Which new sports are there at the Tokyo Olympics 2021?
A year later than billed, the Tokyo Olympic Games have finally arrived as the world’s sporting stars descend on Japan.
While sports such as athletics, swimming and gymnastics will take their usual place at the centre of the action, there are also several new sports that have been added to the schedule for these Games.
Here’s all you need to know...
Karate
One of Japan’s most popular sports has been added to these Games, with the host nation having dominated the World Championships for many years.
There are two disciplines that will be contested: kata and kumite.
The latter is the fight version of the sport and will see a total of 60 athletes (30 men and 30 women) taking part. There are three weight divisions for each, making a total of six competitions.
Kata, meanwhile, is non-combat version, based around form and performance of a series of techniques, and will feature 20 athletes.
Skateboarding
Perhaps the most eagerly-anticipated of the new events, skateboarding will make its bow in Tokyo.
There are two disciplines - park and skate - with men and women competing in both for a total of four gold medals up for grabs.
Sky Brown is set to become Britain’s youngest ever summer Olympian, having just turned 13, and has a genuine medal chance in the women’s park, having won bronze at the World Championships in 2019.
Sport climbing
This event will see 40 athletes - 20 men and 20 women - competing for the two gold medals.
Each competition features three disciplines: speed (where two climbers race to the top), bouldering (where climbers complete routes in as few attempts as possible) and lead (where climbers climb as high as they can on a 15m wall within a specific time).
World Championship bronze medalist from 2019 Shauna Coxsey is Britain’s only representative.
Surfing
The surfing competition is set to take place at Tsurigasaki Beach, around 100km away from the main Olympic Stadium in Tokyo.
There will be a men’s and women’s competition, each featuring 20 athletes, with judges scoring the athletes in each round based on criteria such as difficulty and speed.
What else is new?
Well, new-ish is the return of baseball and softball to the Games, with neither having featured since Beijing in 2008.
Seven sports have introduced mixed events featuring men and women competing as part of a team, including new mixed relays in athletics and swimming.
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