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Tokyo 2020: Meet champions in debut sports, world record breakers
Chen Rong

With the addition of the word "Together" to the motto "Faster, Higher, Stronger," the Olympics re-established itself this year as the world's top sporting event where athletes gather to compete and achieve new heights despite all odds. This sense of unity and togetherness was also demonstrated by the inclusion of five new sports in the Games program: skateboarding, karate, surfing, baseball/softball and sports climbing. And with new sports, come new champions. 

Winners in karate and baseball/softball at the Tokyo Olympics, held from July 23 to August 8, find themselves lucky as the sport will not be a part of Paris 2024.

Let's have a look at the champions who shall forever be remembered as the first ones to have won the medals at the Olympics in their respective categories, followed by the youngest and the eldest winners as well as those who made new world records.

Skateboarding

This composite photo shows Japanese skateboarder Yuto Horigome competing during the Tokyo Olympics men's street final at Ariake Urban Sports Park in Tokyo, Japan, July 25, 2021. /CFP

This composite photo shows Japanese skateboarder Yuto Horigome competing during the Tokyo Olympics men's street final at Ariake Urban Sports Park in Tokyo, Japan, July 25, 2021. /CFP

Momiji Nishiya of Japan celebrates after winning the Tokyo Olympics women's street final at Ariake Urban Sports Park in Tokyo, Japan, July 26, 2021. /CFP

Momiji Nishiya of Japan celebrates after winning the Tokyo Olympics women's street final at Ariake Urban Sports Park in Tokyo, Japan, July 26, 2021. /CFP

Sakura Yosozumi of Japan competes during the Tokyo Olympics women's park final at Ariake Urban Sports Park in Tokyo, Japan, August 4, 2021. /CFP

Sakura Yosozumi of Japan competes during the Tokyo Olympics women's park final at Ariake Urban Sports Park in Tokyo, Japan, August 4, 2021. /CFP

Keegan Palmer of Australia competes during the Tokyo Olympics men's park final at Ariake Urban Sports Park in Tokyo, Japan, August 5, 2021. /CFP

Keegan Palmer of Australia competes during the Tokyo Olympics men's park final at Ariake Urban Sports Park in Tokyo, Japan, August 5, 2021. /CFP

Japan's 22-year-old skateboarder Yuto Horigome claimed the first Olympic skateboarding gold medal in men's street final held in his hometown of Tokyo on July 25.

In the women's street final, Japan's 13-year-old Momiji Nishiya took the gold on July 26, making her the youngest Olympic champion in Japan and the first female skateboarding champion.

Japan's Sakura Yosozumi, aged 19, clinched the skateboarding women's park title on August 4.

Keegan Palmer of Australia, aged 18, crowned skateboarding men's park champion on August 5. 

Karate

Spain's Sandra Sanchez Jaime competes during the Tokyo Olympics karate women's kata final bout at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan, August 5, 2021. /CFP

Spain's Sandra Sanchez Jaime competes during the Tokyo Olympics karate women's kata final bout at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan, August 5, 2021. /CFP

Da Costa Steven (R) of France fights against Turkey's Eray Samdan during their Tokyo Olympics karate men's kumite 67kg final bout at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan, August 5, 2021. /CFP

Da Costa Steven (R) of France fights against Turkey's Eray Samdan during their Tokyo Olympics karate men's kumite 67kg final bout at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan, August 5, 2021. /CFP

Bulgaria's Ivet Goranova (L) and Ukraine's Anzhelika Terliuga fight during their Tokyo Olympics karate women's kumite 55kg final bout at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan, August 5, 2021. /CFP

Bulgaria's Ivet Goranova (L) and Ukraine's Anzhelika Terliuga fight during their Tokyo Olympics karate women's kumite 55kg final bout at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan, August 5, 2021. /CFP

China's Yin Xiaoyan (R) and Serbia's Jovana Prekovic compete during their Tokyo Olympics karate women's kumite 61kg final bout at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan, August 6, 2021. /CFP

China's Yin Xiaoyan (R) and Serbia's Jovana Prekovic compete during their Tokyo Olympics karate women's kumite 61kg final bout at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan, August 6, 2021. /CFP

Luigi Busa (L) of Italy and Rafael Aghayev of Azerbaijan compete during their Tokyo Olympics karate men's kumite 75kg final bout for karate at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan, August 6, 2021. /CFP

Luigi Busa (L) of Italy and Rafael Aghayev of Azerbaijan compete during their Tokyo Olympics karate men's kumite 75kg final bout for karate at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan, August 6, 2021. /CFP

Spain's Sandra Sanchez Jaime won karate's first ever gold medal after defeating Japan's Kiyou Shimizu during the women's kata final bout on August 5.

