Tokyo 2020 is around the corner and each country has started announcing its squad for the competition. The international competition gives an opportunity for small athletes to prove themselves and also make a name for themselves. In the past, we’ve seen smaller athletes outperform the bigger or most preferred ones. We have even seen underdog casino games at platincasino.co.uk/new-games turning out to be the most preferred. So we don’t think this Olympics will be different. In this article, we are going to explore five athletes that we think will be making a run in the competition.
Mariya Lasitskene – Track & Field
The number one underdog athlete to watch for is Mariya Lasitskene. She is a female athlete representing Russia. Mariya Lasitskene specializes in the high jump. The athlete won the gold medal in the 2015, 2017, and 2019 world championships. Mariya Lasitskene happens to be the only Russian track athlete presently holding an international title. She was born on January 14th, 1993, in Prokhladny, Russia. She got married to Vladas Lasitskas in 2017. Furthermore, she weighs 57kg (126 Ib) and her personal best(s) is 2.06m (2017, 2019). Mariya Lasitskene, the Russian born will be looking forward to a name for herself and her country Russia.
Andre De Grasse – 100 metres Sprint
The next athlete to watch out for in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is Andre De Grasse. He is a Canadian sprinter born on November 10, 1994. He won the silver and the bronze medals in the 4×400 relay and the 100 m at the 2016 Olympics. The athlete was the Pan American winner and the NCAA winner in both the 200 m and 100 m. Andre De Grasse also won the bronze medal in the 4×400 relay and 400 m at the 2015 international athletics competition in Beijing. In 2019, he also won silver in the 200 m and bronze in the 100 m in the international athletics competition in Doha. Currently, Andre De Grasse is the Canadian 200 m record holder. He’s actually the first Canadian-born sprinter to win three medals in one Olympics tournament.
Lyu Xiaojun – Weightlifting
The third athlete to look out for the forthcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics is Lyu Xiaojun. He is an athlete representing China in the weightlifting event in the Tokyo Olympics. Lu Xiaojun is a five-time world champion participating in the 77 kg group up until 2018 when he started at 81 kg after the categories were recognized by the world weightlifting federation. Lyu Xiaojun was born on July 27, 1984 in Qianjiang, China. His height is 1.72m and he weighs 81kg. He’s married to Guo Xiaojun and was coached by Yu Jie.
Neeraj Chopra – Javelin
The fourth athlete to keep an eye on is Neeraj Chopra. He is an Indian junior Army officer who participates in the Javelin throw. The Indian track and field athlete holds his country’s national record of 88.07 m for the event. Neeraj Chopra won a few medals for India, the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and the Asian Games 2018. He was born on December 24, 1997, in Panipat, India. The athlete has won the Arjuna Athletes Award. Also, we’re still pretty sure that he’ll be coming to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to make history.
Brady Ellison – Archery
Last but not least, is Brady Ellison, an American archer who participates in recurve archery. Brady Ellison is presently a local athlete at the US Olympics training center located in Chula Vista, California. Brady Ellison is 37 years old, born on October 27, 1988, in Glendale, Arizona, United States. His height is 1.8 m, and he also weighs 86 kg (190 Ib). Furthermore, he got married in 2016 to Toja Ellison. He’s a four-time Olympian (2020, 2016, 2012, and 2008) and a three-time Olympic medallist (1 bronze and two silvers).
Final Thoughts
The top team athletes in competitions or tournaments don’t always turn out to be the winning athletes. In the sporting landscape, the unexpected happens. We’ve seen situations where the underrated athletes take the lead while the elite ones follow. Additionally, we believe that such a situation may likely occur in the forthcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Furthermore, we have explored the athlete that we feel may likely make history in the forthcoming Tokyo Olympics. The great thing about the Olympics is that it offers the smaller athletes the opportunity to show the world how much they know their sport, thereby making a name for themselves and their country.