The Tokyo Olympics is under way with football and softball matches taking place today ahead of Friday’s opening ceremony. Japan got off to the perfect start by thrashing Australia in a softball match in Fukushima, before the expected overall medal-table toppers USA beat Italy.
The women’s football competition gets under way with Great Britain taking on Chile in Sapporo at 8.30am BST (4.30pm in Japan). Kicking off in Tokyo at 9.30am BST will be the highly anticipated meeting between Sweden, who won silver in Rio losing to Germany in the final, and the reigning world champions USA.
The Games remains on course although the head of the organising committee Toshiro Muto refused to completely rule out a last-minute cancellation amid ongoing concern surrounding Covid-19. “At this point, the coronavirus cases may rise or fall, so we will think about what we should do when the situation arises.”
Meanwhile the American swimmer Becca Meyers has pulled out of the Paralympics because the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee won't let her bring her mother to Tokyo as her personal care assistant. Follow all the latest news and updates below.