Da Costa Steven of France claimed the gold medal after defeating Turkey's Eray Samdan 5-0 in the karate men's kumite 67kg final bout on August 5.

Bulgaria's Ivet Goranova defeated Ukraine's Anzhelika Terliuga in a 5-1 victory to win the gold medal in the karate women's kumite 55kg final bout on August 5.

In the women's 61kg weight class, Serbia's Jovana Prekovic defeated China's Yin Xiaoyan to win the gold medal on August 6.

Italy's Luigi Busa defeated Azerbaijan's Rafael Aghayev to win the gold medal in the men's kumite 75kg category on August 6.

Baseball/softball

Players of Team Japan celebrate after defeating Team USA 2-0 to win the Tokyo Olympic softball final at Yokohama Baseball Stadium in Yokohama, Japan, July 27, 2021. /CFP

Players of Team Japan celebrate after defeating Team USA 2-0 to win the Tokyo Olympic softball final at Yokohama Baseball Stadium in Yokohama, Japan, July 27, 2021. /CFP

Players of Team Japan toss their manager Atsunori Inaba after defeating Team USA 2-0 to win the Tokyo Olympics baseball final at Yokohama Baseball Stadium in Yokohama, Japan, August 7, 2021. /CFP

Players of Team Japan toss their manager Atsunori Inaba after defeating Team USA 2-0 to win the Tokyo Olympics baseball final at Yokohama Baseball Stadium in Yokohama, Japan, August 7, 2021. /CFP

At the request of Japan as the host nation, men's baseball and women's softball returned to the Olympics for the first time in Tokyo since 2008 Beijing Games.

The sports have been dropped for the 2024 Paris Games but may return at 2028 Los Angeles and 2032 Brisbane.

As for the results, Team Japan defeated Team USA to claim the golds in both baseball and softball. 

Surfing

Italo Ferreira of Italy is chaired off the beach after winning the Tokyo Olympics men's surfing final at Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach in Ichinomiya, Japan, July 27, 2021. /CFP

Italo Ferreira of Italy is chaired off the beach after winning the Tokyo Olympics men's surfing final at Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach in Ichinomiya, Japan, July 27, 2021. /CFP

Carissa Moore of Team USA preforms on the wave during the Tokyo Olympics women's surfing final at Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach in Ichinomiya, Japan, July 27, 2021. /CFP

Carissa Moore of Team USA preforms on the wave during the Tokyo Olympics women's surfing final at Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach in Ichinomiya, Japan, July 27, 2021. /CFP

Brazil's Italo Ferreira, the reigning champion of the World Surf League, defeated Japan's Kanoa Igarashi to win the gold medal in men's surfing final on July 27.

American surfer Carissa Moore out-classed Bianca Buitendag of South Africa to win the women's surfing gold on July 27.

Sports climbing

A rainbow fills the sky as Brooke Raboutou (L) of the United States and Janja Garnbret of Slovenia rappel down during the speed portion of the women's sport climbing combined final at Aomi Urban Sports Park in Tokyo, Japan, August 6, 2021. /CFP

A rainbow fills the sky as Brooke Raboutou (L) of the United States and Janja Garnbret of Slovenia rappel down during the speed portion of the women's sport climbing combined final at Aomi Urban Sports Park in Tokyo, Japan, August 6, 2021. /CFP

Aleksandra Miroslaw of Poland competes during the Tokyo Olympics sports climbing women's combined final at Aomi Urban Sports Park in Tokyo, Japan, August 6, 2021. /CFP

Aleksandra Miroslaw of Poland competes during the Tokyo Olympics sports climbing women's combined final at Aomi Urban Sports Park in Tokyo, Japan, August 6, 2021. /CFP

Aleksandra Miroslaw of Poland broke the world record of women's speed climbing during the Tokyo Olympics sports climbing women's speed final on August 6.

