The Olympics will be contested without spectators, but they’ll be dusted off with the debut of surfing, skateboarding and rock climbing in Tokyo this summer, while karate will probably make a unique appearance and baseball is on its way to “come on.” -back”, his last Olympic Games after twelve years. Here is a presentation of these five sports as well as some of his favorite sports, including the French and calendar.
surf wants to wave
It’s arguably one of the most anticipated new games in Tokyo, although the waves at Tsurigasaki Beach, southeast of the Japanese megalopolis, are likely to disappoint those hoping to see rollers closer than they were. From Hawaii, or from Tahiti, where the Paris 2024 Surfing Events will take place.
Despite everything, the gold fight promises to be exciting in the absence of aging icon Kelly Slater, who failed to qualify. Brazilians Italo Ferreira and Gabriel Medina and American John John Florence are the favorites for the men, while an American-Australian duel is underway for the women with Americans Carissa Moore and Caroline Marx and Australians Stephanie Gilmore and Sally Fitzgibbons. On the French side, the goal is two medals, one for the men and one for the women.
French Selected:
women: Johann Defoe and Pauline Edo
Male: Jeremy Flores and Michelle Bourezzo
Calendar : Qualifying Series 25 July, Quarter and Semi-Final 27 July, Final 28 July
Skateboarding: Youth in Power
Another trendy board sport, skateboarding will be divided into two competitions: a ramp, i.e. a course consisting of a dome and a variety of complex curves, and a “road”, resembling a road with stairs, curbs and slopes.
Among women, gold may go to a college girl: the current world champion, Japanese Misugu Okamoto, is only 15 years old, while her older rival Sky Brown, who will represent the United Kingdom, is still younger (13 years old). ! Compared to the favorite among men, American Nyja Huston, a veteran almost at the top of his 26 years and world champion, has four titles of his own.
On the French side, the best chance for a medal will come from the roadside Aurelian Giroud. But all involved go to Japan with the ambition of winning a tricolor medal.
French Selected:
women: Madeleine Larcheron (Park) and Charlotte Snow (Street)
Male: Vincent Matheron (Park), Aurelian Giroud (Street) and Vincent Millau (Street)
Calendar : Men’s qualification and street final on 25 July, women’s qualification and street final on 26 July, women’s qualification and park final on 4 August, men’s qualification and park final on 5 August
climbing in combined mode
In the new Olympic discipline of sport climbing, athletes will compete in three different events: climbing difficulty, speed and wall (or bouldering), and their final ranking will be determined by their combined results in the three disciplines.
On the men’s side, Czech Adam Ondra is shaping up to be the big favourite, although he will have serious competitors like Canadian Sean McCall, Austrian Jakob Schubert and Japanese Tomoa Narsaki. On the women’s side, a duel could rival climbing’s world patron, Slovenian Janja Garnbreit, currently 22, against Japanese Akio Noguchi (32 years old today), who will be aiming for an Olympic title at the climax of her rich track record. Each Frenchman entering will aim for a medal, but will climb with the status of an outsider.
French Selected:
women: Julia Chanordi and Anouk Jouberte
Male: Mikel Mavem and Basa Mavem
Calendar : Men’s qualification on 3 August, Women’s qualification on 4 August, Men’s final on 5 August, Women’s final on 6 August
Karate: A little excursion and then go?
Often under the shadow of judo, karate will also take Olympic light for the first time in Tokyo, but perhaps also for the last, as it has been excluded from the Paris 2024 Olympics in favor of breakdance.
A centuries-old martial art originating in the Okinawa archipelago (southwest of Japan), when the region was still an independent state known as Ryukyu, the Olympic version of karate would be divided into two competitions, the “kata” (choreographed). strokes made). In Void) and “Kumite” (fight between two opponents, but where the attacks are also over-controlled). The Japanese Ryo Kiyuna, originally from Okinawa, would be one of the favorites of the “kata” contest as of three. -time world champion.
None of the three French people engaged wear the favorite’s clothes. But all are used to major international events and aspire to medal.
French Selected:
women: Lesla Hartault (-61kg) and Alexandra Ferraci (Kata)
Male: Steven da Costa (-67kg)
Calendar :
-67 kg (M) and – 55 kg (F) Aug 5
– 61 kg (F) and -75 kg (M) Aug 6
+ 61 kg (F) and + 75 kg (M) Aug 6
Women’s Kata Elimination and Final on August 5
Men’s Kata Elimination and Final on 6 August
take back do baseball/softball
Baseball/softball returns to the Olympics this year for the first time since the Beijing Games in 2008, and the men’s tournament promises to be very open. The Olympic Baseball Tournament will be contested by six national teams, four of which have already qualified. Japan, automatically chosen as the host country, would be able to rely in particular on the enthusiasm of its superstar Shohei Ohtani and the eager Japanese public for the game. South Korea – the latest Olympic winner so far – Mexico, Israel, the United States and the Dominican Republic also qualified.
For softball, which has the same rules as baseball but which is played on a smaller field, its Olympic version will be reserved for women’s teams. Americans are supposed to be the big favourites. They will face Mexico, Canada, Australia, Japan and Italy. The French team does not qualify, as in baseball.
Calendar : Round Robin (Mini-Championship) July 21-26, Final July 27 for Softball
For men, the quarter-finals on 4 August, the semi-finals on 5 August and the final on 7 August.