Tokyo Olympics 2020 Highlights: Top moments of the opening ceremony

Tokyo Olympics officially open

Japanese tennis ace Naomi Osaka lit the Olympic cauldron to formally kick-off the Tokyo Olympics 2020. Japan's Emperor Naruhito also officially declared the Games open. 

Bach pays tribute to 'unsung heroes' of pandemic

IOC President Thomas Bach: "Thanks 'unsung heroes' of pandemic, doctors, nurses and Japanese people."

"Today is a moment of hope. We can only be here because of Japanese people. Preparing for the Games was a difficult journey with unprecedented challenges."

Tokyo Olympics: Pakistan and two other countries make awkward entry in opening ceremony - WATCH

President Hashimoto welcomes all athletes to Tokyo 

Tokyo 2020 President Hashimoto: "We will support these Games until the end so we can look back and be proud of these Games. Want to pay respect and show gratitude to medical workers around the world."

The Britons, led by Olympic champions Hannah Mills and Mohamed Sbihi, enter the stadium. 

The Aussies are here!

A member of Egypt's delegation takes a selfie during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

El Salvador's flag bearer Celina Marquez and Julio Cesar Castillo Torres parade along with their team during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

India's men's hockey captain Manpreet Singh and boxing legend MC Mary Kom led the Indian contingent at the opening ceremony in Tokyo as thousands of athletes gathered at the Olympic stadium in a glittering ceremony.

Ireland's flag bearer Kellie Anne Harrington and Brendan Irvine and their delegation enter the Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremony

Afghanistan's flag bearer Kimia Yousofi and Farzad Mansouri lead the delegation during the opening ceremony

The Olympic opening ceremony underway at in Tokyo

Performers assemble the Olympic rings as fireworks go off overhead during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Fireworks display during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The Olympic ceremony has been taking place without spectators with several hundred dignitaries present including Emperor Naruhito of Japan, French President Emmanuel Macron and US First Lady Jill Biden.

Dancers perform during the opening ceremony at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo.

The games are taking place amid the pandemic with no crowds at the stadium. 

The much awaited Olympic opening ceremony began in Tokyo on Friday.

India's men's hockey captain Manpreet Singh and boxing legend MC Mary Kom will be the country's flag-bearer at the opening ceremony to be held shortly.

Tokyo Olympics: Archer Deepika Kumari finishes 9th among women; partners Pravin Jadhav in mixed event

With her ninth-spot finish, Deepika will confront Bhu Karma from Bhutan in the first elimination round at the Olympics.

Also read | Tokyo 2020: Olympics Weightlifting- China poised to bag first Tokyo gold

There are two Olympic lifts: the clean and jerk, and the snatch. Each athlete is allowed three attempts at each lift. The best lift in each is combined to determine the overall total. Athletes must successfully attempt the snatch before proceeding to the clean and jerk

Also read | Athletics: Swiss hurdler Kariem Hussein out of Games after doping ban

Former European 400 metres hurdles champion Kariem Hussein is out of the Tokyo Olympics after the Swiss athlete was given a nine-month doping suspension, officials said on Friday.

The 32-year-old, a surprise winner of the European title on home soil in 2014 but not expected to be a medal prospect in Tokyo, tested positive for a banned stimulant earlier this month.

After struggles, sacrifices and success, Indian shooters eye Olympic glory

Entering the Tokyo Olympics on the back of an unprecedented run that began sometime after the inexplicable meltdown in the Rio de Janeiro Games, Indian shooters bagging a medal or two, or, even three to four, is a tangible reality.

All of the 15 shooters are capable of winning medals, but few are seen as sure shot to secure podium finishes in the events that start on Saturday.

One among them is the highly-skilled Saurabh Chaudhary, who will have a few Olympic and world champions standing in his way to glory at sport''s biggest showpiece.

Alongside Abhishek Verma, Chaudhary will be part of the first competition day action in the men''s 10m air pistol event.

But before that, the fate of Apurvi Chandela and Elavenil Valarivan -- in the women''s 10m air rifle event -- will be decided. A good outing for either of them means India will have won their first medal in these Games.

Both Chandela and Elavenil will enter the competition with plenty to look forward to, despite the occasional blips here and there.

Also read | Olympics 2020: South Korean women sweep Archery qualifying, eye longest gold streak

South Korean women archers took the top three places in qualification on Friday, with one breaking an Olympic record that stood for 25 years along the way, as the team aims for the longest gold medal streak at the Olympics.

At least 100 US athletes unvaccinated as Olympics begin

About 100 of the 613 U.S. athletes descending on Tokyo for the Olympics are unvaccinated, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee's medical chief said hours before Friday night's opening ceremony.
 
