The Tokyo 2020 Olympics are finally on. This is the fourth time in history that the Olympics have not been held every four years. Previously they were not held in 1916 due to World War I, in 1940, and in 1944 due to World War II. Read along and check out some interesting stats as the Tokyo Olympics kicks off.
How many countries are competing in Tokyo 2020 Olympics?
This time around, athletes from 206 countries from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are taking part in the games. It also includes Nauru, the smallest country in the world (by population) to take part in the Olympics. However, Nauru is yet to win a medal and, has only competed in Judo and Weighlifting. Moreover, Nauru is not the only one to not win medals. Bangladesh, despite being the eighth-most populous country in the world has never won a medal. Additionally, there are 72 other countries including Nepal, Cambodia, and Yemen that are yet to win a medal. Perhaps these countries will make history in the 2021 games.
Tokyo 2020: 206 countries and over 11k athletes
This time, the Tokyo Olympics is expected to house a large number of 11,091 athletes. They are divided across 339 events and 41 sports.
Olympic Games: Most and least participated countries
Since the official start of the Olympic games, only five countries have participated in every summer Olympics to be held. They are France, Australia, Greece, Switzerland, and Great Britain. However, Monaco has participated the most number of times (20) without winning a single medal. Kosovo and South Sudan have appeared in the games the least number of times – just one! After all, these countries have not existed for a long time. Hence 2016, was the first time they made the big games.
Who will host the next Olympics?
The next Olympics are not far away. Beijing will host the 2022 winter Olympics. Additionally, the 2024 summer Olympic Games will be held in Paris. Further mode, the 2026 winter Olympics will be held in Milan Cortina. The 2028 and 2032 Summer Olympics are set to be held in Los Angeles and Brisbane respectively.