The 27-year-old Polish speed climber ascended the 15-meter-high wall in 6.84 seconds, chopping 0.12 seconds off the previous mark set by Russian climber Iuliia Kaplina at the 2020 European Championships.

Youngest and eldest champions

Momiji Nishiya of Japan competes during the Tokyo Olympics women's street final at Ariake Urban Sports Park in Tokyo, Japan, July 26, 2021. /CFP

Momiji Nishiya of Japan competes during the Tokyo Olympics women's street final at Ariake Urban Sports Park in Tokyo, Japan, July 26, 2021. /CFP

Dorothee Schneider of Germany riding the horse competes during the Tokyo Olympics equestrian event in Tokyo, Japan, July 27, 2021. /CFP

Dorothee Schneider of Germany riding the horse competes during the Tokyo Olympics equestrian event in Tokyo, Japan, July 27, 2021. /CFP

At the Tokyo Olympics, Japanese skateboarder Momiji Nishiya became the youngest champion at the age of 13 while 52-year-old equestrian rider Dorothee Schneider was crowned as the eldest after winning the dressing team gold for Team Germany.

New world records:

Athletics

Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela celebrates after setting a new world record in the women's triple jump event during the Tokyo Olympics at Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, August 1, 2021. /CFP

Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela celebrates after setting a new world record in the women's triple jump event during the Tokyo Olympics at Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, August 1, 2021. /CFP

Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela competes during the Tokyo Olympics women's triple jump final at Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, August 1, 2021. /CFP

Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela competes during the Tokyo Olympics women's triple jump final at Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, August 1, 2021. /CFP

Karsten Warholm of Norway celebrates after setting a new world record during the Tokyo Olympics athletics men's 400 meters hurdles final at Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, August 3, 2021. /CFP

Karsten Warholm of Norway celebrates after setting a new world record during the Tokyo Olympics athletics men's 400 meters hurdles final at Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, August 3, 2021. /CFP

Karsten Warholm of Norway competes during the Tokyo Olympics athletics men's 400 meters hurdles final at Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, August 3, 2021. /CFP

Karsten Warholm of Norway competes during the Tokyo Olympics athletics men's 400 meters hurdles final at Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, August 3, 2021. /CFP

Sydney McLaughlin of Team USA celebrates in front of the scoreboard after breaking the world record in the women's 400 meters hurdles final at Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, August 4, 2021. /CFP

Sydney McLaughlin of Team USA celebrates in front of the scoreboard after breaking the world record in the women's 400 meters hurdles final at Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, August 4, 2021. /CFP

Sydney McLaughlin (C) of Team USA competes during the Tokyo Olympics women's 400 meters hurdles final at Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, August 4, 2021. /CFP

Sydney McLaughlin (C) of Team USA competes during the Tokyo Olympics women's 400 meters hurdles final at Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, August 4, 2021. /CFP

Venezuela's Yulimar Rojas, aged 25, jumped 15.67 meters in the women's triple jump final to clinch the gold medal on August 1.

The previous record of 15.50 meters was set by Ukraine's Inessa Kravets in 1995 in Sweden.

Karsten Warholm of Norway won the athletics men's 400 meters hurdles gold medal in a world record time of 45.94 seconds on August 3.

Sydney McLaughlin of Team USA smashed the world record with a time of 51.46 during the athletics women's 400 meters final on August 4.

Cycling

Chinese cyclists compete during the cycling track women's team sprint final at Izu Velodrome in Shizuoka, Japan, August 2, 2021. /CFP

Chinese cyclists compete during the cycling track women's team sprint final at Izu Velodrome in Shizuoka, Japan, August 2, 2021. /CFP

China's Bao Shanju (L) hugs teammate Zhong Tianshi on the podium after winning the cycling track women's team sprint final at Izu Velodrome in Shizuoka, Japan, August 2, 2021. /CFP

China's Bao Shanju (L) hugs teammate Zhong Tianshi on the podium after winning the cycling track women's team sprint final at Izu Velodrome in Shizuoka, Japan, August 2, 2021. /CFP

