The Tokyo Summer Olympics, which were postponed from last year to this summer due to the Covid-19 pandemic, will open today.
The opening ceremony at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium will start at 2 pm Latvian time, broadcast live on Latvian Television (LTV).
The debts of the nations will be started by the host of the ancient Olympic Games in Greece, but then the countries will follow the Japanese alphabet, except for the hostess Japan, who will step into the stadium last. The Latvian delegation will enter the stadium as in 194, with the red-white-red flag carried by tennis player Alona Ostapenko and 3×3 basketball player Agnis Chavars.
At the end of the ceremony, the torch of the 2021 Summer Olympics will be lit.
Due to the limitations of Covid-19, the opening ceremony and the competition will take place without the presence of spectators.
Tokyo was entrusted with hosting the Olympic Games in 2013, when its candidacy was recognized as the best in competition with Istanbul and Madrid. The Tokyo Olympics were also hosted in 1964. Tokyo was also entrusted with the organization of the 1940 Games, but later refused to host a sports forum, which was later canceled altogether due to World War II.
The Olympic Games in the Japanese capital will take place until August 8. The largest summer sports forum was due to take place from July 24 to August 9 last year, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was postponed for exactly one year.
In three years, the Olympic Games will take place in Paris, in 2028 athletes will gather in Los Angeles, and in 2032 – in Brisbane. The next Winter Olympics will take place in February 2022 in Beijing.
After the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games will take place in Tokyo from August 24 to September 5.
In Tokyo, Latvia will be represented at the Olympic Games by 33 athletes in 14 sports: 3×3 basketball, wrestling, judo, equestrian, karate, modern pentathlon, swimming, beach volleyball, cycling (highway and BMX), kayaking, weightlifting, shooting, tennis and athletics. This will be the debut of 26 athletes in the Latvian delegation at the Olympic Games.
Harry Ortwayin, a sports journalist from the news agency LETA, will inform about the current events from Tokyo. In the LETA section dedicated to the Olympic Games (“https://www.leta.lv/olimpiade_tokyo/”) The latest information is available not only on the progress and success of Latvian athletes, but also on other current events.
Composition of the Latvian Olympic team at the Tokyo Olympic Games:
Laura Igaune, Gatis Čakšs, Līna Mūze, Ruslans Smolonskis, Arnis Rumbenieks, Madara Palameika, Anete Kociņa, Līga Velvere (all – athletics), Tīna Laura Graudiņa, Anastasija Kravčenoka, Mārtiņš Pļaviņš, Edgars Točes (all) , Helvijs Babris, Toms Skujiņš, Krists Neilands (all – cycling), Agnis Čavars, Nauris Miezis, Kārlis Pauls Lasmanis, Edgars Krūmiņš (all – 3×3 basketball), Jevgenijs Borodavko (judo), Pavels Švecovs (modern Rouctsis) kayaking), Agate Rašmane (shooting), Kristaps Neretnieks (equestrian sport), Anastasija Grigorjeva (wrestling), Kalvis Kalniņš (karate), Artūrs Plēsnieks, Ritvars Suharevs (both – weightlifting), Ieva Maluka, Daniils Bobrovs (both – swimming), Anastasia Sevastova, Alona Ostapenko (both – tennis).
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