The wait is almost over. After being postponed because of the pandemic in 2020, the Summer Olympics are being held this summer in Tokyo, Japan. Every four years, athletes from around the world come together to compete in the historic games and participate in summer events such as gymnastics, tennis, and volleyball — and people across the globe are happy to hear that this summer will be no exception.

     Simone Biles, Serena Williams, Katie Ledecky, and Megan Rapinoe are four American athletes who will all be heading to Tokyo in search of another Olympic medal. Biles, a 24-year-old gymnast, was part of the 2016 American women’s gymnastic team. She came home with gold medals in the team, all-around, vault, and floor competitions, along with a bronze medal. With a victory at the 2021 games, Biles would become the first female since 1968 to win back-to-back all-around titles. 

     Biles once said, “Dream big because my whole career, including any of the things that I’ve accomplished, I never thought in a million years that I would be here. So it just proves that once you believe in yourself, and you put your mind to something, you can do it.” Biles is the only survivor of the USA Gymnastics team sexual assault scandal to be competing in the 2021 Olympics. She said, “I had to come back to the sport to be a voice, to have change happen.”  

     One of the successful athletes of all time and three-time Olympic tennis superstar Serena Williams will be heading to the 2021 games in search of her fifth gold medal. She told Time magazine, “A champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall,” and this mindset has helped her to win 23 Grand Slam titles throughout her career. She has won gold medals in both singles and doubles play, and she began her Olympic journey in 2000. With a fifth gold medal, Williams will surpass her sister, Venus Williams, for the most Olympic tennis titles.  

     Megan Rapinoe is a veteran U.S. soccer star who competed in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic games. She led team USA to victory in the 2012 games, but the team lost in the quarter finals in 2016. Rapinoe also led her team to victory in the 105 and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and she said that she hopes to do the same this summer. In a letter to her younger self published on Bleacher Report (bleacherreport.com), Rapinoe said, “Be honest about how you approach failure. Don’t just be critical of yourself, because that can be self-serving. Approach it honestly, assess your performance, and assess the areas where you have fallen short. Correct them and move on.”  

     This summer, for the first time ever, surfing will be an Olympic event. Junior Manaka Ogura shared her excitement about the new addition: “I’m excited to see the U.S. surfer Carissa Moore. My family recognized her from the 2019 WSL Women’s World Tour Champion, so we are excited for what she has to offer in the first-ever surfing tournament at the Olympics.” Moore has been competing in the Women’s Championship Tour since 2010 and has come in first place four times. Like many others, Moore hopes to win her first Olympic medal at the 2021 Summer games.

     American swimmer Katie Ledecky competed in both the 2012 and 2016 summer Olympics. She has won six Olympic medals, and another victory at the Tokyo games will make her the most decorated female swimmer of all time. Like many other athletes, the postponement of the Olympics has been a challenge. Ledecky told The Wall Street Journal that it has been more difficult to train during the pandemic and that she has “been swimming in a lane by [herself] for over a year now.” Her intense training over the past year may be enough to earn her another gold medal.  

     Other U.S. athletes to watch in the 2021 summer Olympics are Noah Lyles, Nyjah Huston, and David Boudia. Lyles is one of the many sprinters trying to fill the shoes of the legendary Usain Bolt, who will not be competing in the 2021 Olympics. Lyles is the reigning champion of the 200-meter race, which he won at the 2014 Youth Olympics in Nanjing; this summer will be his first time competing in the Olympic games. After U.S. sprinter Christian Coleman was banned from the Olympics for misconduct, Lyles emerged as the projected winner of the men’s 100-meter dash in the 2021 Olympics.  

     Huston is the highest paid skateboarder in the world, and this upcoming Olympics will be his first Olympic games. In the spring of 2021, he told The Players’ Tribune: “Every day I’m inside, I swear I’m thinking about getting to Tokyo in 2021 and putting on those Team USA Nike jerseys…I also hope there’s a little boy or girl watching at the park, or on TV, when the time comes.” Fans around the world will be watching as Hutson competes for his first Olympic medal.  

     Boudia is a veteran U.S. diver who won medals at the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Olympic games. Despite being a 21-time world champion, he has only won one gold medal. This will be his first Olympic games since publishing his book Greater than Gold: From Olympic Heartbreak to Ultimate Redemption. Boudia is known for his faith, and he will head into the 2021 Olympics with the mindset that, “Ultimately, when you have the perspective of why you’re competing and what you’re trying to pursue, the rest just falls into place.” This summer, this theory will be put to the test as Boudia competes for another medal.

     LHS students are looking forward to the 2021 Olympics. When asked her favorite part about the Olympics, Ogura said, “My favorite part of the Olympics is the athletes’ reactions when they realize they have won a medal. The athletes shed blood, sweat, and tears every day, and it all leads up to that exact moment onto the podium — you can just see it all in their faces.”  

     These American athletes are only some of the talented individuals who are ready to compete in these long-awaited competitions. The stage has been set and the world is ready for the 2021 summer games.