Cyclists of Team Germany compete during the women's team pursuit final at Izu Velodrome in Shizuoka, Japan, August 3, 2021. /CFP

Cyclists of Team Germany compete during the women's team pursuit final at Izu Velodrome in Shizuoka, Japan, August 3, 2021. /CFP

(L-R) Franziska Brausse, Lisa Brennauer, Lisa Klein and Mieke Kroeger of Team Germany celebrate on the podium after winning the cycling track women's team pursuit final at Izu Velodrome in Shizuoka, Japan, August 3, 2021. /CFP

(L-R) Franziska Brausse, Lisa Brennauer, Lisa Klein and Mieke Kroeger of Team Germany celebrate on the podium after winning the cycling track women's team pursuit final at Izu Velodrome in Shizuoka, Japan, August 3, 2021. /CFP

Cyclists of Team Italy celebrate on the podium after winning the Tokyo Olympics cycling track men's team pursuit final at Izu Velodrome in Shizuoka, Japan, August 4, 2021. /CFP

Cyclists of Team Italy celebrate on the podium after winning the Tokyo Olympics cycling track men's team pursuit final at Izu Velodrome in Shizuoka, Japan, August 4, 2021. /CFP

Team China's Bao Shanju and Zhong Tianshi cycled to victory with a gold medal during the women's team sprint final on August 2.

Previously in the first-round heats at the same day, they set both the world record and Olympic record with a time of 31.804.

In the women's team pursuit final on August 3, Team Germany won the gold medal and broke their own world record.

The Germany's time of 4:04.242, produced by the team's Franziska Brausse, Lisa Brennauer, Lisa Klein and Mieke Kroeger, was almost two seconds quicker than the world record they set in the heats (4:06.166).

In the men's team pursuit final on August 4, Team Italy updated the world record with a time of 3:42.032 they set in the previous heats (3:42.307) one day ago.

Rowing

Rowers of Team China celebrate after winning the Tokyo Olympics rowing women's quadruple sculls final at Sea Forest Waterway in Tokyo, Japan, July 28, 2021. /CFP

Rowers of Team China celebrate after winning the Tokyo Olympics rowing women's quadruple sculls final at Sea Forest Waterway in Tokyo, Japan, July 28, 2021. /CFP

Rowers of Team Netherlands celebrate after winning the Tokyo Olympics rowing men's quadruple sculls final at Sea Forest Waterway in Tokyo, Japan, July 28, 2021. /CFP

Rowers of Team Netherlands celebrate after winning the Tokyo Olympics rowing men's quadruple sculls final at Sea Forest Waterway in Tokyo, Japan, July 28, 2021. /CFP

Team Netherlands rowed to victory on July 28 and set a world record in men's quadruple sculls with a time of 5:32.03, smashing the previous mark of 5:32.26 set by Team Ukraine during the 2014 World Rowing Championship in Amsterdam.

Team China won the gold medal in rowing women's quadruple sculls final on July 28.

China's Chen Yunxia, Zhang Ling, Lyu Yang and Cui Xiaotong took the gold while setting a new world record of 6:05.13, surpassing the previous time of 6:06.84 set by Team Germany also during the Amsterdam race in 2014.

Also, several rowing world records were smashed during semifinals on July 28.

The world record of rowing women's pair was 6:47.41 created by Kerri Gowler and Grace Prendergast of Team New Zealand during the semifinal on July 28.

Team Ireland made history in rowing lightweight men's doubles sculls semifinal with a time of 6:05.33.

Italians set new world best time of 6:41.36 in lightweight women's double sculls.

Team Romania achieved the world best time of 5:52.99 during the rowing women's eight semifinal.

Shooting

Zhang Changhong of China holds his gold medal and flowers on the podium after winning the shooting 50-meter rifle three positions men's final at Asaka Shooting Range in Asaka, Japan, August 2. /CFP

Zhang Changhong of China holds his gold medal and flowers on the podium after winning the shooting 50-meter rifle three positions men's final at Asaka Shooting Range in Asaka, Japan, August 2. /CFP

Zhang Changhong of China celebrates after winning the shooting 50-meter rifle three positions men's final at Asaka Shooting Range in Asaka, Japan, August 2. /CFP

Zhang Changhong of China celebrates after winning the shooting 50-meter rifle three positions men's final at Asaka Shooting Range in Asaka, Japan, August 2. /CFP

China's Zhang Changhong smashed both the world record and Olympic record with a total of 466 points in shooting 50-meter rifle three positions men's final on August 2.

