Ali Stafford, Sky Sports – 28 July 2021 Winning an Olympic medal holds particular significance for Sungjae Im and Si Woo Kim, who are both representing South Korea in the men’s golf championships and hoping to gain exemption from national military service. Anything less than third place “would have career-changing consequences” for the two athletes.…
Neeta Lal, South China Morning Post – 25 July 2021 Despite the odds stacked against them, Indian women have managed to challenge patriarchal attitudes by representing the largest share of female athletes at the Olympics ever fielded by the country. This article in SCMP looks at some of these female athletes and what their achievements…
Callum Dick, The Australian – 23 July 2021 At the 2015 World Surf League championship title battle, Owen Wright experienced a life-changing tragedy when a 15-foot wave caused the surfer a serious brain injury. Five years later, he is competing amongst 20 elite surfers in the sport’s debut at the Olympics. This article looks back…
Hannah Beech and Hikari Hida, The New York Times – 27 July 2021 A symbol of change, Japan’s eagerness to display their diversity can be seen in the opening ceremony roles given to two multiracial athletes. However, according to this article on The New York Times, Japan “must still contend with xenophobia in a society…
Aoife Wilkinson, The Conversation – 27 July 2021 Naomi Osaka quickly became the face of the Tokyo Olympics this year, as she challenged Japan’s traditional ideas of cultural identity. As some question her place within Japan’s athlete committee, this article on The Conversation celebrates her mixed-race heritage. Read the full article here.
Xinhua, Global Times – 28 July 2021 Olympic gold medal winner 35-year-old Pang Wei had both the hopes of a nation and his childhood dream weighing down on him as he aimed at the air pistol targets in Tokyo on Tuesday. This article on Global Times looks back on Pang’s rise to Olympic fame and…
Chaunie Brusie, nurse.org – 26 July 2021 Singaporean Joan Poh, 30 years old, is both an Olympic athlete and a dialysis nurse. The New York Times recently published a profile on Poh, recounting her heroism during the pandemic, her working-class background and her struggle to fit in both her demanding frontline job and Olympic training…
