Today's Crossword: Spot the six new events in the Olympics line-up!
We find new, unusual sports making their debut at the Olympics, in our Crossword
When I think of Olympic sports, there are a few classic ones that come to mind, like track or swimming. But this year, Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics has added six new events to its roster that are as diverse as the ages of people participating in them!
Click start to play today’s Crossword, the next in our Olympics series. Can you name all the events? Don’t forget to check out our special coverage of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics.
Skateboarding made its debut this year with two types of events: park and street competitions. It is one of the most diverse sports at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, since it features a 46-year-old – Danish competitor Rune Glifberg – and a 13-year-old – the UK’s Sky Brown. The women’s event has even younger skaters – Kokona Hiraki of Japan is just 12!
But the addition of the sport to the Olympics has not been met with overwhelming approval from the skateboarding community. Since its creation, skateboarding has been known for its countercultural reputation and as a mode of self-expression, so some people find that placing score values on tricks contradicts the spirit of the sport.
Another event that was added to the Olympics involves a centuries-old form of martial art. Karate originated in the Olympics’ host country – in the Ryukyu kingdom on the Japanese island of Okinawa in the 16th century. It was born when a ban on weapons by the samurai compelled people to learn to fight using just their hands. Karate, which translates to “empty hands”, now joins judo, wrestling and taekwondo at the Olympics.
A third event that some consider to be the most difficult to execute and judge this year, is surfing. Weather conditions for the event, along with the wind and tides, have to be just right so that 20 men and 20 women can battle for Olympic gold. Scoring is subjective in this event because surfers cannot possibly ride the same wave. Grades are provided on the degree of difficulty, execution of moves, speed, variety, and other values.
There are three more sports that are making their debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Name them all in today’s Crossword and let us know if you enjoyed it at games@gulfnews.com.