The top Olympic Games 2020 competitors

After a year long delay, Tokyo 2020 is finally here! The Olympics is the world’s elite sporting competition, and while Bingo is our forte (it’s in our name…), we thought we’d provide sports bettors and athletics fans a preview of the main events and who our favourite is to win. 

Below, we’ve put together a list that lets you know when the events are happening, and gives you the lowdown; from all the contenders, to our top pick. 

Due to the time difference between Tokyo and the UK there might be a few early mornings involved if you want to catch every event, but if you’re really committed then the BBC will be covering the Olympics across BBC One and BBC Two.

Now for our picks...

Men's 100m Sprint 

When is it? 

Sunday 1st August: Semi-finals and Final (11:00-13:55 BST)

The Lowdown

The 100m is the definition of fine margins… years of hard work come down to 10 seconds. The legendary Usain Bolt has retired meaning there is an opportunity for someone new to grab the title of ‘the world’s fastest man’.

The Contenders

• Canada: Andre De Grasse (26, PB: 9.9s)

• South Africa: Akani Simbine (27, PB: 9.89s)

• USA: Ronnie Baker (27, PB: 9.87s)

Our Pick

USA: Trayvon Brommel (26, PB: 9.77s) - Hoping to have left his injury troubles in the past, Brommel is the fastest man in 2021 so far and favourite for a reason.

Men’s Basketball 

When is it? 

Saturday 7th August, 3:30am (BST)

Our Pick

The USA are strong favourites and for a reason, their team is packed with star NBA talents such as Damian Lillard and Kevin Durant. The USA have won Gold at the last three Olympics and will be expecting to make it four in a row!

The underdog

However, if you are looking for an underdog then why not check out Slovenia led by their own NBA superstar; Luka Doncic 

Women’s Football

When is it?

Friday 6th August 3:00am (BST)

Our Pick

Again team USA are strong favourites, the women’s team won Gold in 2012 and more recently won the World Cup in 2019. However, they have recently been stunned in their opening game losing 3-0 to Sweden. Despite this opening game defeat the US will still be confident.

The underdog

Why not check out team GB, their side features a host of top Premier League stars and even some who play for top European clubs.

Men’s Heavyweight Boxing

When is it? 

Friday 6th August 7:05am (BST)

Our Pick

Bakhodir Jalolov of Uzbekistan heads into the tournament as favourite, his Olympic debut in 2016 ended in a defeat to Joe Joyce, however he is far more experienced now and was recently linked to fighting Tyson Fury!

The underdog

Richard Torres Jr. has been largely hyped in the USA, however he suffered a damaging defeat to Bakhodir Jalolov back in 2019. 

Women’s Swimming - 100m breaststroke

When is it? 

Tuesday 27th July 3:17am (BST)

Our Pick

Lilly King of the USA was a young star of the 2016 Olympics winning gold at just 20. Now she’ll be hoping to retain her title.

The underdog

Yuliya Efimova of the ROC is in line for her last Olympics and will be hoping to finish on a high and finally win an Olympic gold medal.

The Team GB Athletes to Keep an Eye On!

Olympic success is what every Team GB athlete dreams of, 2012 stars like Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis-Hill have retired leaving the opportunity for a new generation of Olympians to make history. We’ve picked out 10 Team GB athletes to keep an eye on, including some familiar names and some news ones, such as Team GBs youngest ever Olympian… 

Andy Murray - Tennis 

• Competing in Men’s Singles & Men’s Doubles

• Andy Murray achieved the ultimate in 2016 when he became the first men’s single player to win two Gold Medals. He also achieved a Silver medal in the mixed doubles in 2012.

Dina Asher-Smith - Athletics

• Competing in Women’s 100m, 200m & 4x100m

• Dina Asher-Smith is the British record holder for both 100m and 200m, she achieved a gold and silver in the 2019 World Championships. She achieved a Bronze medal in the 4x100m in Rio but will be hoping to improve on that in Tokyo.

Jason Kenny - Cycling 

• Competing in the Men’s sprint

• Jason Kenny is the joint record holder for Team GB Olympic Golds alongside Sir Chris Hoy with six. If he wins a medal this year he’ll match the overall record total of 8 held by Sir Bradley Wiggins.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson - Heptathlon 

• Competing in the Women’s Heptathlon 

• Competing in her third Olympics, Katarina will be hoping to build on her 2019 World Championships where she broke the British record and won a Gold Medal. She finished sixth in 2016 (Rio De Janeiro).

Laura Kenny - Cycling 

• Competing in the Women’s Omnium, Team Pursuit, Madison

• Laura Kenny will be competing in her third Olympics and has achieved four Olympic Gold Medals across 2012 (London) and 2016 (Rio De Janeiro) making her Britain’s most successful female Olympian.

Max Whitlock - Gymnastics

• Competing in the Men’s Artistic Gymnastics

• Max Whitlock made history when he became the first member of Team GB to win an Olympic Gold Medal, he then repeated the achievement later the same day and now holds five Olympic Medals overall.

Sky Brown - Skateboarding

• Competing in Women’s Park

• Sky Brown will become Team GB’s youngest ever representative at a Summer Olympics at 13 years and 11 days. Sky achieved a Bronze Medal at the World Skateboarding Championships in 2019. 

Tom Daley - Diving 

• Competing in Men’s 10m Platform & Men’s 10m Synchro 

• Tom Daley will be making his fourth Olympic Games appearance in Tokyo, he is still seeking a Gold Medal after achieving a Bronze Medal in both 2012 (London) and 2016 (Rio De Janeiro)

Tommy Fleetwood - Golf 

• Competing in Men’s Competition

• Tommy Fleetwood will be making his Olympic debut in Tokyo, as a five-time winner on the European Tour, he will working alongside fellow Ryder Cup star Paul Casey to try bring a medal home for Team GB

Women’s Football Team - Football

• Competing in Women’s Football

• Team GB are entering a Women’s team for the second time after 2012 (London). Featuring a host of stars such as Fran Kirby and Lucy Bronze the team will be hoping to improve on the quarter-finals they achieved in 2012.

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