Inspirational Olympic figurehead Richard Whitehead, who has a double knee congenital amputation which means he runs with prosthetic legs, is seen to be preparing for the Tokyo Paralympics which kicks off on Tuesday after a year-long pandemic delay as Japan battles a record surge in cases.

Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir won the Olympic women's marathon in Sapporo on Saturday, outduelling compatriot Brigid Kosgei in the final minutes and claiming her country's second consecutive gold medal in the event.

Poland's Dawid Tomala cruised to victory in the Olympic men's 50km race walk with a dominant performance over the second half of the race in Sapporo on Friday, reaching the top of the podium in just his second completed race of the distance.

Olympic sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya told Reuters on Thursday she decided to defect as she was being driven to a Tokyo airport because her grandmother told her that it was not safe to return home to Belarus.

Sydney McLaughlin shattered her own 400 metres hurdles world record to win gold in 51.46 seconds on Wednesday, getting the better of fellow American Dalilah Muhammad in a thrilling Tokyo Olympics final that lived up to all expectations.

Jasmine Camacho-Quinn won Puerto Rico's first-ever Olympics athletics gold in the women's 100 metres hurdles on Monday while Miltiadis Tentoglou became Greece's first men's long jump champion.

China's Su Bingtian became the first Asian man to reach the Olympic 100 metres final for 89 years on Sunday, scorching to an Asian record of 9.83 in his semi-final, but pre-race favourite Trayvon Bromell failed to make it.

Bangladesh’s sprinter Jahir Rayhan produced a lackluster performance in the 400m run in Tokyo Olympics, where the 20-year-old athlete ended up registering a timing that was far off from his personal best, at the Olympic Stadium in Japan this morning.

An electric Ariarne Titmus dethroned Katie Ledecky to become the 200m freestyle champion Wednesday, only for the gutsy American great to bounce back and clinch the first-ever women's Olympic 1500m freestyle title.

Simone Biles pulled out of a second event at the Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday, withdrawing from the individual all-around competition to concentrate on her mental health.

In an opening ceremony marked by simplicity, one tradition held on Friday - athletes from all over the world paraded into the Olympic stadium to represent their nations, for the first time their smiles hidden behind masks and most countries represented by both male and female flagbearers.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus has written Bangladesh's name into Olympic history as he was awarded the Olympic Laurel at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics on Friday night.

Global viewers of Friday's opening ceremony for the Tokyo Olympics may have been confused at the order of the national parade, where Andorra was followed by Yemen. Look no further than Japan's unique alphabet.

The Tokyo Olympics like no other opened on Friday with fireworks illuminating an empty stadium and a moment of silence to honour those lost to COVID-19, with a nod to Japanese tradition represented by wooden Olympic rings linked to the 1964 Games.

Country's top archers Ruman Sana and Diya Siddique got off to a fine start on the opening day of Tokyo Olympic Games as they finished 17th and 36th respectively among 64 competitors in their Recurve Individual events in Japan this morning.

When the flame is finally lit at the Tokyo Olympics on Friday, a new era of athletes have a chance to make history in the absence of a host of established stars.

Brisbane was awarded the 2032 Olympics on Wednesday, triggering wild celebrations and fireworks as it became the third Australian city to host the Summer Games after Melbourne and Sydney.

Japan's women's softball team got the Tokyo 2020 Olympics off to a winning start for the hosts on Wednesday, kicking off a pandemic-postponed Games that the World Health Organization says can be "a celebration of hope" even as COVID-19 cases surge.

Tokyo Games organisers insisted Monday that the Olympic Village is "a safe place to stay", as fears of a coronavirus cluster emerged just days before the opening ceremony.

Afghan refugee Masomah Ali Zada hopes to be a beacon of inspiration for 82 million refugees all around the globe and especially for oppressed women, who were forced to flee their homes either inside their countries or as refugees or abandon their sporting dreams, when she crosses the start line at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics for the Olympic Refugee Team.