The Tokyo Games offered the ultimate platform for the topic to get global attention.
Aug 4, 2021 - HealthTeam USA's chief doctor estimated that 83% of the athletes are vaccinated.
Jul 23, 2021 - Sports613 Olympians will represent the U.S. in Tokyo over the next two weeks.
Jul 23, 2021 - SportsAmericans who disagree on everything else will still be rallying around the same team.
Jul 23, 2021 - Sports"Unless you’re a fool, you’d have to be concerned," Travis Tygart, the CEO of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, said.
Jul 22, 2021 - SportsMembers of the North Korean delegation look on from the stands ahead of the figure skating gala event during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Photo: Mladen Antonov/AFP via Getty Images
The International Olympic Committee announced Wednesday that it has suspended North Korea from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics after the country chose not to participate in this year's Tokyo Games due to the pandemic.
Why it matters: Although the decision will have "little immediate impact," it could prove consequential in shaping other political boycotts of future Olympic games, the Wall Street Journal noted.
The Paralympic Flame is seen during the closing ceremony on Day 12 of the Tokyo Paralympic Games. Photo: Koki Nagahama/Getty Images
More than a year after they were supposed to begin, the Tokyo Paralympic Games drew to an end with a closing ceremony on Sunday, with five-time Paralympian Matt Scott serving as the U.S. flagbearer for the event.
Why it matters: The Games, which began in Japan amid COVID state of emergency, closed Sunday in front of a largely empty Olympic Stadium.
Nick Mayhugh. Photo: Moto Yoshimura/Getty Images
The 2020 Paralympics are halfway complete, with 4,403 athletes — including a record 1,853 women — putting on a show last week in Tokyo. Here are some of the Games' top stories:
Paralympian Brad Snyder. Photo: UAdam Pretty/Getty Images
U.S. Navy veteran and Paralympian Brad Snyder won gold in the men's paratriathlon on Friday at the Tokyo Paralympic Games.
Why it matters: Snyder, 37, became the first U.S. man, Olympic or Paralympic, to win gold in a triathlon event.
The flag of Afghanistan is presented by volunteers at the Paralympics. Photo: Marcus Brandt/picture alliance via Getty Images
The Afghanistan national flag was displayed during Tuesday's Paralympics opening ceremony as a "sign of solidarity" after the team was forced to cancel its trip due to the Taliban's takeover of the country.
Driving the news: The flag of Afghanistan was carried into the parade of athletes by a Paralympic volunteer, alongside a representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the New York Times reports.
Simone Biles of Team USA in action during the Women's balance beam final. Photo: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
U.S. gymnast Simone Biles plans to raise awareness around mental health as part of the post-Olympic Gold Over America Tour, AP reports.
Driving the news: Biles didn't have the Olympic experience she expected after pulling out of several finals to prioritize her mental health. But she says she wouldn't "change anything for the world," adding that she "gave an outlet for athletes to speak up about their mental health and their well-being and learn that you can put yourself (as a person) first before the athlete,” per AP.
The Afghanistan delegation parades during the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games opening ceremony. Photo: Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images
Afghanistan's Paralympic team won't compete in the Tokyo Paralympics following the country's fall to the Taliban and the closure of all commercial flights at the Kabul airport, NPR reports.
Why it matters: Zakia Khudadadi would have been the first woman to represent Afghanistan at a Paralympic Games, which begin Aug. 24, per Reuters.
A heat map of popular exercise paths in Tokyo as measured by the Stava social network. Image: Strava
If you look at the data, Olympic marathoners train slower than they plan to run in competition. Most amateurs do the opposite, according to new data from workout tracker network Strava.
Why it matters: It's an example of the kind of information that can be gleaned by extensively tracking the country's workouts (with their consent).
Suni Lee. Photo: Tom Weller/DeFodi Images via Getty Images
Go deeper: Full Axios coverage — Medal count
Photo: Ina Fried/Axios
Tokyo — More than a year after they were set to begin, and 17 days after their delayed start, the Tokyo Olympics drew to an end on Sunday with the closing ceremony here at Olympic Stadium.
Why it matters: Although COVID-19 delayed the Games and left an indelible mark, organizers hope the Games have left a legacy beyond the disease.