With the Tokyo Olympics scheduled to start on July 23, the people putting together new competitions to ignite the world's imagination, while also trying to ensure safety in the middle of a pandemic, may be this summer's real heroes.
The coronavirus, which forced an unprecedented one-year postponement, has made these Olympics like no other. But even before the pandemic, Tokyo's games were going to be different thanks to the International Olympic Committee allowing the host to add sports of its choosing.
It was no surprise Japan picked three sports — baseball, softball and karate — in which it could expect medals. But organizers also opened the door to skateboarding, surfing and sport climbing with the aim of drawing new audiences to the games when they open in July.