The Olympics 2020 are coming at the door, and with it bringing a wide variety of athletes from all over the world. There will be four sports making Olympic debuts at Tokyo 2020: surfing, skateboarding, karate, and sport climbing. It will also be the first Olympics where transgender athletes are qualified to participate. Let’s get to know the new stars of this year’s Olympics!
Laurel Hubbard
Hubbard, 43, a weightlifter from New Zealand, made news as the first transgender athlete to qualify for Tokyo 2020 and the Olympics history. She is the first weightlifter going to the Games, an achievement she almost missed out on due to an injury three years ago.
Alia Issa
The Refugee Olympic and Paralympic teams made their debut at the Rio 2016 Games and will take the stage at Tokyo 2020. Issa, 20, will be the first woman who will represent the Refugee Team in the Paralympics. She is a Syrian refugee who currently lives in Greece and will take part in the club throw.
Suni Lee
18 years old, Suni Lee is a part of the all-around gymnastics competition for Team USA. Now she will be participating as the first Hmong American to make it to the Olympic Games.
Kokona Hiraki & Sky Brown
Skateboarding is making its Olympic debut in Tokyo 2020, and three young girls are pushing the boundaries of the youngest Olympians. Kokona Hiraki will become Japan’s youngest Olympian at age 12, while Sky Brown will become her country’s youngest at age 13 from Britain. Rayssa Leal, from Brazil, 13, is also expected to make waves, as she’s ranked second in the Olympic street rankings.
Janja Garnbret and Tomoa Narasaki
Sport climbing is another sport to make its debut at Tokyo 2020, and Garnbret and Narasaki are the favorites to win gold in the women’s and men’s events, respectively. Garnbret hails from Slovenia, while Narasaki will represent the host country Japan.
