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Rio 2016 Olympic Games

The 2016 Summer Olympics, to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from August 5 to 21, 2016, will be the 31st Olympiad. It is the first time a South American city has hosted the world’s biggest multi-sport event. There will be 306 events in 28 sports. The opening and closing ceremonies will be held at the Maracana Stadium.

last updated:

9 September, 2024

Tonga flag bearer Pita Taufatofua poses with a volunteer and teammates during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. Photo: AP

Natural disasters

Tonga’s oiled-up Olympic flag bearer raises over US$340,000 in disaster aid

Pita Taufatofua created an online fundraiser for ‘those most in need’ the same day a massive volcanic eruption struck his small island nation.

20 Jan 2022 - 6:00AMvideocam

Former Chinese volleyball star Wei gifts Olympic gold medal to sports museum

1 Jan 2022 - 12:37PM

IOC

Chinese Olympic volleyball champion Liu Xiaotong retires

25 Nov 2021 - 2:03PM

2021 National Games of China

Rio 2016 race walk champ Liu retires after fourth in National Games

The 34-year-old retired to start a family after Olympic gold but returned to become 2019 world champion and win Tokyo 2020 bronze this summer.

24 Sep 2021 - 3:48PM

China's Liu Hong celebrates after taking the gold in the women's 20km race walk at the 2015 World Athletics Championships at the Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing. Liu has retired for the second time after finishing fourth at the 2021 China National Games. Photo: AP

CrossFit Games

CrossFit star Tia-Clair Toomey aiming for Beijing 2022 Olympics

Five-time CrossFit Games champion has her sights set on the two man bobsleigh for Australia and a place in the 2022 Winter Olympics.

18 Sep 2021 - 10:00PM

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Schooling’s career on hold as national service calls following poor Olympics

Singapore government, which offers deferment for ‘exceptional sportsmen’, says Schooling’s national service must begin now meaning he will could 2022 Asian Games.

17 Sep 2021 - 4:16PM

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

USA beats China to leave Olympic volleyball champs winless

Rio 2016 gold medal team slump to another 3-0 defeat thanks to Jordan Thompson’s 34 points.

27 Jul 2021 - 12:43PM

China’s Zhu Ting (left) spikes during the women's volleyball preliminary round match between China and the United States at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Photo: Xinhua

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Explainer | The greatest rivalries in Olympic Games history

The dirtiest race in history’ in 1988 saw Ben Johnson test positive for steroids while Carl Lewis was handed the gold, while Nadia Comaneci and Nellie Kim fought with grace in gymnastics.

9 Aug 2021 - 1:41PMvideocam

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Explainer | What happened to the stadiums and venues of past Olympic Games?

Many facilities built for the Olympics at great expense have been abandoned and left to rot but it’s not all bad news with several host cities having worked hard to ensure a positive post-Games legacy.

9 Jul 2021 - 1:21PMvideocam

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

No Tokyo Olympics for Fu Yuanhui, Ye Shiwen and Liu Xiang

Chinese Swimming Association announces final 30-strong squad for Olympic Games with stars of London 2012 and Rio 2016 missing out.

6 Jul 2021 - 4:03PM

China’s Fu Yuanhui with her bronze medal after the women’s 100m backstroke at the Rio Olympics in 2016. Photo: AFP

Sun Yang

Explainer | Sun Yang – why is China star banned from Tokyo Olympics?

Triple Olympic champion banned until May 2024 following contested doping test in September 2018 – a timeline of the many twists along the way.

23 Jun 2021 - 8:59PMvideocam

China’s Sun Yang with his gold medal after winning the 200m freestyle at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Photo: AFP

Angus Ng Ka-long

Hong Kong’s Ng celebrates Tokyo 2020 place – ‘just the start of the mission’

Badminton world No 8 expresses pride at qualifying for second Olympic Games in a post on social media but says hard work starts now

12 Jun 2021 - 3:45PMvideocam

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Viral star Fu ‘not going to Tokyo’ after missing China qualifiers

Reports say that Rio 2016 media darling will not be at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games after absence from qualifying event, and missing out in May after false start.

2 Jun 2021 - 12:27PM

Sun Yang

Tokyo 2020: Sun Yang CAS hearing to be held in private

‘The CAS will announce the final decision once it is ready,’ says letter published by Chinese media.