The previous world record of 465.3 points was set by China's Yang Haoran during the International Shooting Sports Federation World Cup in Munich, Germany in 2018.

Swimming

Swimmers of Team Australia celebrate on the podium after winning the Tokyo Olympics women's 4X100 meters freestyle relay final at Tokyo Aquatics Center in Tokyo, Japan, July 25, 2021. /CFP

Swimmers of Team Australia celebrate on the podium after winning the Tokyo Olympics women's 4X100 meters freestyle relay final at Tokyo Aquatics Center in Tokyo, Japan, July 25, 2021. /CFP

Swimmers of Team China celebrate after winning the women's 4X200 meters freestyle relay final at Tokyo Aquatics Center in Tokyo, Japan, July 29, 2021. /CFP

Swimmers of Team China celebrate after winning the women's 4X200 meters freestyle relay final at Tokyo Aquatics Center in Tokyo, Japan, July 29, 2021. /CFP

Tatjana Schoenmaker of South Africa celebrates after winning the Tokyo Olympics women's 200 meters breaststroke final at Tokyo Aquatics Center in Tokyo, Japan, July 30, 2021. /CFP

Tatjana Schoenmaker of South Africa celebrates after winning the Tokyo Olympics women's 200 meters breaststroke final at Tokyo Aquatics Center in Tokyo, Japan, July 30, 2021. /CFP

Caeleb Dressel of Team USA swims during the Tokyo Olympics men's 100 meters butterfly final at Tokyo Aquatics Center in Tokyo, Japan, July 31, 2021. /CFP

Caeleb Dressel of Team USA swims during the Tokyo Olympics men's 100 meters butterfly final at Tokyo Aquatics Center in Tokyo, Japan, July 31, 2021. /CFP

Team Australia made waves with world record of 3:29.69 in swimming women's 4X100 meters freestyle relay final on July 25.

The team of Bronte Campbell, her elder sister Cate, Emma McKeon and Meg Harris smashed the previous mark of 3:30.05 set by their compatriots during the Commonwealth Games in 2018.

In women's 4X200 meters freestyle relay final, swimmers of Team China had a brilliant performance after setting the new world record on July 29.

China's Yang Junxuan, Tang Muhan, Zhang Yufei and Li Bingjie swam to victory with a time of 7:40.33, surpassing the previous record of 7:41.50 set by Team Australia in 2019.

South African swimmer Tatjana Schoenmaker broke the women's 200 meters breaststroke world record with a time of 2:18.95 on July 30.

Caeleb Dressel of the United States updated his own world record of 49.50 seconds set in 2019 with the new world best time of 49.45 seconds in men's 100 meters butterfly final on July 31.

Dressel and his teammates set another world record with a time of 3:26.78 in men's 4X100 meters medley relay final on August 1.

Team Great Britain set the world record of 3:37.58 in mixed 4X100 meters medley relay final on July 31, edging Team China's mark of 3:38.41 set in 2020.

Weightlifting

Shi Zhiyong of China celebrates after winning the Tokyo Olympics weightlifting men's 73kg final in Tokyo, Japan, July 28, 2021. /CFP

Shi Zhiyong of China celebrates after winning the Tokyo Olympics weightlifting men's 73kg final in Tokyo, Japan, July 28, 2021. /CFP

Georgia's Lasha Talakhadze competes during the Tokyo Olympics weightlifting men's +109kg final in Tokyo, Japan, August 4, 2021. /CFP

Georgia's Lasha Talakhadze competes during the Tokyo Olympics weightlifting men's +109kg final in Tokyo, Japan, August 4, 2021. /CFP

China's Shi Zhiyong broke his own world record to win the weightlifting men's 73kg event on July 28. The 27-year-old lifted a combined 364kg to better his own world record of 363kg he set at the 2019 world championships.

Georgia's super weightlifter Lasha Talakhadze set a new world record after lifting a total of 488kg in the men's +109kg final on August 4.

(All data gathered from Olympics.com)

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