Not only does Asif Sultani have an extraordinary tale to tell, recounting his harrowing journey from Afghanistan to Australia via Iran, but the karateka is also ready to pass on the secrets of his sporting success and inner calm to anyone who wants to listen.

In 2016, Henri Schoeman became the first South African to win an Olympic triathlon medal. Four years on, his preparations for Tokyo 2020 may have taken a hit but, after his own brush with a different strain of coronavirus at the tail end of last year, the Rio 2016 bronze medallist has embraced lockdown with enthusiasm.

Amir Al-Awad, an 18-time Syrian champion, had consigned wrestling to the past when he and his family were forced to flee their country in fear in 2011. But, after being inspired by the chance to show his fellow refugees that anything is possible, he returned to the sport he loves and is now targeting a place at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. 

The postponement of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 gives some of the stars of the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Buenos Aires 2018 an extra year to prepare for their Olympic debut. Here, we highlight some of those promising young athletes who could shine in Tokyo.

In 124 years, from their revival by Pierre de Coubertin until this week’s decision to postpone the Olympic Games in Tokyo from 2020 to 2021, the Olympic Games had never been postponed. But the 20th century’s two world wars led several editions to be cancelled. Let’s take a look at the Games that were caught in the upheavals of modern history.

Imoto Naoko was part of the Japan swimming team at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games, where she finished fourth in the 4x200 freestyle relay. Whilst that was certainly a fond memory for her, ever since, the 43-year-old former Olympic swimmer has devoted her life to helping others.

At the age of just 20, Sweden’s Hanna Öberg shocked the biathlon world by winning Olympic gold at PyeongChang 2018 without missing a single shot. She says her singular focus and ability to stay calm under pressure will be key in her pursuit of even greater success.

Olympic.org picks out some of the most impressive performances from former Youth Olympic Games (YOG) athletes in recent weeks, as the YOG continue to provide a springboard to the global sporting stage.

Big air skiing made its Olympic debut at the Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Lausanne 2020, and will be added to slopestyle as an acrobatic freestyle ski discipline at Beijing in 2022. As has been the case with snowboarding since 2018, this event will be an additional medal opportunity for the slopestyle competitors. Overview with 18-year-old French athlete Tess Ledeux, World Slopestyle Champion in 2017, World Big Air Champion in 2019 and Big Air gold medallist at the X-Games in Aspen in January 2020.