Medical director Jonathan Finnoff said 567 of the American athletes had filled out their health histories as they prepared for the trip, and estimated 83% had replied they were vaccinated.
 
Eighty-three percent is actually a substantial number and we're quite happy with it, Finnoff said.
 
Nationally, 56.3% of Americans have received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Also read | Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games: A guide of main events


The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games have finally started. After being postponed for nearly a year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Tokyo is ready to host one of the biggest and most controversial games.

It's the end of 72 arrows in Men's Archery Ranking Round

Pravin Jadhav: 656 (Rank - 31) 

Atanu Das: 653 (Rank - 35) 

Tarundeep Rai: 652  (Rank - 37) 

Team: 1961  (Rank - 9) 

Mixed - Deepika, Pravin: 1319 (Rank - 9) 

Mixed team ranking: India's Deepika Kumari (663) and Pravin Jadhav (656) finish with a total score of 1319. They are ranked ninth among 29 teams.

The Indian men's archers struggle to make an impact. Pravin Jadhav finishes in 31st with 656, 54 in the final End. Atanu Das in 35th with 653 (53), and Tarundeep Rai in 37th with 652 (55). 

Results: Men 72 Arrows 70m Round



 

Also read | Spanish artistic swimmer Ona Carbonell disappointed to leave breastfeeding son at home

Athletes who are bringing their infants along with them to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will have to follow strict Covid regulations to avoid any chance of getting infected by coronavirus.
 

Also read | Boxing fights for reputation at Tokyo Games after Rio controversies

Boxing first featured at the ancient Olympics and later launched the careers of legends such as Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier and Floyd Mayweather, and modern-day champions including Anthony Joshua and Gennady Golovkin.

Also read | Jailed Olympian medallist, Sushil Kumar, gets access to TV in Tihar Jail to watch Tokyo 2020

India’s Olympic medallist, Sushil Kumar, will be able to watch the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games from behind the bars as he is currently in Tihar Jail.

Kumar is in jail after he was accused of the murder of wrestler Sagar Dhankad at Chhatrasal Stadium.

Torchbearer Japanese Kabuki actor Nakamura Kankuro (L) and Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike (R) pose for pictures during the arrival ceremony of the Olympic flame of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay in Tokyo on July 23, 2021, ahead of the opening ceremony of the games. (AFP Photo)



 

Uzbekistan's Kumushkhon Fayzullaeva takes part in a training session ahead of the start of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games weightlifting competition at the Tokyo International Forum in Tokyo on July 23, 2021. (AFP Photo)

French President Emmanuel Macron (L) meets President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach in Tokyo on July 23, 2021, ahead of the opening ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. (AFP Photo)

Also read | Biles on five-gold Tokyo mission as 'King' Kohei plots triumphant farewell

America's Simone Biles and Japan's national sporting deity Kohei Uchimura have already achieved enough to be considered the greatest gymnasts of all time, but they approach the delayed 2020 Games as hungry as ever to enhance reputations that already stand as tall as nearby Mount Fuji

Also read | 'I don't like this one bit': Czech PM angered at athletes and officials testing positive for Covid

Czch Republic Prime Ministee Andrej Babis called it a 'scandal' and expressed disappointment after several athletes and officials tested positive for coronavirus at Olymic village. He questioned authorities for not vaccinating the team.

Also read | After Jill Biden, Emmanuel Macron arrives in Japan for Tokyo 2020 opening ceremony

Macron arrived in Tokyo on Friday for his two-day trip to Japan. Along with the opening ceremony, he will also attend the judo and women’s 3x3 basketball competitions.

Also read | Troubled Tokyo Olympics set to open under Covid cloud

The most troubled Olympics in modern history finally get under way in Tokyo on Friday, struggling to emerge from the clutches of COVID-19 after a one-year postponement following a build-up marred by scandal and controversy.

Indian World Number 1 Deepika Kumari finishes Women's individual archery ranking round at a disappointing 9th position after a good first-half display here at the Yumenoshima Ranking Field on Friday. South Korean San An creates a new Olympic record.

Deepika managed to stay in the top 10 in the qualification round with a total score of 663. South Korean San An as expected finished in first place with an impressive 680 and a new Olympic record. San improved the previous Olympic record of 673 points by 7 more.

Deepika had a decent start to match as the archer accumulated 56/60 in the first round and 55/60 in the second which landed her in the 10th position in the field. In the third round, the Indian archer gathered X-X-9-9-9-9 for a total of 56 as she continued to stay in the top 10.

12th Set: Women's Individual Ranking Round

Korea’s An San sets a new Olympic record with score Of 680

She breaks the previous record of 673 points established by Ukrainian legend Lina Herasymenko in 1996.

Deepika comes in ninth place with a 54 in the final set of six.

In the following round, she will face Bhutan's Karma, who shot a personal best of 616 today.