Two years after skiing on snow for the first time, Brazil’s Taynara da Silva still feels the jitters before a descent.

Four athletes will fly Mongolia’s flag when the cross-country skiing competition begins on Saturday.

Under a magnificent blue autumn sky, the Opening Ceremony of the Games of the XVIII Olympiad was filled with exciting moments, in particular when Japanese athlete Yoshinori Sakai, born on 6 August 1945 and nicknamed “Hiroshima Baby”, lit the Olympic cauldron in a symbolic gesture of peace and hope. At the end of the Ceremony, Japanese jet planes formed the Olympic rings in the sky.   

Ahead of the World Judo Championships in Tokyo, olympic.org highlights some of the judoka who have made a big impact on the global stage since their breakthrough performances at the Youth Olympic Games

Skiing or snowboarding, and, more generally, discovering the joys of activities practised on snow, breathing in the fresh mountain air, and having fun with the family with specialist supervision – that is what is the International Ski Federation (FIS) advocates every year for World Snow Day. This year, it was held on 20 January across the planet.

Basketball 3x3 proved a big hit at Buenos Aires 2018, giving a taste of the excitement it is sure to generate when it makes its full Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020. Argentina’s men’s team had the home flags waving when they won gold, while the USA swept all before them in the women’s competition.

The universality of judo was very much a reality in Buenos Aires, with podium finishes for numerous nations, for men and women alike. The competitions ended with an innovative international mixed team event, which was marked by the Olympic spirit of friendship, excellence and respect.