tokyo?refer=embed">#tokyo</a> <a title="tokyo2020" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/tokyo2020?refer=embed">#tokyo2020</a> <a title="tokyo2021" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/tokyo2021?refer=embed">#tokyo2021</a> <a title="argentina" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/argentina?refer=embed">#argentina</a> <a title="arg" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/arg?refer=embed">#arg</a> <a title="basketball" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/basketball?refer=embed">#basketball</a> <a target="_blank" title="♬ Ball If I Want To - DaBaby" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/Ball-If-I-Want-To-6973722766373570561?refer=embed">♬ Ball If I Want To &#8211; DaBaby</a> </section> </blockquote> <script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>
</div></figure>



Another Olympian to go viral on the platform was 18-year-old American diver <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@tylerdownss/video/6987483523921759494?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESMgowZOCeYM74c7smjs9j2t9d2hdqGShs15DmVJ6An2lCcWAf2bkIlxjyD4ymaqLKwRcdGgA%3D&amp;checksum=8faa4d9fa95d7d2172a291e052b5ffe615c27c2a49dc8d9d2aa96c615811a051&amp;language=en&amp;preview_pb=0&amp;sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAawoof_42mR5wsC_7K-cVTbyU_yuD_TYlZTWRUr1ihRZB__7r6cvd2kPiri1djYbt&amp;share_app_id=1233&amp;share_item_id=6987483523921759494&amp;share_link_id=EE332493-9D78-4F56-B9E4-9079FE689AC0&amp;source=h5_m&amp;timestamp=1627137553&amp;tt_from=copy&amp;u_code=d8gk1d6c01khe4&amp;user_id=6743866028382520325&amp;utm_campaign=client_share&amp;utm_medium=ios&amp;utm_source=copy&amp;_r=1&amp;is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tyler Downs</a>, who posted a relatable video about wanting to meet star gymnast Simone Biles, another member of Team USA, during the Games.



American rugby player Ilona Maher has posted a variety of behind-the-scenes videos of the Games to her TikTok account—in one, she describes scouting the Olympic Village for a “tall foreign demigod”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@ilonamaher/video/6988449598331292933?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESMgow7QAObZXXM7GgvVsgCfc1ajnhQ%2FTqFW4rp8tmF53rsnVvHy4Z8F%2Bgt%2Bb3YNklcdcjGgA%3D&amp;checksum=3267ca6e011fd4fbbe682bc0e8d877db285d345f7dd7b8ccc95eaeb274f61ca9&amp;language=en&amp;preview_pb=0&amp;sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAawoof_42mR5wsC_7K-cVTbyU_yuD_TYlZTWRUr1ihRZB__7r6cvd2kPiri1djYbt&amp;share_app_id=1233&amp;share_item_id=6988449598331292933&amp;share_link_id=0F65B3AE-1FC5-4C61-81BD-8CF13AD90AAB&amp;source=h5_m&amp;timestamp=1627139729&amp;tt_from=copy&amp;u_code=d8gk1d6c01khe4&amp;user_id=6743866028382520325&amp;utm_campaign=client_share&amp;utm_medium=ios&amp;utm_source=copy&amp;_r=1&amp;is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">athlete to marry</a>, and in another she shows off the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@ilonamaher/video/6987899983349468421?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESMgowcnp4waqdE1Ssr%2BGeXdaF%2Fm4Rgi0tFXODlCpQ4IScJXBB8XDE2CjnZJgU1cYXmryEGgA%3D&amp;checksum=7d197536761b74e810a6c5c8810da5b43f95d111619795531eedabd7ad12f799&amp;language=en&amp;preview_pb=0&amp;sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAawoof_42mR5wsC_7K-cVTbyU_yuD_TYlZTWRUr1ihRZB__7r6cvd2kPiri1djYbt&amp;share_app_id=1233&amp;share_item_id=6981535158310636806&amp;share_link_id=98A16295-D4F3-4037-BAD7-585089AE4336&amp;source=h5_m&amp;timestamp=1627173431&amp;tt_from=copy&amp;u_code=d8gk1d6c01khe4&amp;user_id=6743866028382520325&amp;utm_campaign=client_share&amp;utm_medium=ios&amp;utm_source=copy&amp;_r=1&amp;is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ralph Lauren and Nike gear</a>&nbsp;Team USA athletes were gifted.



American fencer Courtney Hurley posted a video showing the room she shares at the Olympic Village with sister and fellow Team USA fencer Kelley Hurley, pointing out how the their sides of the room&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@thishurleygurrl/video/6988762823237192965?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESMgow3JB%2F9buF7YtzxqYOACq90UfMLtmWk6%2BQ4q8vRbXcV6TCfeQb%2FAzDaErU93ho0IwIGgA%3D&amp;checksum=01b42ed0de7c93acb9da248aecaa7862df3b2a58271dd3de2d43a5a8bcc1535d&amp;language=en&amp;preview_pb=0&amp;sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAawoof_42mR5wsC_7K-cVTbyU_yuD_TYlZTWRUr1ihRZB__7r6cvd2kPiri1djYbt&amp;share_app_id=1233&amp;share_item_id=6987706776510565637&amp;share_link_id=B7CB069C-0530-49AE-AF70-FBAE97B56E8D&amp;source=h5_m&amp;timestamp=1627213849&amp;tt_from=copy&amp;u_code=d8gk1d6c01khe4&amp;user_id=6743866028382520325&amp;utm_campaign=client_share&amp;utm_medium=ios&amp;utm_source=copy&amp;_r=1&amp;is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">differ in neatness</a>.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-tiktok wp-block-embed-tiktok"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@thishurleygurrl/video/6988762823237192965" data-video-id="6988762823237192965" data-embed-from="oembed" style="max-width:605px; min-width:325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@thishurleygurrl" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@thishurleygurrl?refer=embed">@thishurleygurrl</a> This will be our third Olympics together&#8230;I&#8217;m not getting any better🥲<a title="olympicgames" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/olympicgames?refer=embed">#olympicgames</a> <a title="olympics" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/olympics?refer=embed">#olympics</a> <a title="olympicspirit" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/olympicspirit?refer=embed">#olympicspirit</a> <a title="foryoupage" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/foryoupage?refer=embed">#foryoupage</a> <a title="fyp" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp?refer=embed">#fyp</a> <a title="teamusa" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/teamusa?refer=embed">#teamusa</a> <a title="tokyoolympics" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/tokyoolympics?refer=embed">#tokyoolympics</a> <a target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - N." href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-6807611482092751621?refer=embed">♬ original sound &#8211; N.</a> </section> </blockquote> <script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>
</div></figure>



