Year Ender 2021: Tokyo Olympics Highlight an Eventful Year of Sports That Saw Athletes Come 'Together' for Greater Cause
The year 2021 was a year to remember for many reasons, both good and bad. We saw some heart-warming instances of sportsmanship and also some unfortunate incidents that brought disrepute to sports.
The year 2021 really was one of a kind. After a catastrophic 2020 that saw most of the sporting events get cancelled, this year brought hope back, as the soul of every sport, fans slowly started to return to the stadium. While it primarily had a positive impact, a few incidents brought shame to the faithful. Almost all major sports had something or the other planned this year; from the delayed European Championship to the grandest stage of world sport, Olympics all were rescheduled this year.
Since there was an Olympic Games this year, until that event took place, it was mainly about Tokyo 2020. However, it was not smooth sailing for organisers and the International Olympic Committee. Even a week before the quadrennial games, there were uncertainties with a fresh outbreak of covid in the host country, Japan.
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This year also acknowledged the unifying power of sport and the importance of solidarity, which brought in a change in the Olympic motto itself. The word “together" after an en dash to “Faster, Higher, Stronger" was added. The new Olympic motto now reads in Latin “Citius, Altius, Fortius – Communiter" and “Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together" in English.
2021 was also the year when the European Championship, one of the major football tournaments, took place, and for the first time in history, it was a multi-nation affair with as many as 11 host cities for the tournament. It was also the first time in history that Euro was held in an odd year.
As this year of ‘hope’ draws close, let us go through some of the most talked-about events of the year 2021:
SEASON OF MANY FIRSTS FOR INDIA
For us Indians, this year belonged to Neeraj Chopra as he won independent India’s first-ever athletics gold in an Olympic game. However, it was not only Neeraj that brought laurels for the country of billions. Mirabai Chanu won India’s first medal at Tokyo 2020, a silver in weightlifting. Lovlina Bogohain won bronze in boxing, PV Sindhu became India’s first female double Olympic medallist. Wrestlers Ravi Dahiya and Bajrang Punia won silver and bronze, respectively. Last but not least, the Indian men’s hockey team won its first medal in 41 years.
There were other star performers as well who just missed out on a medal opportunity. Aditi Ashok in golf, Kamalpreet Kaur in the discus throw, the Indian women’s hockey team reached their maiden Olympic semifinal and wrestler Sonam Malik, who missed out on a bronze by a whisker.
PARA-ATHLETES RAIN MEDALS
The likes of Neeraj Chopra and PV Sindhu set the mood in Tokyo, and it was carried forward by our para-athletes. India sent its biggest contingent to Tokyo, and they came back with India’s biggest medal haul, 19. Avani Lekhara, Pramod Bhagat, Suhas LY, and others have since become household names in this country. The medal haul included five gold medals, eight silver and six bronze. Shooter Avani Lekhara herself won gold and a bronze in Tokyo.
CAN WE HAVE TWO GOLDS?
High jumpers Mutaz Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi of Qatar and Italy agreed to share the men’s high jump gold medal rather than a jump-off. Barshim asked an official, ‘Can we have two golds?’. The official agreed, and Tamberi leapt into the arms of Barshim in pure joy, and their celebration went viral.
SIMONE BILES PRIORITISES MENTAL HEALTH
Simone Biles had the chance of cementing the GOAT debate in Tokyo, but the American superstar chose her mental health over medals. She withdrew from the team, all-around, and two of the three days of apparatus finals to deal with ‘twisties.’ Gymnasts have described the twisties as a kind of mental block.
‘STRONGER TOGETHER’ — SPORTS FOR ALL
This year’s Tokyo Olympics also saw sports become available for all as the LGBTQ movement took centre stage, allowing athletes to express themselves. Laurel Hubbard became the first transgender athlete to participate in Summer Games, and others like Tom Daley, Quinn, Raven Saunders broke through barriers, thereby opening the gates for LGBTQ athletes for future events.
