The Tokyo 2020 Olympics were cancelled last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Despite a surge in coronavirus cases in Japan, the games are still set to finally go ahead in summer 2021 this summer – and the Japanese capital is gearing up to play host to the event, even though it needs to go ahead with no spectators.
So, when will the Olympics finally start, and when will it hit screens in the UK? And can anyone travel to Japan to spectate?
Here’s the latest.
What happened to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics?
Despite being delayed by a year, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics are going ahead in 2021.
It will see representatives from 205 nations competing for 339 medals in sports including swimming, athletics, gymnastics and tennis.
However, the whole event will go ahead without spectators – after Japan declared a state of emergency for its capital city in June.
‘We reached an agreement on no spectators at venues in Tokyo,’ Japan’s Olympics minister Tamayo Marukawa said.
The event has long been closed to foreign tourists under current circumstances, so now everyone around the world will have to watch the action from Japan on TV.
When do the Tokyo Olympics start in 2021 and where can you watch?
The Olympics are scheduled to take place between Friday, July 23 and Sunday, August 8 2021.
The Opening Ceremony is due to start on the Friday at 12pm UK time, meaning it’ll be 8pm in Japan.
While the opening ceremony may be on July 23, the first events have already begun, with Baseball and Football events taking place from July 21.
This year, BBC and Eurosport have the rights to show the Tokyo Olympics on their channels.
As they usually do with sporting events, BBC will split their coverage between BBC One and BBC Two, with catch-up available on iPlayer.
Key events include the 100m, which many are hopeful will feature British star Dina Asher-Smith, on Saturday, July 31 at 1.50pm UK time.
The men’s 100m will take place on Sunday, August 1, same time.
July 31 will be ‘Super Saturday’, with 21 medal events taking place – only topped by the following Sunday, with 25 medals to be won.
As the games approach, you can find a rundown of the BBC’s Olympic schedule on iPlayer.
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