American swimmer Regan Smith and several teammates used a spare moment during practice at a Tokyo pool to <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@regansmith40/video/6988345232916090117?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESMgowGG4HT8HB%2F4q6UjX4zzBaGsds6d1SfVwApvin%2BmEHazHHh%2F4xGCOwTmlZT8cx21gpGgA%3D&amp;checksum=7ab48b0191c49a5b3e39fd5076a853649bb0b9beba207a68efce6a6c77cd3a20&amp;language=en&amp;preview_pb=0&amp;sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAawoof_42mR5wsC_7K-cVTbyU_yuD_TYlZTWRUr1ihRZB__7r6cvd2kPiri1djYbt&amp;share_app_id=1233&amp;share_item_id=6988345232916090117&amp;share_link_id=0C9786E2-1B37-45C8-862C-14A34CC973C9&amp;source=h5_m&amp;timestamp=1627137510&amp;tt_from=copy&amp;u_code=d8gk1d6c01khe4&amp;user_id=6743866028382520325&amp;utm_campaign=client_share&amp;utm_medium=ios&amp;utm_source=copy&amp;_r=1&amp;is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">jokingly recreate</a> a video that went viral last year of a baby being <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/davidmack/viral-tiktok-of-baby-being-thrown-into-pool" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tossed into a pool</a> during an infant swimming lesson.



Australian water polo player Tilly Kearns responded to a video from Australian rugby player Kennedy Cherrington about athlete hairstyles,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@tillykearns/video/6985395534529940742?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESMgowZyYjpAP7r6LlAhiEvfdKQ4iPXh9D8fgCLM8yJsXnPHpGek3d4ve2IUBzEVO%2F5M2OGgA%3D&amp;checksum=a8c3128e6c627a8c52d2a021d69185bca4f8867769f2544ad6d0e04953877c38&amp;language=en&amp;preview_pb=0&amp;sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAawoof_42mR5wsC_7K-cVTbyU_yuD_TYlZTWRUr1ihRZB__7r6cvd2kPiri1djYbt&amp;share_app_id=1233&amp;share_item_id=6985395534529940742&amp;share_link_id=F0A272D2-F24D-48D2-A5C5-3A6B796B9108&amp;source=h5_m&amp;timestamp=1627215155&amp;tt_from=copy&amp;u_code=d8gk1d6c01khe4&amp;user_id=6743866028382520325&amp;utm_campaign=client_share&amp;utm_medium=ios&amp;utm_source=copy&amp;_r=1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">poking fun</a>&nbsp;at the tight swim caps water sport competitors wear.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



Olympian TikTok videos give viewers an inside look at the Olympic Village during an unprecedented Games. With host city Tokyo reporting an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2021/07/22/tokyo-reports-its-highest-covid-case-count-since-january-on-eve-of-olympic-games/?sh=18e18b307e06">increase in new cases</a>, athletes undergo regular testing and follow strict protocol to prevent new infections. According to organizers,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/25/top-golfer-jon-rahm-the-latest-to-pull-out-of-tokyo-olympics-due-to-covid---heres-the-full-list/?sh=2c142c9e2a27">137 people</a>&nbsp;had tested positive in relation to the Olympics on Sunday. Most recently, top golfers Jon Rahm from Spain and Bryson DeChambeau from the U.S were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/25/top-golfer-jon-rahm-the-latest-to-pull-out-of-tokyo-olympics-due-to-covid---heres-the-full-list/?sh=2c142c9e2a27">pulled from the Games</a>&nbsp;after being diagnosed with coronavirus.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/25/top-golfer-jon-rahm-the-latest-to-pull-out-of-tokyo-olympics-due-to-covid---heres-the-full-list/?sh=2c142c9e2a27">Top Golfer Jon Rahm The Latest To Pull Out Of Tokyo Olympics Due To Covid — Here’s The Full List</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/23/at-least-100-us-athletes-unvaccinated-as-tokyo-2020-olympic-games-kick-off/?sh=1a860519617a">At Least 100 U.S. Athletes Unvaccinated As Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Kick Off</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/07/19/did-olympic-athletes-need-to-be-vaccinated-no---and-now-more-are-testing-positive-for-covid-19/?sh=6fb0b9244db7">Did Olympic Athletes Need To Be Vaccinated? No — And Now More Are Testing Positive For Covid-19.</a> (Forbes)



By Carlie Porterfield, Forbes Staff

Opening Ceremony – Olympics: Day 0

Olympians Go Viral On TikTok For Showing Behind-The-Scenes Of Tokyo Olympics

TOPLINE Three foreign athletes residing in the Olympic village and 16 other people linked to the Tokyo Olympics have tested positive for Covid-19, the games’ organizers announced on Friday, marking a record daily rise in cases tied to the event just hours before the opening ceremony is scheduled to kick off.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



According to the organizing committee, the three infected athletes include two from the Czech Republic and one from the Netherlands,&nbsp; who are now undergoing a 14-day period of isolation,&nbsp;Kyodo News&nbsp;<a href="https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/6d30a069f5aa-19-olympic-linked-covid-cases-reported-on-opening-ceremony-day.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>.



It’s unclear how many athletes have been identified as close contacts to the three positive cases, but they will not be required to enter isolation and will be allowed to compete if they test negative within six hours of the start of their events.



The 16 other people who tested positive include three contractors and three members of the media, the organizers said without offering additional details.