SUPERMOM ALLYSON FELIX
One of the greatest sprinters of all time, Allyson Felix brought down curtains to her career in style at the Tokyo Games by winning the gold medal in the final race of her career. The 35-year-old sprinter thereby leaves the stage, having won the most medals of any track athlete in US history, 11 medals, one better than Carl Lewis, and the most decorated female track and field Olympian in history.
EMMA MCKEON ON CLOUD 7
Australian swimmer had an Olympics to remember this year. She won seven medals, making her the first female swimmer to win seven medals at one Games. In this process, she also became the most decorated athlete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
SIMON KJAER: CAPTAIN, LEADER, LIFE SAVER
The Euro 2020 would have been remembered differently if Simon Kjaer and match officials were quick on their feet to save the life of Denmark’s Christian Eriksen, who suffered a cardiac arrest during the opening match of the tournament. Kjaer was first to give emergency treatment on the field and then showed “exceptional leadership qualities" as he formed Eriksen’s teammates into a circle around him as the medical team worked to save the player’s life.
CHIELLINI AND AZZURIS’ ITALIAN JOB IN LONDON
Sticking to the Euros, England and Italy started the tournament as favourites to lift the deferred European Championship. Euro 2020 became all about the Three Lions and their chant ‘It’s Coming Home as England progressed. However, a penalty shootout loss in the summit clash meant the trophy went to Rome as Italy emerged champions and remained unbeaten in the tournament. But the spectacle inside was marred by what happened outside Wembley. Angry English fans burnt the Italian flag and hurled racist comments at black English footballers for missing penalties.
LIONEL MESSI BREAKS INTERNATIONAL DUCK
Since Cristiano Ronaldo won the European Championship in 2016; his fans had the upper hand in the GOAT debate. Not anymore. On 10th July 2021, Lionel Messi won his first international trophy with Argentina when they beat hosts Brazil 1-0 in the Copa America final. This was also La Albiceleste’s record-equalising 15th Copa America title.
LEO IN SEVENTH HEAVEN
The Copa America title with Argentina and Copa Del Rey title with Barcelona propelled Lionel Messi’ chance of winning an unprecedented seventh Ballon d’Or title, two more than rival Cristiano Ronaldo. However, it was not taken well among the football community as many thought Robert Lewandowski was robbed of the honour, something Ronaldo agreed with, ‘Factos.’
ZVEREV, MEDVEDEV SPOILS NOVAK DJOKOVIC’S PARTY
This year was playing out to be Novak Djokovic’s year as he went on a rampage to win the first three Grand Slams of the year to come on level terms with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal with 20 Grand Slam titles to his name. He was on course for a Golden Slam, which would have been the first in men’s tennis. However, Alexander Zverev caused an upset of seismic proportions by coming back from a set and a break down to stun Novak Djokovic in the Olympics semis. Daniil Medvedev, another young gun, beat Djokovic in straight sets in the US Open finals almost two months later.
TWO GOLDEN SLAMS IN ONE DAY
Novak Djokovic’s missed Golden Slam hogged all the limelight, but there were two tennis players who achieved this epic feat in one day, hours apart. Australia’s Dylan Alcott and the Netherlands’ Diede De Groot won the Golden Slam in the Quad men’s singles and the women’s singles wheelchair event, respectively, to make history.
EMMA RADUCANU WINS BATTLE OF NEWBIES
This year, Emma Raducanu etched her name in the tennis history books as she became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam in the Open Era. Not only that, she became the first British woman to win a Slam in 44 years and the youngest since Maria Sharapova.
KIDAMBI SRIKANTH’S HISTORIC SILVER
Kidambi Srikanth became the first male Indian shuttler to win a silver medal at the prestigious BWF World Championships. The 28-year-old Srikanth thus bettered the feats of legendary Prakash Padukone (bronze in 1983), B Sai Praneeth (bronze in 2019) and Lakshya Sen (bronze in this edition), whom he had beaten in the semifinals on Saturday.
The maiden silver also placed Srikanth alongside P V Sindhu and Saina Nehwal, who had finished runner-up in the past.
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