The flame for the 3rd Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Lausanne, Switzerland, was lit today in the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, Greece. This marks one of the most symbolic milestones in the lead-up to next year’s Winter YOG, which kick off on 9 January 2020 in the Olympic Capital.

From being unbeatable when three months pregnant, to highlighting her background as a ballerina and embracing the moment she was overtaken as the world’s most decorated Olympian, octogenarian gymnast Larisa Latynina is loving life and delighted to share her story with a whole new generation of Olympic fans.

Over the course of a stellar career that spanned 20 years and took in both his native Japan and the United States, two-time Olympian Koji Uehara won just about every title there is to win. But, with his sport back on the Olympic programme at Tokyo 2020, Uehara has just one regret...

Japanese wrestler Kaori Icho is the only woman to have won four consecutive individual Olympic gold medals in the same discipline. A superstar in Japan, she remains undefeated at the Games since women’s freestyle wrestling was included on the programme at Athens 2004, and she intends to continue this run by doing everything she can to rise to challenge number five: victory on home soil at the Tokyo Games!

Born in August 1996, a few days after the Closing Ceremony of the Atlanta Games, American Caeleb Dressel seems poised for Olympic glory in Tokyo in 2020. At the Gwangju World Championships in Korea, he once again demonstrated the extent of his talent by winning six gold medals. He has undoubtedly become the swimming world’s new leading talent.

Eighteen-year-old Australian Ariarne Titmus left her mark on the 2019 World Aquatics Championships in Gwangju by dethroning the queen of the pool, Katie Ledecky, in the 400m event. The American had remained undefeated in this distance since the Olympic Games London 2012. Rematch will be the name of the game at Tokyo 2020.

Tokyo Bay looked majestic –– but it was the sport that provided the most breathtaking scenes during the Tokyo 2020 test event.

Eleven years ago, on 20 August 2008, Usain Bolt became a two-time Olympic champion in the 100m and 200m, setting two world records in the process. He achieved this feat twice, with victories for Jamaica in the 4x100m relay, bringing his total to eight gold medals, an all-time record in sprinting. Today, hopefuls are preparing themselves and queuing up to follow in his footsteps in the 100m and 200m races at Tokyo 2020.