A total of 106 Covid-19 cases linked to the Olympics have been recorded since July 1, when the organizers started offering daily updates.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h3>



1,979. That’s the total number of Covid-19 cases&nbsp;<a href="https://stopcovid19.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>&nbsp;in Tokyo on Thursday, the highest daily count since mid-January. After flattening out last month, cases in Tokyo began to rise in July, forcing the Japanese government to impose a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2021/07/08/japan-declares-covid-emergency-in-tokyo-olympics-likely-to-have-no-fans-in-attendance/?sh=561896294e7c">state of emergency</a>&nbsp;in the national capital.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



The steady rise in the number of cases linked to the Olympics has raised questions about the adequacy of the safety measures put in place for the mega event. Experts have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/olympic-village-covid-19-infection-bubble-already-broken-health-expert-2021-07-20/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warned</a>&nbsp;that the Olympic’s Covid-19 bubble has already been breached and it could lead to a larger outbreak that may spill into the Japanese population. Visiting athletes participating in the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics are expected to follow a stringent set of pandemic-related rules which were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/archive/2021/06/?sh=47defdb81f67">unveiled last month</a>. Under the rules, all participating athletes and officials will be screened for the virus daily and are required to provide saliva samples at set times. Athletes, who can only stay in officially approved accommodations, will have their movements restricted and will be subject to GPS tracking by officials.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h3>



<a href="https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/6d30a069f5aa-19-olympic-linked-covid-cases-reported-on-opening-ceremony-day.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">19 Olympic-linked COVID cases reported on opening ceremony day</a>&nbsp;(Kyodo News)



<a href="https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/olympic-village-covid-19-infection-bubble-already-broken-health-expert-2021-07-20/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Olympics-Athletes&#8217; village COVID-19 isolation bubble already &#8216;broken&#8217; &#8211; health expert</a> (Reuters)



By Siladitya Ray, Forbes Staff

Nineteen New Olympic Covid-19 Cases Reported On Opening Ceremony Day Including Three Foreign Athletes

TOPLINE: In addition to the threat of Covid-19, athletes taking part in the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games will also face the dangers of extreme heat as soaring temperatures in the Japanese capital, spurred on by climate change, look set to make this year’s Games the hottest on record.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



This year’s summer Olympics are slated to be the among the hottest ever, with peak temperatures&nbsp;<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/07/17/weather/olympics-heat-forecast-climate/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">predicted</a>&nbsp;to average around 30 degrees Celsius, or nearly 90 degrees Fahrenheit.&nbsp;



Combined with Tokyo’s stifling humidity, the dangerous conditions—which have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/20/tokyo-olympics-fears-athletes-could-face-hottest-games-on-record?CMP=twt_a-world_b-gdnworld" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">prompted</a>&nbsp;multiple government notices warning residents against exercising outdoors—impair&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/57255563" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">performance</a>&nbsp;and put athletes at risk from heat-related conditions like heatstroke, dehydration and burns, with beach volleyball players already&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/burning-sand-and-35c-sun-promise-hottest-olympics-ever-zlt0q65n2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">complaining</a>&nbsp;the sand is too hot to play on.&nbsp;



The issue was not unforeseen to organizers, who made the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/nov/01/2020-olympics-tokyo-accepts-painful-decision-to-move-marathon-to-sapporo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">decision</a>&nbsp;to change event times and move marathon and walking events out of Tokyo in an attempt to avoid the heat, but is becoming a more pressing issue for all sports events as climate change drives temperatures up.



Outside of the Olympics, major&nbsp;<a href="https://inews.co.uk/sport/tennis/australian-open-2020-heat-rule-temperature-hot-melbourne-suspended-matches-383229" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tennis</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/28075216" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">soccer</a>&nbsp;tournaments have had to put&nbsp;<a href="https://eu.usatoday.com/story/sports/tennis/2018/08/28/us-open-new-heat-rule-allows-players-10-minute-break/1123268002/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">policies</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/about_wimbledon/heat_rule.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">place</a>&nbsp;to protect players from extreme heat, U.S. triathlons and horse races have been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/07/19/heat-wave-prompts-cancellations-new-york-triathlon-horse-races/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">canceled</a>&nbsp;due to heatwaves and the world’s biggest sporting event, the soccer World Cup, will be held in climate-controlled&nbsp;<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/21/football/qatar-2022-fifa-world-cup-spt-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stadia</a>&nbsp;to avoid the worst of host nation Qatar’s heat in 2022.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



The effects of climate change are not restricted to extreme heat: shortening winter seasons pose an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/56972369" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">existential threat&nbsp;</a>to snowsports, severe typhoons led to several 2019 Rugby World Cup matches to be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2019/oct/10/rugby-world-cup-tournament-japan-super-typhoon-hagibis-england-scotland-france-game-live" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">canceled</a>&nbsp;and smoke from wildfires has disrupted numerous outdoor events across the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-sport-idUSKCN1UJ0OC" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S.</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/15/21065784/australian-open-wildfire-smoke-health-effects-tennis" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Australia</a>.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h3>



The International Olympic Committee told&nbsp;Forbes&nbsp;it “takes concerns about heat very seriously” and has taken a “wide range of measures” to mitigate the effect of temperature on athletes. These measures include scheduling longer distance athletics and cycling events later in the day, moving equestrian and triathlon events to early morning and improving access to shade and water.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



Tokyo’s Medical Association has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/20/tokyo-olympics-fears-athletes-could-face-hottest-games-on-record?CMP=twt_a-world_b-gdnworld" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stressed</a>&nbsp;that holding the games in July and August was “a serious issue even before the coronavirus pandemic” and a report by the British Association for Sustainable Sport&nbsp;<a href="https://basis.org.uk/rings-of-fire" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">outlined</a>&nbsp;the likelihood of impaired performance due to heat. Heat has already been an issue in the lead up to the event—three rowers were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/aug/12/concerns-rise-with-tokyo-heat-after-rowers-treated-at-olympic-test-event" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">treated</a>&nbsp;for heat exhaustion after an Olympics test event in Tokyo in 2019—and other sporting events around the world are increasingly encountering similar problems. 28 out of 68 starters&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/49860159" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pulled</a>&nbsp;out of a World Championships marathon held in Doha, Qatar in 2019 due to the conditions, with one runner being taken away in an ambulance. The race started at midnight in an attempt to avoid the worst of Qatar’s heat.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h3>



71,000. That’s how many people sought emergency care for heatstroke between June and September 2019 in Japan. 118 of these died. A smaller number—65,000 cases and 112 deaths—occurred during the same period in 2020, though fewer people were out due to the pandemic.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR&nbsp;</h3>



