The 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo this past year treated us to some wacky and unexpected things. The event itself was delayed due to COVID-19 so we went in definitely expecting some things to happen that normally didn’t. Whether it was Simone Biles stepping back for her mental health, a camera boat almost hitting some of the competitors, or Lamont Marcell Jacobs shocking the world and winning Gold for Italy in the mens 100m sprint. We’re going to break down some of the biggest things we saw in this years games.
Mental Health
Before we get into some of the fun stuff, this years games proved to be one that brought a huge issue to the forefront. Simone Biles, arguably the best Olympic athlete of all time maybe excluding Michael Phelps, decided to sit out this year’s Olympics, after losing herself in the air and shaking uncontrollably. She knew that if she continued to compete, she would hurt her team and possibly herself.
We later learned that what Biles was experiencing was something called the “Twisties.” Basically as a gymnast, you lose yourself and don’t know where you are because of some psychological problems. Biles has come out and talked about how she has gone through a lot mental health wise and she made the bold decision to sit out. She still was a fantastic teammate and sat right there with her team supporting.
The decision was of course met with controversy. Some people applauded her for being so bold while others said she was quitting on her team. What she proved though, was that athletes are in fact HUMAN. They go through the same stuff that us average Joe’s go through. She set the stage for future athletes, saying that it IS ok to put your mental health first, and that you need to be ok first before you can go out and do stuff for other people.
Crazy Events
Some crazy and even dangerous things happened as well in this past Olympics. We take a look at some of the crazier.
Like I mentioned in my opening paragraph, there was a camera boat that almost led to some very dangerous waters. The men’s triathlon was taking place, and a camera boat was right in the way of swimmer’s getting ready to go. The buzzer went off and the boat was still in the way. The boat tried to reverse but it struggled to get out of the way. Luckily, the swimmers that were in the path were able to get out of the way and stay safe and no one was hurt during the incident.
Some fans were worried about German judo star Martyna Trajdos after she was seen being slapped and shaken by her coach. After not making the podium, she joked on social media that the slaps “weren’t hard enough apparently.”
BMX rider Niek Kimmann with the Dutch team collided with an official who was trying to cross the track and suffered a bit of a sore knee.
The Israel Olympic basketball team got in trouble after trying to break their beds in their hotel. They made a Tik Tok with nine guys bouncing on the bed and they eventually broke the bed and it collapsed to the ground. They later came out and apologized even though their original purpose was just to be humorous.
Maria Belen Perez Maurice, who is an Argentinian fencer, had been proposed to in the 2010 games, but rejected Lucas Guillermo. Guillermo asked again this year during an interview, and this time she finally said yes.
Finally in these awkward and crazy events, Annemiek Van Vleuten crossed the finish line of the road cycling race believing she had won the race and celebrated as such. She later found out that had not been the case and she was extremely embarrassed. There were plenty of other crazy and shocking events that happened in the 2020 games.
Unforeseen Results
In every Olympics, there are always winners that we don’t expect, here are some of the biggest.
Lydia Jacoby had already made history by becoming the first Alaskan to ever make the United States Olympic swimming team. She then beat the defending champion in the 100m breaststroke to win Gold and shock the world.
Naomi Osaka, who was the second ranked tennis player in the world, was upset by Marketa Vondrousova (ranked 42nd in the world) in the third round. Vondrousova went on to win a silver medal.
The Canadian women’s soccer team defeated the United States for the first time in 20 years, and won their first ever Gold Medal.
American swimmer Bobby Finke went into the games as not really a favorite in anyone’s books and flew under the radar. After being behind big in the 800m freestyle, he came back and passed the top three swimmer’s in the final 50 meters and won Gold. He was called the comeback kid of the 2020 Olympics after having another later charge to win the 1500m final.
Novak Djokovic was heavily favored to win Gold in 2020 with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal opted to not compete, but Djokovic lost in the semifinals and again in the bronze metal match, and went home medal-less.
The last big surprise was Austria winning its first Olympic cycling medal since the 1896 Athens Games when Anna Kiesenhofer dominated and crossed the finish line 75 seconds before everyone else.
Heartwarming Moments
For our last topic, we explore some of the things that happened and made people go “awww” in the Tokyo Games.
Claire Michel crossed the line in the Triathlon way after every one else and she collapsed on the floor crying as she felt she had let her country down. Lotte Miller, who finished 24th, went over to her and even though they were from different countries, comforted her and told her that she was a “fighter,” and that “she had 100% Olympic spirit.”
Tom Daley, who is an LGBTQ advocate and diver, gave an inspirational speech after to young kids saying that you can achieve anything and that LGBT people are not alone and that people are here to support you.
Tony Hawk was seen taking pictures of skaters at the women’s skateboarding events like a “proud dad.”
Oksana Chusovitina who is 46 years old, competing in her 8th Olympic Games, received a standing ovation after her gymnastic routine as it could very well possibly be her last Olympic Games.
Simone Biles, who we mentioned earlier sat out for her mental health, was the first one seen congratulating Russia for beating the USA as the best team all around.
High Jumpers Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar and Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy agreed to share the Gold Medal after both of them cleared a jump of 2.37 meters but failed to clear the next bar. They could’ve gone to a jump off, but agreed to share the medal as now very good friends.
This Olympics showed that even though you are competing, that it is all still love and respect. Both Isaiah Jewett from the United State and Nijel Amos from Botswana fell in the 800 meter semifinal. They helped each other up and embraced in a hug.
The last warming moment was when Japanese Skateboarder Misugu Okamoto fell and dropped from first to fourth place, other skaters helped her up and together carried her off.
This year’s Olympics featured crazy events, social change, unexpected results, and heartwarming moments. That is what these games are for though. It is for the people of this planet to come together and show the pride of their country, and that is what makes these games so special.
Works Cited:
• Murray , Holly. “What Simone's Step Back Teaches US.” Athletes in Action, 30 July 2021, https://athletesinaction.org/articles/what-simones-step-back-teaches-us/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA-eeMBhCpARIsAAZfxZBdbKWdEz69rlofAFgeIhGl-lVZHR23Xo-z87wSq5zBi-tfimijaIsaAoeKEALw_wcB.
• Beresford, Jack, et al. “23 Shocking Olympics Moments You Probably Missed from the Tokyo 2020 Games.” Newsweek, 9 Aug. 2021, https://www.newsweek.com/23-shocking-olympics-moments-probably-missed-tokyo-2020-1616924.
• Smith , Shawn. “Biggest Upsets of the Tokyo Olympic Games.” Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, 8 Aug. 2021, https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/biggest-upsets-tokyo-olympic-games.
• Lakritz, Talia. “15 Of the Most Heartwarming Moments from the Tokyo Olympics.” Insider, Insider, 5 Aug. 2021, https://www.insider.com/tokyo-olympics-heartwarming-cute-moments-2021-7.