Now that the curtain is slowly drawing on yet another year, one highlight which will probably remain in the history books would be this year’s challenging Olympic Games.
An event that had our eyes glued to the TV because it offered some kind of solace from the ongoing pandemic… As such we reckon it’s an opportune time to discuss some highlights that took place during Tokyo 2020.
Well, I’m not referring to the sports-y moments as such, which were many and momentous,
but to the ones that even the less sports-minded people will remember.
1
Tom Daley’s talent for knitting
Well, he did win gold together with Matty Lee in the 10-metre synchronised dive, but he also captured fans’ hearts when he was spotted knitting while watching other events. First, it was a sleeve for his gold medal, then he progressed to a Union Jack cardigan. What a multi-talented man!
“Thank you to all my fellow stitchers – learning to knit and crochet helped me so much through these Olympics!”, he told fans via his Instagram channel.
2
Two friends sharing a gold medal
A heart of gold was shown by two friends, Tamberi (Italian athlete) and Barshim (from Qatar) as they celebrated on the track after winning the final of the men’s high jump, right before they agreed to share a gold medal, rather than settle the tie with a jump-off.
Tamberi’s reaction to this was to run towards Barshim, jump and hug him – proving how the pair have been good friends since 2017. They both deserved this result!
3
Norwegian women’s beach handball team ‘break’ the dress code
Controversy arose around what women athletes could and couldn’t wear at the Olympics.
This is after the Norwegian women beach handball team showed up for the European Beach Volleyball Championship (a separate event) wearing shorts, rather than the required bikini bottoms as part of their uniform. They were each fined 150 euros by the European Handball Federation, but this fine was quickly criticised as a double standard, since men are allowed to wear shorts as long as four inches above their knees. Since then, singer and international sensation Pink has offered to pay for their cumulative fine.
“I’m very proud of the team for protesting this very sexist rule about their uniform”, she said on her Twitter account.
4
Simone Biles prioritising her mental health
It came as a shock to many that Simone Biles, the US athlete who keeps winning title after title, decided to withdraw from the all-round gymnastics final. This was after she had a medical evaluation which determined that she was not in a condition to compete.
Many have publicly supported her decision and applauded her bravery, reiterating that we need to prioritise our mental health and make it an important part of our personal success.
5
Skateboarding makes a debut, and so does the camaraderie between the athletes
2021 will also be remembered as the time skateboarding made its Olympic debut, and some might say the competitors were too young. What is undeniable is the camaraderie between these young skaters. Although they did give their best, they could also be seen congratulating each other throughout the competition. Surely an example to live by!
Have we missed any important highlights from this event?
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