Qatar’s cooled stadia for the 2022 World Cup will likely give an insight into how outdoor sports events can be held in hot weather, especially if its cooling&nbsp;<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/21/football/qatar-2022-fifa-world-cup-spt-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">technology</a>&nbsp;is both ecologically friendly and effective. The event is set to be carbon&nbsp;<a href="https://www.euractiv.com/section/health-consumers/news/fifa-commits-to-carbon-neutral-2022-football-world-cup/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">neutral</a>, as are the forthcoming summer and winter Olympics’, the IOC told&nbsp;Forbes. Paris 2024 is&nbsp;<a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/news/paris-2024-commits-to-staging-climate-positive-olympic-and-paralympic-games" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">slated</a>&nbsp;to be the first “climate positive” games.&nbsp;&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h4>



<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/20/tokyo-olympics-fears-athletes-could-face-hottest-games-on-record?CMP=twt_a-world_b-gdnworld" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tokyo Olympics: fears athletes could face hottest Games on record</a>&nbsp;(Guardian)



<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-sport-idUSKCN1UJ0OC" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Canceled races, fainting players: Climate change turns up heat on sports</a>&nbsp;(Reuters)



<a href="https://www.rapidtransition.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Playing_Against_The_Clock_FINAL.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Playing Against the Clock: Global Sport, the Climate Emergency and the Case For Rapid Change</a>&nbsp;(Rapid Transition Alliance)



By Robert Hart, Forbes Staff

Aerial view of Munich’s Olympic stadium illuminated at night

As Record Heat Threatens Tokyo Olympics, Here’s What Climate Change Means For Future Sporting Events

TOPLINE: A Ugandan athlete training in Japan in preparation for the Tokyo Olympics went missing on Friday, triggering a search by local officials and police, in an incident that has raised doubt about the security measures put in place by the games’ organizers to keep the spread of Covid-19 in check.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



Julius Ssekitoleko, a 20-year-old Ugandan weightlifter, was not found in his designated accommodation when a local official attempted to find him to receive his sample for Covid-19 testing,&nbsp;Kyodo News&nbsp;<a href="https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/37a6d0d3d253-urgent-ugandan-olympic-athlete-training-in-japan-goes-missing.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>.



Ssekitoleko was staying in the city of Izumisano in western Japan along with other members of the Ugandan Olympic team.



The missing athlete was last spotted by his teammates at around 12:30 am on Friday, city officials said.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



The Ugandan Olympics delegation reached Japan last month and they were among the first group of visiting athletes to reach the country to prepare for the summer games. After their arrival, two members of the delegation&nbsp;<a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/06/23/national/uganda-olympian-covid/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tested positive</a>&nbsp;for Covid-19, which prevented the team from beginning their training activities. The team finally started training in Izumisano last week after undergoing a strict quarantine.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h3>



Visiting athletes participating in the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics are expected to follow a stringent set of pandemic-related rules which includes regular testing and having their movement restricted. As part of the rules&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/archive/2021/06/?sh=47defdb81f67">unveiled last month</a>, all participating athletes and officials will be screened for the virus daily and are required to provide saliva samples at set times. Athletes, who can only stay in officially approved accommodations, will have their movements restricted and will be subject to GPS tracking by officials. The rulebook warns that non-compliance will result in large fines, permanent bans from the Olympics and even expulsion from Japan, depending on the severity of the breach.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h3>



<a href="https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/37a6d0d3d253-urgent-ugandan-olympic-athlete-training-in-japan-goes-missing.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ugandan Olympic athlete training in Japan goes missing</a> (Kyodo News)



By Siladitya Ray, Forbes Staff

Weightlifting – Commonwealth Games Day 1

Ugandan Olympic Athlete Goes Missing In Japan In Possible Breach Of Covid-19 Rules

TOPLINE The organizers of the Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday announced that it will ban the sale of alcohol at venues and stringent rules that spectators attending the games will have to follow as Tokyo enters its final month of preparation before the games begin on July 23.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



Seiko Hashimoto, the head of the Tokyo games’ organizing committee, told reporters that the organizers have decided to ban the sale of alcohol at games venues following “experts’ advice” and added that event sponsor Asahi Breweries agreed with the decision.



<a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/06/23/national/tokyo-olympics-alcohol-coronavirus/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">According to</a>&nbsp;Japan Times, the games’ organizers had been considering a plan to allow the sale of alcohol with some restrictions but the initial plan provoked public outcry in the country.



Spectators coming to venues will be required to wear masks and face temperature checks—attendees who display high temperature or any other Covid symptoms will not be allowed to enter and received no refunds.



Because of Japan’s summer heat, spectators will be allowed to remove their masks at outdoor venues if they can ensure there is a two-meter gap between them and other spectators, Kyodo News&nbsp;<a href="https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/06/3b3748b7440a-tokyo-marks-1-month-until-pandemic-hit-olympics.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>.



Inside the venue, spectators are barred from making direct contact with others, cheering loudly, giving high-fives, towel-waving or asking for autographs from athletes.



All attendees will be asked to retain their ticket stubs or ticketing data for at least two weeks after they attend an event as the organizers plan to post the seat number and date of attendance of any attendee who tests positive after the event.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h3>



“The festive mood will have to be suppressed—that has become a major challenge,” Hashimoto told reporters&nbsp;<a href="https://sports.ndtv.com/olympics-2020/no-booze-no-autographs-tokyo-2020-unveils-fan-rules-with-a-month-to-go-2470267" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according to</a>&nbsp;AFP. “People can feel joy in their hearts, but they can&#8217;t be loud, and they have to avoid crowds. Those are the areas where we need to be creative, and we are putting in a lot of effort to come up with a new way of celebrating.”



