Naomi Osaka: Tennis, Japan - The pin-up home hope in Tokyo, the world No. 2 is known to wear her heart on her sleeve and often gets emotional on and off court. It will be fascinating to see how she carries the hopes of a nation.
Image Credit: Reuters
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Ariarne Titmus: Swimming, Australia - Titmus hit the headlines when she defeated the previously unbeaten queen of the pool Katie Ledecky in the 400m freestyle at the 2019 Fina World Championships. We will be in for some great battles as Titmus will go in the 400m, 200m and 800m freestyle and 800m relay.
Image Credit: AFP
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Jon Rahm: Golf, Spain - The US Open champion is in fine form and carries Spain’s hopes in a massively strong men’s golf field. He will be up against the likes of Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau — and that is just the Americans. World No. 1 Dustin Johnson elected to skip the event.
Image Credit: AFP
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Nelly Korda: Golf, USA - Just like in the men’s event, the ladies are out in force for the gold medal that carries just as much weight at the majors on the LPGA and LET tours, given they often live in the shadow of the men and this is their moment to shine. No. 1 Korda will have to fend off a whole host of superstars from across Asia, Europe and the US — including Danielle Kang, Lexi Thompson and her own sister Jessica Korda.
Image Credit: AFP
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Kevin Durant: Basketball, USA - There is no LeBron James, but Durant will ensure there is superstar status on the court with Team USA, as he chases his third gold, following success in London and Rio.
Image Credit: Instagram
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Novak Djokovic: Tennis, Serbia - The recently crowned Wimbledon champion is on course for a ‘Golden Slam’, where he aims to win all four majors in a calendar year as well as Olympic gold. On his formidable form — he already has the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon — he will take some stopping.
Image Credit: AFP
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Jessica Springsteen: Equestrian, USA - The daughter of rock legend Bruce Springsteen — who was a stand by for London 2012 — will be heading to Tokyo 2020 riding Don Juan van de Donkhoeve alongside Olympic medallists Kent Farrington (riding Gazelle), Laura Kraut (Baloutinue) and McLain Ward (Contagious).
Image Credit: AP
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Simone Biles: Gymnastics, USA - If there is one face that is synonymous with a sport it has to be Simone and gymnastics. The GOAT of the sport has had to wait a year to cement her place as one of the greatest athletes in any discipline due to coronavirus, but she will be a massive favourite to bag individual and overall gold on the mat and apparatus
Image Credit: AP
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Gabriel Medina: Surfing, Brazil - The 27-year-old has a double agenda as the No. 1 surfer wants to take the sport of surfing to the masses on its Olympic bow, while also taking home gold in the process.
Image Credit: AP
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Alex Morgan: Football, USA - The female American football team are looking to add gold to their World Cup, and striker Alex Morgan is determined to change a pattern. The US team that won the World Cup in 1999 and 2015 failed to follow up with Olympic success.
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Allyson Felix: Track and field, USA - Short-distance star of the track, Felix is looking for one more medal of any colour to become the most decorated female track-and-field athlete of all time.
Image Credit: AFP
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Hend Zaza: Table tennis, Syria - This 12-year-old has already broken records and boundaries just by reaching the Games. At just 12 years old, Zaza will be the youngest athlete at Tokyo and one of the youngest Olympians ever. Table tennis has no age restriction.
Image Credit: AFP
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Masahiro Tanaka: Baseball, Japan - Japan is baseball mad and their hopes may hinge on pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, who has enjoyed success with MLB giants the New York Yankees. He is eligible to compete as he has now left the MLB, which is refusing to release players for the Games.
Image Credit: USA TODAY Sports
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Katie Ledecky: Swimming, USA - Ledecky has expanded her already hectic schedule to include the new addition — the freestyle 1,500m, and is targeting a haul of medals to rival the great Michael Phelps.
