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Viral moments from this year's Tokyo games

Viral moments from this year's Tokyo games

We've had quite a few unexpected moments at the Tokyo games. Ones surely that weren't part of the script, but had quite the impact and brought with it glee to our faces. So let's take a look.

Bear With Us

Bear spotted at the olympic games

According to figures published by Japan's Environment Ministry, bear sightings have been on the rise in Japan. The Tokyo Olympics had 'bearly' started, and things turned hilarious. Hours before a game between Japan and Australia, a local police spokesperson confirmed that a bear was seen on the softball field Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Luckily, there weren't any interruptions caused. This sent social media into a frenzy.

According to AFP, local authorities identified it as an Asian black bear, who I guess evidently get the memo that spectators weren't allowed at this year's Olympic event.

Robot Steals The Show

Social media was made this player talk of the town. But who was it? Surely not Kevin Durant or Luka Doncic. It was a 7 foot strange looking robot, that picked up a ball and shot three pointers, even one from the halfway line with perfect accuracy. 

The robot is called Cue, and Cues primary job is to send professional basketball players to school, so much so it has a Guinness world record for doing so. This robot was manufactured by Toyota Engineering Society for pure entertainment purpose. Cue performed during the France vs USA game, in which France won 83-76, making it the USA's first loss since Athens 2004. Regardless of that defeat, it's only fair to say that the robot surely offered some cheer. 

Put It To Bed

I wouldn't be surprised if the first thing an athlete did upon entering their room was test the durability of their bed. Thankfully, some athletes debunked any long-standing myths of the olympic beds being categorised as anti-sex.

The beds were part of the Olympic committee's initiative to endorse sustainability. Tweets went amuck as people thought it was meant to discourage intimacy. In fact, the beds were made out of cardboard and could easily withstand weight up to 200kg, double that of an average athlete (72kg). 

A High-Octane Celebration

Ariarne Titmus and Katie Ledecky went head to head in the Women's 400m freestyle on day 2. The 20 year old Australian set the stage as she won in 3:56:69 to top the podium, and in doing so handed her American counterpart her first loss in an individual event. On rare occasions you'd see the spotlight stolen from an Olympic gold winning athlete and this was just that very occasion. Dean Boxall, Titmus' coach was ecstatic after the win. He jumped up and down, screamed and yelled in elation, highlighting the relationship that they both share as athlete and coach. So much so his celebrations went viral on twitter.

''That’s just the way Dean is,'' she explained. ''He’s very passionate about what he does – he really becomes quite animated,'' she said in an interview.

''I just don’t turn off,'' Boxall told The Guardian. ''That’s probably why I let it out, why I got emotional. It’s not just a 9-5 job; it’s 24/7. I wake up at night and I’m thinking of how can Arnie get better. 

Biles Speaks Mental Health

It is truly unfathomable imagining the load that elite athletes carry on them. The amount of expectations, that perhaps cannot be lived up to sometimes.Simone Biles, US gymnast is a joy to watch when she's painting a beautiful picture on stage. It is what makes people love her. But she received even more love when she had made a decision to withdraw from the U.S. women's gymnastics team and individual events. Although she did pull out, she was okay to continue in one of the final events in which she bagged a bronze medal. It was a breathtaking scene to watch.

''The outpouring love & support I’ve received has made me realise I’m more than my accomplishments and gymnastics which I never truly believed before,'' said the decorated Olympian. ''We also have to focus on ourselves because at the end of the day, we're human, too,'' Biles said. ''We have to protect our mind and our body, rather than just go out there and do what the world wants us to do." Earlier this year Naomi Osaka spoke upon the same subject, thereby sparking conversations regarding the importance of mental health. 

Daley Enjoys Knitting 

Tom Daley knitting at the games

Acting as therapeutic, Daley indulges in knitting, while simultaneously playing spectator at the Olympics. This was quickly identified by the cameramen, setting off a storm on social media. Making Daley one of the most loved athletes from the Olympics.

''One thing that has kept me sane throughout this whole process is my love for knitting and crochet and all things stitching," Daley said in a video this week, showing off a knitted pouch he made to hold his new gold medal.''

Saunders Makes A Statement

Raven Saunders, US shot-putter was the first one to demonstrate a political statement at the Tokyo games after winning a silver medal. The 25-year-old, who is black, gay, and has spoken frankly about her struggles with depression, said she wanted "to be me, to not apologise".After competing, she said she aimed to give light to ''people all around the world who are fighting and don't have the platform to speak up for themselves''.''I'm part of a lot of communities,'' added Saunders, who twerked in celebration after her final shot put throw.

Saunders, who made her Olympic debut in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, has described how she considered taking her own life in 2018 while struggling with poor mental health. The IOC have granted athletes slightly more freedom to express themselves at this year's games, and hopefully Saunders actions don't come under any major scrutiny.

Leal Shines Bright 

Meet Rayssa Leal, the skateboarding fairy who turned Olympian. Leal who won silver, became the youngest athlete in the history of Brazil to win an Olympic medal. Momiji Nishiya, 13, from Japan won gold and 16-year-old Funa Nakayama from Japan won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics’ first women’s street skateboarding event. Together they constituted the youngest average age podium in the history of the Olympics. 

Quick Fix To A Kayak

Australian canoeist, Jessica Fox had broken the internet with her quick fix during the Olympics. As the IOC had handed around 60,000 condoms, Fox didn't find it difficult getting her hands on one. Since, her canoe went through some wear and tear, she used a condom as a quick fix. 

Fox won her first Olympic gold in the women's canoe slalom C1 Final and a bronze in the canoe slalom K1 Final. Apparently, the distributed condoms were not meant to be used at the Olympic village, instead the athletes were supposed to bring the condoms back to their native lands to help support the HIV/AIDS campaign. 

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