In numbers: A look back at key figures from the Tokyo Olympics
The 16-day Games were held under unprecedented circumstances but still yielded 17 world records.
The 16-day Tokyo Olympics came to a close on Sunday, capping a Games sure to be remembered for the unprecedented circumstances under which they were held, as well as the achievements of the world’s athletes.
Held under strict coronavirus restrictions, there were virtually no in-person spectators for any events.
Athletes, support teams, press and a skeleton staff were subject to strict controls.
Some top athletes saw their medal prospects shift in real time, as infections upended a handful of events before competition even began.
Here are some key statistics from the Tokyo Olympics.
17 world records
Disruptions to training caused by the pandemic did not dampen the intensity of competition, with 17 world records smashed across sports.
In rowing, which labels its marks differently due to variations in course conditions, five new world bests were recorded.
Three world records fell in athletics, three more fell at the velodrome, while six world-record times came in the pool.
Shooting and Olympic debutante, climbing, saw one world record apiece fall.
Georgian weightlifter Lasha Talakhadze earned three world records in one event, breaking the mark for the men’s 109kg snatch, clean and jerk, and total lift.
Dressel bags five gold medals
Swimmers again had the biggest medal haul in the 2020 Games.
The US’s Caeleb Dressel, a freestyle and butterfly specialist, led with five golds.
Australian sisters Emma McKeon and Kaylee McKeown were the second- and third-most decorated, with Emma winning four golds and three bronzes and Kaylee winning three golds and a bronze.
113 medals
The US topped the medal count for the sixth time in the last seven Olympics, winning 39 golds, 41 silvers, and 33 bronze for a total of 113 medals.
China came in second with 38 golds, 32 silvers and 18 bronze for a total of 88 medals.
Hosts Japan finished third with 27 golds, 14 silvers and 17 bronze for a total of 58 medals.
Zero spectators
The Games were held without any paying spectators to guard against COVID-19 infection, with coaches, team members and officials cheering on athletes in near-empty venues.
That could mean a big financial hit for host city Tokyo, which had hoped to recoup some of the cost of holding the games from ticket sales.
Organisers had hoped to fill 50 percent of seats, up to a maximum of 10,000 domestic spectators at each site, but agreed to a complete ban after Tokyo declared a fourth state of emergency because of rising COVID-19 case numbers.
That has hurt the city’s hotel and restaurant sector and could result in a financial hit of as much as 151 billion yen ($1.4bn), according to Nomura Research Institute.
11,000 athletes
Approximately 11,000 athletes competed in the Tokyo Games at 42 venues around Japan, including the northern island of Hokkaido which was chosen to host the final event, the marathon, because of its milder summer temperatures.
Athletes competed in 339 medal events, representing 205 national Olympic committees, with one team made up of refugees.
Six months
Following Tokyo 2020, the 2022 Winter Olympics will be held next year in Beijing from February 4 to 20, making it the first city to host both the Winter and Summer Games.
Paris will host the next Summer Games in three years, from July 27, 2024, with a pledge to fully align them with the Paris Climate Agreement by using only renewable energy and implementing a zero-waste policy.