The Olympics may feature some of the fiercest competitors in the world, but the spirit of humility and sportsmanship has been a hallmark of Tokyo 2020.
Here are some of the best moments from the games
Hugs at Ariake Skate Park: It was all the love between the best female skaters in the world when they competed for the very first gold medal in park skateboarding.
All the participants hugged each other every time they finished a race in the final, a warm show of solidarity.
Japan’s Sakura Yosozumi won gold and her teammate Kokona Hiraki won silver. Sky Brown of Great Britain won bronze.
The riders share the gold: The men’s high jump final could turn out to be Tokyo 2020’s best feel-good moment.
Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi and Qatari Mutaz Essa Barshim were neck and neck at the end of the event. Each performed the first six jumps to 2.37 meters (7 feet 8 inches), but none was able to cross the bar at 2.39 meters.
The duo were offered the possibility of a tiebreaker. Barshim asked if they could each have gold medals. When the manager said yes, Tamberi jumped into Barshim’s arms for a huge hug, and the crowd roared with joy.
Graceful in defeat: After Viktor Axelsen of Denmark defeated reigning Olympic champion Chen Long of China to win badminton gold in men’s singles, he hugged his opponent and shed tears of joy.
By beating Chen, the gold medalist at Rio 2016, Axelsen became the first non-Asian player to win the event in over 20 years.
Mutual respect was in the spotlight when the two jerseys exchanged.
Celebrate the history of swimming: Tatjana Schoenmaker made history and it seemed like everyone wanted to celebrate. After the South African swimmer set an Olympic record to win gold in the 200-meter breaststroke, she burst into tears of joy.
Competitors from the lane next to her, American swimmers Annie Lazor and Lilly King, who won silver and bronze in the event, joined in a group hug to celebrate Schoenmaker’s remarkable victory.
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