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h3>



Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike did not make a public appearance on Wednesday as she has taken a break from official duties and is resting&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/tokyo-governor-koike-taking-break-this-week-due-fatigue-nhk-2021-06-22/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">due to severe fatigue</a>. Citing sources Kyodo News reported she was admitted to hospital in the capital on Tuesday.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



After weeks of speculation, the organizers Monday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2021/06/21/domestic-spectators-can-attend-tokyo-olympics-attendance-to-be-capped-at-10000/?sh=2b784d306950">announced</a>&nbsp;that domestic fans will be allowed to attend events at the Tokyo Olympics, but venues will have a spectator limit of 10,000 or up to 50% of capacity to minimize the risk of spreading Covid-19. The decision came as Tokyo and several other Japanese regions exited their Covid state of emergency. However, the Japanese capital is expected to remain under a quasi-emergency state until July 11. The cap on attendance at the Olympic events mirrors the rules laid out by the Japanese government for all other large events like music concerts and local sports—although the serving of alcohol is allowed at these other events. Following the announcement, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide told reporters that if a new state of emergency is declared during the games due to the pandemic, the event may then have to take place behind closed doors. Suga’s sentiment was echoed by Koike, who said the organizers will revisit the decision and consider going forward without any spectators should there be a “major dramatic change in the infection situation.”



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h3>



<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tokyo-2020-tokyo-olympics-olympic-games-coronavirus-pandemic-lifestyle-b0c7951989b4b0b61ddde7f8ec9c8429" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tokyo shapes up to be No-Fun Olympics with many rules, tests</a>&nbsp;(Associated Press)



<a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/06/23/national/tokyo-olympics-alcohol-coronavirus/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tokyo Games organizers backtrack, banning alcohol at Olympic venues</a>&nbsp;(Japan Times)



<a href="https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/06/e6ab72f27ed6-feature-tokyo-olympic-chief-pins-hopes-on-smooth-opening-in-1-months-time.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tokyo Olympic chief pins hopes on smooth opening in 1 month&#8217;s time</a> (Kyodo News)



By Siladitya Ray, Forbes Staff

No Alcohol, No Autographs, No Cheers: Tokyo Olympics Organizers Unveil Rules For Spectators

TOPLINE The president of the International Olympics Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach on Wednesday offered to increase the number of medical professionals available in Tokyo to help out during the Olympics, amid growing calls from Japan’s medical community to cancel the games which are scheduled to start in just nine weeks as the country continues to witness a surge in Covid-19 cases.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



Speaking in Tokyo on Wednesday, Bach rejected calls for canceling the Olympics and insisted that the IOC will hold “safe and secure” games, the Associated Press&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tokyo-health-coronavirus-pandemic-olympic-games-sports-a8dfa4edeea0efbbd498c9a788581c06" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>.



Bach promised that medical help would come from various national Olympic committees and be available in the Olympic village and sports venues, however, details on this were extremely thin.



The IOC president said he believed more than 80% of the residents of the Olympic Village, which accommodates competing athletes, would be vaccinated or booked for vaccination ahead of the Games.



Bach also said “hundreds of sports events” have been held safely during the pandemic and noted that none of the “test events” held recently in Tokyo turned out to be “virus spreaders.”



Bach’s address comes at a time when doctors organizations in Japan have warned of a collapse of the country’s medical system and that the event has the possibility of increasing the spread of the infection.



Nikkei&nbsp;<a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/05/19/national/medical-workers-vaccine-rate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>&nbsp;that less than 40% of medical workers in Japan have been vaccinated against Covid-19 and the problem is more severe in Tokyo and other major urban centers where the vaccination rate among health workers is less than 30%.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h3>



“For obvious reasons, we cannot give [athletes] every detail yet, but the most important principle is very clear: the Olympic Village is a safe place and the Olympic and Paralympic Games will be organized in a safe way,” Bach said.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chief-critic">CHIEF CRITIC</h3>



In a letter sent to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga last week, the Tokyo Medical Practitioners’ Association&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tokyo-health-coronavirus-pandemic-olympic-games-sports-a8dfa4edeea0efbbd498c9a788581c06" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warned</a>: “The medical systems responding to COVID-19 are stretched thin, almost to their limits. The reality is that the entire medical system faces an almost insurmountable hardship in trying our best to respond with coronavirus measures.” The letter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/tokyo-doctors-call-cancellation-olympic-games-due-covid-19-2021-05-18/#:~:text=SportsTokyo%20doctors%20call%20for,Games%20due%20to%20COVID%2D19&amp;text=A%20top%20medical%20organisation%20has,the%20start%20of%20the%20Games.mes." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">added</a>&nbsp;a “strong request” for authorities to convince the IOC to cancel the games.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h3>



2.2%. That’s the percentage of Japan’s 126 million-strong population who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 according to Bloomberg’s global vaccination tracker. Reuters previously&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/unused-covid-shots-piling-up-japan-amid-slow-rollout-2021-05-07/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">noted</a>&nbsp;that this was the slowest rollout among wealthy countries.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



The organizers of the Tokyo games have said they will need about 10,000 medical personnel during the Olympics and have also asked for 500 extra nurses and 200 sports medicine specialists. Several districts near Tokyo have warned that they will not give priority to treating Olympic athletes and at least 40 Japanese towns have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2021/05/13/around-40-japanese-host-towns-drop-plans-to-house-incoming-olympic-athletes-over-covid-concerns/?sh=730af04f1c10">abandoned plans</a>&nbsp;to host visiting athletes amid concerns about inadequate resources. The increasingly unpopular decision to press forward with the event has also faced pushback from Japanese citizens online and a petition to call off the games has now crossed 373,000 signatures.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.change.org/p/%E4%BA%BA%E3%80%85%E3%81%AE%E5%91%BD%E3%81%A8%E6%9A%AE%E3%82%89%E3%81%97%E3%82%92%E5%AE%88%E3%82%8B%E3%81%9F%E3%82%81%E3%81%AB-%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E4%BA%94%E8%BC%AA%E3%81%AE%E9%96%8B%E5%82%AC%E4%B8%AD%E6%AD%A2%E3%82%92%E6%B1%82%E3%82%81%E3%81%BE%E3%81%99-stoptokyoolympic?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_28685503_ja-JP%3A0&amp;recruiter=1199662576&amp;utm_source=share_petition&amp;utm_medium=copylink&amp;utm_campaign=share_petition&amp;use_react=false" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The petition</a>, which was launched earlier this month, argues that it is “highly possible” the Olympic Games will become a “superspreader” event that will “cause danger and fear to healthcare workers, citizens and participants.”



