Top storylines to follow at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics

I’m a lifelong Olympics fan who got to work at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. The competitions in the summer and winter will always hold a special place in my heart, and even though this is an Olympics unlike any other, there’s plenty to be excited about.

Here are some of the storylines you’ll want to keep an eye on as the Olympic flame burns brightly in Tokyo.

Simone Biles is the GOAT

Plainly and simply, we have to start here. Simone Biles does things no other female gymnast in the world can do, and she makes them look staggeringly easy. She won four gold medals and one bronze medal back in 2016, and she’s an overwhelming favorite to dominate the medal count once again.

Specifically, look for her Yurchenko double pike, which she became the first woman to land a few months ago.

Team USA Basketball: What’s Going On?

Basketball has fast become a global game, and the American squad has gone from a prohibitive gold medal favorite to one of several contenders for that honor. This year, the team’s exhibition slate featured losses to Nigeria and Australia, and while Team USA did prevail over Spain, there are plenty of questions left to answer prior to their first game of the tournament Sunday against France.

Ledecky Looms Large in the Pool

Katie Ledecky returns for her third Olympics, and she’ll look to add to her impressive collection of gold medals. She’s won the 800-meter freestyle twice and added three other golds and a silver in 2016.

She’ll compete in four individual events ranging from 200 to 1,500 meters, and she figures to be favored in all of them.

Allyson Felix: Iron Woman

Sprinter Allyson Felix will compete in her fifth Olympic Games, which is remarkable enough. Add in that she gave birth in late-2018, and is now 35 years old, and her story becomes downright inspiring. She’s won a total of nine Olympic medals (six of the gold variety), and she’ll compete in the 400-meter dash and 400-meter relay.