Tokyo Games could be ‘greatest ever’, says IOC’s Coates

The captivating traditional wrestling championship in Niger is an annual event. The west African nation's "king sport" is about much more than just a good fight.

COVID-19 concerns mean North Korea will not participare at the Tokyo Olympic Games later this year.

North Korean officials said they decided against participating "to protect players from the world public health crisis caused by COVID-19." It's the first country to drop out of the games over virus concerns.

He may not be headed to Tokyo this summer, but French B-Boy Mounir is gearing up for the 2024 Paris Games, where breakdancing will make its debut. It's a welcome announcement, one that will "put the spotlight on the sport to open it to a wider audience" and "make it easier to get grants". "I think it's a great thing for breakdancing," Mounir explains. But for him, breakdancing is much more than just a sport. "It's become such an integral part of our culture... it's a lifestyle."

Tokyo 2020 president Seiko Hashimoto says the committee is not considering cancelling the Olympics despite the announcement that Japan has imposed a state of emergency in the capital due to rising cases of Covid-19. Tokyo and three other regions will introduce tough measures amid a recent uptick in cases that has officials and medical professionals worried.

World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe says he believes the coronavirus-postponed Tokyo Olympics can be "a beacon of hope and optimism", despite infections surging in Japan and other countries.

Raised in Philadelphia, the hometown of famous Hollywood character Rocky Balboa, Nalek Korbaj hopes to honour Venezuela's Olympic boxing tradition at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

The double Olympic champion is banned from competing at her preferred 800-meter distance due to high testosterone levels. Semenya has switched to 5,000 meters but failed to meet the qualifying time at a race in Durban.

With Tokyo still under a state of emergency, opposition to hosting the games is growing. On Wednesday, a top health adviser said it was "not normal" to host them.

The Tokyo Olympics organizing committee has rejected the notion of canceling or postponing the Games while President Joe Biden is offering Americans free beer to get vaccinated. Follow DW for the latest.

Overseas journalists covering the Tokyo Olympics will have their movements tracked by GPS, the Games president says, and could have their passes revoked if they break the rules. Organisers of the pandemic-postponed 2020 Games, which open in just over six weeks, are trying to reassure a sceptical public that the mega-event can be held safely under strict virus rules.

The 23-year-old tennis champion is skipping the Grand Slam event to spend time with her family and friends. Fans have praised her for advocating for mental health at work.