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h3>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2021/05/18/thousands-of-japanese-doctors-warn-tokyo-cant-handle-olympics-amid-recent-covid-19-outbreak/?sh=60b858b6a304">Thousands Of Japanese Doctors Warn Tokyo Can’t Handle Olympics Amid Recent Covid-19 Outbreak</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2021/05/13/around-40-japanese-host-towns-drop-plans-to-house-incoming-olympic-athletes-over-covid-concerns/?sh=23d75b561c10">Around 40 Japanese ‘Host Towns’ Drop Plans To House Incoming Olympic Athletes Over Covid Concerns</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2021/05/07/tens-of-millions-of-unused-covid-vaccine-doses-are-reportedly-piling-up-in-japan-as-it-witnesses-a-surge-in-cases/?sh=7bd74d2541c9">Tens Of Millions Of Unused Covid Vaccine Doses Are Reportedly Piling Up In Japan As It Witnesses A Surge In Cases</a> (Forbes)



By Siladitya Ray, Forbes Staff

A protester holds up a sign which calls for the Cancellation

Olympics Chief Offers Additional Medical Help For Tokyo As Pressure Mounts To Cancel Games

He ran away from his circumstances in war-torn South Sudan. Today, this refugee athlete has crossed boundaries, broken barriers and has Olympic aspirations.



Seventy million. That’s the number of refugees forcibly displaced worldwide. The size of an entire nation. People without homes in a world that is now saying ‘stay home, stay safe’.



&nbsp;Jamal Abdelmaji Eisa Mohammed is one of them, forced to leave his home at a young age. Still in his 20s, this South Sudan-born migrant refused to confine himself within boundaries. In fact, he crossed several of them, as a full-time ‘refugee athlete’, eventually making it to the finish line and winning gold at world sporting events.



When he was only eight years old, he had to endure the tragedy of losing his father – who was shot and killed by the militia in his home country. “When you grow up, you have your dad and you don’t need to worry about anything because someone cares about you, and [then] you lose him and life goes from good to terrible and that’s how I decided to do something for my siblings because I was now the head of the family,” recalls Mohammed.



In 2010, this led him to decide to leave his conflict-ridden country to seek greener pastures. However, he legally couldn’t because he was underaged, but arranged to pay to have his date of birth changed.



“I saved money and changed my birth year from 1996 to 1993. I then traveled to Egypt and then Israel and slept in the park until I met a kind Sudanese person who let me move into his house.”



Two years on, Mohammed had made friends in the foreign country and played football with them. One of them advised him to take to athletics because he could run behind a ball for hours.



In 2014, he joined a club, and won his very first competition.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">&#8220;When you grow up, you have your dad and you don’t need to worry about anything because someone cares about you, and [then] you lose him and life goes from good to terrible and that’s how I decided to do something for my siblings because I was now the head of the family.”</blockquote>



Today, Mohammed is a part of the Athlete Refugee Team (A.R.T), formed in early 2017 by Kenyan long-distance runner, Tegla Loroupe, for refugee track athletes competing in global IAAF (World Athletics) events and the Olympics. A.R.T is funded by On Running, IAAF, the UNHCR and Pascal Gerdsmeier, a private investor based in Monaco. A.R.T, made up of refugees from the Congo, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan and Morocco, is hoping to take them to next year’s Tokyo Olympic Games as medal contenders.



A 90-minute documentary titled RUN, released on June 20 (World Refugee Day), depicts the story of A.R.T from inception to the current coronavirus crisis that has stalled the sporting world. The documentary, shot over three years and across three continents, follows the athletes’ “emotional journey to compete at the Olympics”, and covers their lives, from “living in war-torn tribal regions to competing on the world stage”. It’s the story of the human spirit and how sport can change lives.



Since 2017, Mohammed has traveled between Europe and Africa competing professionally. A top contender for the now-postponed Olympics, he continues training hard for the proposed event in 2021. He ran away from his destiny at a young age, and continues to change the course of his life.

Jamal Mohammed [2]

Success In The Long Run

Swimming sensation Chad le Clos had planned on returning from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics with gold but with the games postponed, he’s for now focusing on family, fitness and his foundation.



For many athletes, the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games to 2021 has meant stalled training regimes. South Africa’s 28-year-old Olympic gold medalist swimmer Chad le Clos, at home in the coastal town of Durban while in lockdown in South Africa, says this year, he had hoped to return from the Olympics with another gold medal.



“I planned on hopefully winning a gold medal and coming back home and celebrating with the country. I was planning on doing a lot of great things this year. It is quite sad but I am looking at the bigger picture. There are a lot of things I want to achieve inside and outside of the pool. The Olympics is the biggest goal I will ever have. And hopefully, I can make South Africa proud next year.”



Posing in front of his haul of medals at home in Durban, in a Zoom interview with FORBES AFRICA, Le Clos, who was also one of FORBES AFRICA’s 30 Under 30 list-makers in 2019, says he is waiting to get back into the pool.



“Before the lockdown in South Africa, I was away in Europe training. For the last five weeks, I have not been able to train but I was very lucky to spend time with a family friend on his farm on 36 acres of land with horses and dogs, so I was mostly training outdoors.”



The sports star, who is also recovering from two recent surgeries, says swimming is different from any other sport.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">“As a runner or athlete, you can run, but as a swimmer, you need to have that feel of the water. It’s a very different fitness. I am a terrible runner, I can’t run at all. But when I am in the pool, I can be as fit as I can… So focus is important, once you lose that feel, it will take weeks to get back to that fitness.”</blockquote>



Le Clos, who has been swimming competitively from the age of 10 and is a 17-time Commonwealth Games medalist, speaks about the Chad le Clos Foundation and the special projects coming up in the townships also serving underprivileged communities.



How about becoming an entrepreneur at some point, we ask in this interview.



