Tokyo 2020 Olympic Mascots: Meet Miraitowa and Someity
Mascots are used to welcome visitors to a sporting event and to enhance the excitement of children and adult fans alike. They make the games memorable, even long after they have concluded. The Olympics are no different, and they too have official mascots. Meet Miraitowa and Someity, the mascots for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
Miraitowa and Someity, this year’s mascots, are meant to be embodiments of both Japanese culture and the spirit of the Olympic and Paralympic games. Both characters have an anime style and are extremely athletic – they participate in every event, from basketball and tennis to archery, kayaking, and horseback riding. The two are friends. They live in a digital world but can transfer themselves to the real world via the internet.
GB Climbing in Hachioji: first step to Tokyo 2020
Six of our GB Climbing athletes are in Hachioji ready to see if they've got what it takes to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. This week not only marks the start of the IFSC Climbing World Championships Hachioji 2019 but also the first official Olympic Qualifying Event in the history of Sport Climbing! Find out who will be representing us and how to watch all the action here:
It's a historic week for Sport Climbing as the first stage of selection for the Olympic Games is primed to kick-off next week. Six members of GB Climbing are out in Tokyo to compete in the 2019 IFSC World Championships targeting glory in individual events as well as securing a place at the Olympic Games where Sport Climbing will make its debut at Tokyo 2020.
The World Championships, an 11-day celebration of Sport Climbing taking place 11-21 August in Hachioji, Japan is a packed programme covering the individual disciplines of bouldering, lead and speed which climaxes with the historic Combined Olympic Selection event.
In the much-anticipated Combined event, the best 20 climbers out of the more than 170 athletes competing in the individual bouldering, lead and speed events will take to the stage to battle it out across all the disciplines once again over the final three days of the World Championships. The seven best athletes per gender, with a maximum of two per country, will qualify to represent their nations at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games where Sport Climbing will make its historic debut.
GB Climbing fans have much to look forward to over the event as they'll have the chance to cheer on six of our GB Climbing athletes as they gun for glory across all the individual disciplines, and fans will see history made in the Combined event where for the first time ever climbers will have the chance to qualify and climb in the Olympic Games.
Shauna Coxsey, Will Bosi and Billy Ridal are all aiming to make the cut for the combined event at the end of the programme and challenge for one of the seven Olympic spots up for grabs in the women's and men's side of the competition.
Both Coxsey, 26 from Runcorn and Bosi, 21 from Edinburgh will be buoyed by performances across all three disciplines during the 2019 season which sees them sit in 11th and 6th in the overall combined rankings currently which guarantees them a place at the second Olympic selection event at the end of November in Toulouse but will be hoping to secure a place at Tokyo 2020 at the first time of asking in Hachioji. Ridal, 22 from Selston, missed out on the Lead and Speed rounds earlier this year but will be seeking to draw upon his experience at the previous World Championships in Innsbruck last year where he competed across all three disciplines.
All athletes seeking Olympic qualification in Hachioji face the daunting challenge of competing in each Individual discipline as well as the Combined event which means that those who reach the Combined final could be competing up to seven days out of the eleven day programme.
In the individual disciplines, two-time British Bouldering Champion Nathan Phillips will be hoping to better his stunning performance at the World Championships in Innsbruck last year where he made finals in Bouldering and finished 6th. Molly Thompson-Smith will be challenging for a podium place in Lead climbing and will be boosted by a strong display in Chamonix in July where she made finals and finished sixth. Hachioji will be the first World Championships for Jo Neame in her first full year as a senior team member and will be looking to gain valuable experience at competing on the global stage.
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Cycling Road
Tokyo?2020 competition animation "One Minute, One Sport"
We will show you the rules and highlights of cycling in one minute. Whether you are familiar with cycling or want to know more about it, "One Minute, One Sport" explains the sport and how it works. Watch the video below.
2020 OLYMPIC OPEN WATER QUALIFYING EVENT WILL BE IN FUKUOKA, JAPAN
The 2020 Olympic Marathon (Open Water) Swimming Qualifying event will take place in Fukuoka, Japan, as awarded at the latest meeting of the FINA Bureau.
FINA announced the news in a press release this week. The Bureau awarded a number of events, most of them in water polo, artistic swimming (formerly synchronized swimming) and diving:
Private English Scuba Diving Tour in the Blue Cave
Always wanted to try diving? This is your chance! Learn the basics of scuba diving in the magical Blue Cave, and enjoy the sea life and ocean scenery.
Thrilling Snow Drifting and Winter Driving Experience in Hokkaido
Shift your gears and put your driving skills into action! Feel the rush as you handle your car through thrilling skids and turns on the snowy roads. With expert assistance, learn how to safely drift in the snowy conditions right outside of Sapporo!