Image Credit: AFP
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April Ross: Beach Volleyball, USA - Bronze in Rio with Kerri Walsh Jennings, silver in London with Jennifer Kessy, Ross has one more chance to take gold and complete the set. She is competing alongside Alix Klineman.
Image Credit: AFP
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Katinka Hosszu: Swimming, Hungary - Medley master over 200m and 400m, Hungarian veteran Hosszu, 32, will once again be the one to watch in the toughest event in the pool, where swimmers need to take on all four strokes — butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle.
Image Credit: Fina
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Kristof Milak: Swimming, Hungary - Staying in the pool, Milak smashed Phelps’ 200m butterfly world record in 2019 at the world championships. At the age of 21, he could be the next man to dominate the sport.
Image Credit: AFP
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Andre De Grasse: Track and field, Canada - An old head among the pretenders. With the likes of Usain Bolt et al retired, De Grasse is the only man competing over 100m and 200m that medalled at Rio five years ago.
Image Credit: Reuters
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Lisa Carrington: Canoeing, New Zealand - In a Simone Biles-style show of dominance, sprint kayaker Carrington already has two Olympic golds and has not lost over 200m in more than 10 years.
Image Credit: AFP
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Maria Lasitskene: Track and field, Russian Olympic Committee - With Russia banned, Lasitskene will be competing under the IOC flag for the ‘Russian Olympic Committee’, and looks like a shoo-in for more high jump glory, having dominated the sport since 2015. She is still hunting a first Olympic gold having missed out on Rio.
Image Credit: AFP
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Helen Glover: Rowing, Great Britain - One athlete who should not really be here. The COVID-19 postponement opened up a window of opportunity for the veteran rower as she was out of the sport last summer having just given birth to twins. Now, she is going for a third gold having been gifted an unlikely opportunity.
Image Credit: Reuters
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Saurabh Chaudhary: Shooting, India - Chaudhary is only 19 but is being touted as one of India’s best shouts for a medal in Japan, and became the nation’s youngest Asian Games gold medal winner in 2018. Goes in the 10m air pistol individual and team events.
Image Credit: AP
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Eliud Kipchoge: Marathon, Kenya - Regarded by many are the greatest marathon runner of all time, all eyes will be on the Kenyan as, now 36, he will have to fend off a host of younger athletes if he is to defend his crown from Rio.
Image Credit: AFP
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Yuto Horigome: Skateboarding, Japan - Another groundbreaker and home hope, Horigome has progressed through the ranks and is now second in world at the age of 22 for street skating. He could make a little bit of history with the first ever Olympic gold in the sport when it makes it bow in Tokyo.
Image Credit: AFP
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Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce: Track and field, Jamaica - She may be getting on a little at 34, but Fraser-Pryce is zoned in on gold, having only managed bronze in Rio. Ran the second fastest 100m of all time last month.
Image Credit: Reuters
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Shi Tingmao: Diving, China - China has such a strong diving team, they are expected to take home all eight golds on offer. Tingmao is the pick of the bunch after her two medals in Rio.
Image Credit: AP
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Wilfredo Leon: Volleyball, Poland - Leon single-handedly turned Poland into a volleyball superpower when he switched nationality from Cuba in 2015. Now the Poles have come from nowhere to be real medal contenders.
Image Credit: AFP
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Yukiko Ueno: Softball, Japan - Japan demanded softball return to the Olympic programme after it missed out in 2012 and 2016, and Ueno is determined to light up the diamond with her ferocious pitches.
Image Credit: AP
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Laura Kenny: Track cycling, Great Britain - Another Brit who benefited from the postponement of the Games last summer, Kenny has now recovered from a broken arm and is eager to add to her haul of four Olympic gold medals.
Image Credit: AFP
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Dina Asher-Smith: Track and field, Great Britain - In a discipline Team GB rarely excel in, Asher-Smith, the fastest British woman in history is in with a real shout as she has been going faster all year and seems to be peaking at the right time.
Image Credit: AFP
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