“I don’t want to close any doors. I want to dive into everything head on. Right now, my big focus is the Olympics. I am in a great mental head space. My family is the most important thing and they are safe. Once swimming has firmly shut, I will focus on the next chapter and it will be some sort of business. I have a lot of passion projects like I have said with my foundation&#8230;”



<figure class="wp-block-gallery columns-1 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex"><ul class="blocks-gallery-grid"><li class="blocks-gallery-item"><figure><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="682" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/GMD_6681-1024x682.jpg" alt="" data-id="45623" data-full-url="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/GMD_6681-scaled.jpg" data-link="https://www.forbesafrica.com/?attachment_id=45623" class="wp-image-45623" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/GMD_6681-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/GMD_6681-scaled-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/GMD_6681-scaled-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/GMD_6681-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/GMD_6681-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/GMD_6681-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></li></ul></figure>



Le Clos says he has looked up to swimmer Michael Phelps his whole life (and even beat him at the age of 20 by 0.05 seconds at the 2012 Olympics in London in the men’s 200meters butterfly), but the iconic boxer Muhammad Ali is his “ultimate idol”.



“For what he stood for, the greatest boxer of all time, he was the people’s champion. I am not as outspoken as he was, but I have always seen myself too as a people’s champion, I have seen myself swimming for my family, my people and my country. Muhammad Ali is my hero and icon. And my big inspiration outside of the pool.”



During the lockdown, besides “playing a lot of poker with my family and losing”, it has also been a good time to reflect.



“I like to visualize positive things. As a kid, I always visualized success, the Olympics, the gold medal, you create that moment, and let that percolate. The more positives you put out are the positives you will get back. Focus on the positives. During this time, make yourself stronger mentally. You can come out of this stronger, and it will help you going forward.”

Arena Media Marathon

Making South Africa Proud And His Inspiration Outside The Pool

Recovering from a knee injury the last two years, this Olympian sprinter was all set to defend his title at the Tokyo 2020 Games. In lockdown in South Africa, the ardent Mo Salah and Liverpool fan shares how he has been building his endurance and finding positivity in the chaos.



Nothing can get a good sportsman down.



Ask Cape Town-born Wayde van Niekerk, who made history at the 2016 Rio Olympics with a record-breaking performance as a track and field athlete.



In a way, the five-week government-imposed lockdown in South Africa was an extension of Van Niekerk’s own time away from the limelight, when he was already used to living and training indoors, consistently building on his physical and mental endurance.



The serious knee injury in 2017 that kept him away from the track had meant “a hibernation” of a different kind when he was steering himself for the next big competition returning to the field again in 2020.&nbsp;&nbsp;



This was also going to be the year he was going to defend his 400m world record at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.



“I came out of an injury, and it led to me entering a hibernation period of my life where a lot happened, internally, indoors, away from the TV screens,” says Van Niekerk on a Zoom interview with FORBES AFRICA from his home in Bloemfontein in South Africa’s Free State province, a day after the country lifted the lockdown with Level 4 restrictions.



“As this year started, I had shifted my mentality to becoming an athlete again, and getting ready for the next major competition, and then Covid-19 started, and that led to me taking a step back and shift back to the hibernation stage of training and strengthening myself.



“I am blessed and privileged to have equipment around me and a gym setup at home. So I was well-prepared before even the pandemic… but you do miss the track but this pandemic is something we all have to face.”



The 28-year-old, who showed promise from an early age, and who was also listed as one of FORBES AFRICA’s 30 Under 30 achievers in 2019, says he has been using the time to find peace in chaos.



“What I have learned is to try and find that peace, that positivity and calm in this storm. It’s a mentality shift that I had to meditate on, that I build a positive foundation, that I reap every strength and positivity invested in me, that once I come out of the injury, I &nbsp;come out stronger. Now, I am making sure my physical and mental strength can complement one another.”



With the Tokyo 2020 Games now postponed owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, did it give him the gift of time?



“Not really. Every time is a blessing,” says Van Niekerk. “I prepared myself for that this year, but reality is what it is. And we can’t be dwelling on the losses… we can either see it as time lost or there is a goal I have set for myself, the way I am going to get it is not important. It doesn’t matter the platform it happens on, as long as it happens. I have been investing my time into it.”



From 200m events as a junior athlete, to a 400m specialist later in life, Van Niekerk is clearly among the most versatile sprinters in the history of the sport.



You can sense it’s no fake modesty when he tells you that the time away from the track has also made him want to do more for the less fortunate around him. The attention is not on himself.



“I find it difficult to focus on just me… I am very passionate about helping those around me. I am not a fan of wanting to do things that become a media event,” he says simply.



“We are going through this period to cleanse and strengthen ourselves&#8230; Forget about who you are, and see whose lives you can make easier. The people who are struggling now are the people who will give you the biggest smile and who will give you the confidence. And now it’s time for us as sports people and as human beings to find ways to consider those around us who are less fortunate and not as blessed as we are.”



The transition from indoor fitness to outdoor training, once the lockdown regulations are fully lifted, is not going to be an easy one.



“There are a lot of technical things to it in terms of getting 100% race-fit for an international stage and trying to do some competitions; to just shake off that rust and to get the legs going and the body moving and the blood flowing again. There is a massive difference between a gym workout and being a track athlete. There will be a whole few months before we get to be at the level and shape where we can improve ourselves as athletes,” he says.



The ardent Mo Salah and Liverpool fan has also been engaging with his network of sports comrades around the world. Jamaican former sprinter Usain Bolt is a good friend. You ask if he has been in touch.



“I communicate with most, but Usain is more about the banter. He’s always teasing me about the Premier League not going to finish, so they keep trying to tap into that nerve of mine as I am a passionate Liverpool supporter. So I am trying not to entertain that side of them,” laughs Van Niekerk.



As a child, Van Niekerk dreamed of becoming the fastest man in the world. It’s a dream that still keeps the speedster going.



“It is what I have been investing in ever since I was young, and what I want to achieve. With the barriers I broke came confidence, and why not believe in what I can achieve? I am invested 110% to want to improve the 100m, 200m and up to 400m, and I am more hungry and determined than ever before!”

IMG_8862-01

Wayde van Niekerk: ‘Lockdown Meant Shifting Back To Hibernation To Train And Strengthen Myself’

Toplines:&nbsp;After a slew of calls to postpone due to the risks of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, Japan and the International Olympic Committee on Tuesday announced it would delay the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics until 2021, making it the first time the Games have been moved outside of World War I and II.



