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Tokyo Olympics: 100 days to go but how's it going to work?

Olympic-rings-in-front-of-stadium.Image source, Getty Images

There are 100 days to go until the 2021 Olympic Games officially kick off... after a year-long delay.

It is being held in Japan's capital city, Tokyo.

But, a recent Japanese newspaper poll suggested that around 80% of the public there still did not want the Games to take place this summer.

With coronavirus cases still high across the world, find out below what organisers are doing to make sure the event is safe and what changes we can expect.

Why was the Olympic Games pushed back?

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

The Games were delayed by a year to 2021

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) - the organisation that runs the Olympic Games - made the decision to delay the 2020 Tokyo Games in Japan due to the coronavirus pandemic.

It was the first time since World War Two that they had been moved or postponed.

The Olympics will now take place between 23 July and 8 August 2021 and the Paralympic Games between 24 August and 5 September 2021.

So far, only one country - North Korea - has chosen to pull out of the delayed Tokyo Olympics completely because of coronavirus safety concerns.

Games organisers said they would work with other countries to ensure the success of the event.

Who are Team GB's athletes?

Image source, Reuters
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Superstar swimmer Adam Peaty will be hoping to win more gold medals for Team GB in Tokyo

There's expected to be around 380 athletes heading to Tokyo to represent Team GB.

Also, there will be more British women than men in the team for the first time.

However, Team GB have so far only named around 10 per cent of their team because of the delay caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Big Team GB stars announced so far

Adam Peaty (Swimming): Reigning Olympic champion in 100m breaststroke, double world champion and world record holder.

Shauna Coxsey (Sport Climbing): She's Britain's most successful climber. The two-time bouldering World Cup winner will be making her Olympics debut in Tokyo.

Liam Heath (Canoeing): He is the most successful British canoeist at the Olympics - bronze at London 2012, and silver and gold at Rio 2016.

Vicky Holland (Triathlon): She is the first female triathlete to win an Olympic medal for Great Britain, a bronze in 2016.

What changes have been made to the 2021 Olympics?

Image source, FRANCK ROBICHON
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The Japan National Stadium will be the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as for track and field athletics events

There will be a lot of new rules at this year's events in Tokyo to make sure athletes, officials and members of the public are kept safe.

The biggest change announced has been that no overseas fans will be allowed to attend this summer's delayed Olympic or Paralympic Games.

Every athlete and official around the world must be tested for coronavirus 72 hours before travelling to Tokyo.

They will again be tested when arriving at airports in Tokyo, and face further testing at least every four days while in Japan.

Thomas Bach, who is in charge of the IOC, has said that although participants will be encouraged to get a coronavirus vaccine, it will not be compulsory.

Athletes have also been told to maintain a distance of two metres "at all times" with other people except when that is not possible, such as during a race or competition.

Face-masks must also be worn by everyone at all times outside of competition, except for when people are outside and more than two metres away from someone else.

What are the medal predictions?

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

The Tokyo medals have been made out of recycled mobile phones donated by the public

Companies use data and technology to make predictions about the winners and losers in huge sporting events like the Olympics.

And the country expected to win the most medals this year is the United States.

In 2016 they won 121 medals, and it's predicted that they'll win 114 medals in Tokyo.

In second place it's China, then the Russian Olympic Committee, Japan comes in fourth and in fifth place it's the Netherlands.

Team GB is predicted to finish in 8th place.

They're predicted to drop 31 medals from their 2016 total of 67 - this is because of lower expectations in sports like cycling, track, gymnastics and rowing.

In 2016, those three sports accounted for nearly one third of British medals (22). But in 2021, these sports could produce as few as five podium places.