18 May 2021 - 10:27PM

China’s swimming star Sun Yang at his public hearing before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in November 2019. Photo: AFP

Son Heung-min

Will Son Heung-min go to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics?

Tottenham star is one of 11 overage players included on South Korea’s 50-player longlist for Summer Games, says coach Kim, but Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifiers among complicating factors.

16 May 2021 - 12:41PM

Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min celebrates after scoring in the English Premier League against Manchester City in November, 2020. Photo: AP

Sun Yang

Sun Yang right to feel unfairly treated, anti-doping expert says

University of Canberra assistant professor Catherine Ordway says anyone in the Chinese swimmer’s shoes would feel the process was working against them.

7 May 2021 - 10:32PMvideocam

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Faster, Higher, Stronger | Women pulling their weight for Chinese sport ahead of Tokyo 2020

Women’s teams have qualified for Tokyo 2020 where men’s teams have struggled and social media users have asked why.

3 May 2021 - 4:00PM

Sun Yang

Sun Yang not at China Nationals but could still swim at Tokyo 2020

Star swimmer had been reported to return to the pool in Qingdao but was left off the official list.

1 May 2021 - 4:18PM

China's Sun Yang poses with his gold medal on the podium after he won the men's 200m freestyle final at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Photo: AFP

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

China’s women avoid USA in Tokyo 2020 football draw

Steel Roses avoid world No 1 USWNT, Great Britain and Sweden in draw that sees them face lowest possible ranked teams.

21 Apr 2021 - 5:41PM

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Netizens ask why China’s women are better than men

Hashtag has had more than 100 million reads on Weibo after women’s football team qualified for Tokyo 2020 as fans ask why men’s teams have failed.

16 Apr 2021 - 3:51PM

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

In 2021, China’s women will lead its sporting success

Volleyball team led by star Zhu Ting and coach Lang Ping lead medal charge at delayed Summer Olympics while others hope to make history like tennis hall of famer Li Na.

18 Apr 2022 - 5:23PMvideocam

UFC women's strawweight champion Zhang Weili of China punches former champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk of Poland at UFC 248 in March, 2020. Photo: AP

CrossFit Games

CrossFit star Tia-Clair Toomey proves instant hit in bobsleigh

Australian CrossFit Games champion Toomey also appears in a Super Bowl ad with fellow CrossFitter Josh Bridges.

10 Feb 2021 - 5:24PMvideocam

Tia-Clair Toomey won her first bobsleigh competition and also appeared in a Super Bowl ad. Photo: CrossFit Games

Sun Yang

Is Sun Yang really one of ‘world’s most hated athletes’?

Spanish newspaper Marca includes China’s controversial star swimmer alongside Nick Kyrgios, Neymar Jnr, Diego Costa and Floyd Mayweather Jnr.

31 Jan 2021 - 1:43PMvideocam

Sporting year in review 2020

Olympics-qualified Hong Kong athletes share Covid-19 coping mechanisms

Tokyo-bound Jessica Lee Hoi-yan, Michael Cheng Chun-leung, Grace Lau Mo-sheung, Thomas Heffernan Ho and Vivian Kong Man-wai reflect on athlete life in pandemic.

30 Dec 2020 - 3:00PM

Sun Yang

Editorial | A test of fair play in the sporting arena

The banning of Chinese swimming superstar Sun Yang, accused of being a drug cheat, misses the point that there are two sides to every story, so a rehearing of his case is justified.

29 Dec 2020 - 10:22PM

Sun Yang before a public hearing before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in November 2019. Photo: AFP

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Win for China’s Sun Yang as Swiss court overturns doping ban

The Swiss court ruling appears to have swung on an objection by Sun’s lawyers to the chairman of the three-judge panel, former Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini.

24 Dec 2020 - 1:58PM

China’s Sun Yang celebrates winning the men's 200m freestyle during at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Photo: AP

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Opinion | Banned but not barred: Russia off the hook again

The Russian ban is just another that’s not worth the paper it’s printed on – ‘the maximum sanction they get is to be rebranded as neutral athletes from Russia’.

19 Dec 2020 - 11:11PM

Sun Yang

Sun Yang snubbed in best Zhejiang athlete award for ‘obvious reasons’

Sun’s two world championships gold medals in 2019 not enough to beat Xu’s single gold, with the swimmer still trying to overturn an eight-year ban for a doping offence.

6 Nov 2020 - 10:46PM

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