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Japan&#8217;s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he had agreed with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to delay the world&#8217;s biggest sporting event until next year. &#8220;I proposed to postpone for about a year and IOC president Thomas Bach responded with 100% agreement,&#8221; Abe said.</li><li>Speculation that the Olympics would be postponed escalated on Monday after Abe <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/isabeltogoh/2020/03/23/japans-prime-minister-hints-olympics-will-be-postponed-due-to-coronavirus/#398acfa01af7">said</a>, “If it is difficult to hold the games in such a way, we have to decide to postpone them, giving top priority to the well-being of the athletes.”</li><li>Senior IOC member Dick Pound <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelsandler/2020/03/23/report-tokyo-olympics-postponed-due-to-coronavirus-ioc-member-says/#4090faa32a6c">told USA Today</a> that “On the basis of the information the IOC has, postponement has been decided&#8230; The parameters going forward have not been determined, but the Games are not going to start on July 24, that much I know.”</li><li>It&#8217;s a move that was widely expected given <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/cartercoudriet/2020/03/19/covid-19-coronavirus-cancellation-tracker/#23577b7452b2">the hundreds of conferences, festivals and sporting events</a> affected by the pandemic across the globe, as well as <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/japans-abe-faces-mounting-anger-over-school-closures-lack-of-virus-testing/2020/02/28/ddd3ca58-59e0-11ea-8efd-0f904bdd8057_story.html" target="_blank">mounting criticism</a> levied at the IOC and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe by players and fans, the latter of which voted overwhelmingly in <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2020/03/16/report-japanese-polls-say-tokyo-olympics-should-be-postponed-due-to-coronavirus/#208123926bfb">a public poll conducted by Kyodo News</a> to delay the Games.</li><li>Much of the criticism wasn&#8217;t focused on the possible safety of the event itself, which was set to begin on July 24 until August 9, but the risk to athletes presently as they attempted to train for the Games while adhering to lockdowns and social distancing practices in their home countries.</li></ul>



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<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>On March 18, the IOC held a conference call with 200 athlete representatives that caused further ire, with Spanish Olympic Committee president Alejandro Blanco saying there would be unfair competition given the training gym shut downs in certain countries, and U.S. table tennis player Han Xiao saying, &#8220;Regardless of their intentions, their first priority is not the public health aspect of it,&#8221; <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/18/sports/olympics/olympics-coronavirus-athletes-training.html" target="_blank">according to the New York Times</a>. </li></ul>



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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">I’ve given this a lot of thought, and over the past few days my perspective has changed. I was voted to represent and protect athletes. As an IOCAC member, 6x Olympian and Medical doctor in training on the front lines in ER up until this week,these are my thoughts on <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Olympics</a> : <a href="https://t.co/vrvfsQZ1GO">pic.twitter.com/vrvfsQZ1GO</a>&mdash; Hayley Wickenheiser (@wick_22) <a href="https://twitter.com/wick_22/status/1239985862819155970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2020</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Adding fuel to the fire this month: Kozo Tashima,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattperez/2020/03/17/vice-chairman-of-japans-olympic-committee-tests-positive-for-coronavirus/#34c327a26140">the vice chairman of Japan&#8217;s Olympic Committee</a>&nbsp;and the head of the Japan Football Association, tested positive for the coronavirus following trips to Europe and the U.S., Greece’s Olympic committee&nbsp;<a href="https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/28870377/fans-barred-tokyo-2020-torch-lighting-ceremony-due-coronavrius" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">barred fans</a>&nbsp;from attending the traditional torch lighting ceremony and Canada&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsweek.com/canada-australia-olympics-tokyo-2020-games-postponed-coronavirus-outbreak-1493699" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pulled out</a>&nbsp;of the Games this past weekend.</li></ul>



Crucial Quote:&nbsp;In late February,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2020/02/28/report-japan-has-no-backup-plan-if-olympic-games-get-derailed-by-coronavirus/#1381731562b1">a senior official told Reuters</a>&nbsp;that Japan essentially had no backup plan, saying &#8220;We are not even thinking of when or in what contingency we might decide things. There is no thought of change at all in my mind.&#8221;



Big Number:&nbsp;$12.6 billion to $25.2 billion. That&#8217;s the estimated investment the city of Tokyo has made in the event and will have to swallow during a delay before recouping any revenue from the Summer Olympics,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbssports.com/olympics/news/tokyo-olympics-decision-on-cancellation-amid-coronavirus-outbreak-will-be-made-by-may/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according to CBS</a>. Sponsors additionally will take a financial blow, though, one of its biggest broadcasters,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/d059a1fbb8d7de95794e0e0c44928043" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Discovery Inc., told investors in February</a>&nbsp;that it was insured against a cancellation and that it wouldn&#8217;t hit the company particularly hard. NBCUniversal as well assured investors it had insurance, but it also would lose profit from the already $1.25 billion it&#8217;s sold in advertising, signing a $7.7 billion U.S. broadcasting deal for the Games until 2032,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/04/business/media/nbc-olympics-coronavirus.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according to the New York Times</a>.&nbsp;The Olympics is the largest spectator event affected by the global coronavirus pandemic, with the 2016 Games in Brazil&nbsp;<a href="https://stillmed.olympic.org/media/Document%20Library/OlympicOrg/Games/Summer-Games/Games-Rio-2016-Olympic-Games/Media-Guide-for-Rio-2016/IOC-Marketing-Report-Rio-2016.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">selling 6.2 million tickets</a>.



Key Background:&nbsp;<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">According to Johns Hopkins University</a>, there are more than 392,000 total confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with 17,000 deaths worldwide. In Japan in particular, there are 1,140 cases with 42 confirmed deaths.



Tangent: The Olympic Games are among the athletic world’s most storied events. <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.penn.museum/sites/olympics/olympicorigins.shtml" target="_blank">First held</a> in 776 BCE, the Games were revived in the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.olympic.org/athens-1896" target="_blank">modern era</a> in 1896, when the Games were held in Athens, Greece. The 1916 Games <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.olympic.org/antwerp-1920" target="_blank">were cancelled</a> because of World War I, as were the 1940 and 1944 Games <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.olympic.org/london-1948" target="_blank">due to World War II</a>.



&#8211;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattperez/">Matt Perez</a>, Forbes Staff, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/innovation">Innovation</a>

Tag: Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics

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