Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Opens; First Barbell Drops Saturday
Fireworks illuminate the sky above Tokyo’s National Stadium at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 (Photo: Stephen Galvan/IWF)
The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 opened Friday with a spectacular show at Tokyo’s National Stadium featuring the Parade of Nations, cultural presentations, traditional speeches. It culminated with tennis star Naomi OSAKA lighting the Olympic Cauldron.
MIYAKE Yoshinobu, a two-time Olympic Champion (1964, 1968) and Olympic Silver Medalist (1960), and known to be one of Japan’s best weightlifting athletes, helped carry the host nation’s national flag into the Olympic Stadium at the beginning of the ceremony.
Later in the Parade of Nations, 2016 Olympic Champion and 4-time World Champion Lasha TALAKHADZE carried the flag of his home nation of Georgia.
Weightlifting athlete, Cyrille Fagat TCHATCHET II, representing the Refugee Olympic Team, carried the Olympic Flag into the stadium during Friday’s Opening Ceremony.
The Weightlifting competition begins Saturday at the Tokyo International Forum with the women’s 49kg bodyweight category.
One-hundred-ninety-six athletes from 76 National Olympic Committees and one athlete from the Refugee Olympic Team will battle for Olympic glory over ten days of competition.
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