Meanwhile, past countries have struggled with Olympic attendance.
Jan 17, 2020 - SportsThe IOC says disciplinary action will be issued on a case-by-case basis.
Jan 9, 2020 - Sports"Please pick human rights over profits," senators tell NBC Universal.
Dec 19, 2019 - WorldEngaged live audiences have become a commodity for advertisers.
Dec 17, 2019 - Economy & BusinessThe National Stadium, venue for the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Photo: Behrouz Mehri/AFP via Getty Images
Japan's National Audit Board released a report on Friday suggesting the Tokyo Olympics is likely to cost $9.7 billion in addition to the $12.6 billion that organizers are claiming the event's price tag will be, AP reports.
Why it matters: Only $5.6 billion in private money is allocated to fund the Olympics. The remainder of the funds will come from taxpayers across the country, the city of Tokyo and other government bodies, according to AP.
Photo: Dina Rudick/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Elite athletes like Alex Honnold and popular films like "Free Solo," which chronicles his ropeless ascent of El Capitan, have brought increased exposure to rock climbing — and come August, the sport will make its Olympics debut.
The big picture: While climbing continues to mature as a competitive sport, it's also gaining popularity among young urbanites, who appreciate the workout.
Illustration: Rebecca Zisser/Axios
The 2020 Summer Olympics will open in Tokyo, Japan, exactly one year from today.
The state of play: After years of coaxing host cities to splurge on stadiums and other expenses, the International Olympic Committee is trying to rebrand the Olympics as "cost-sensitive." Tokyo 2020 could be the last of a dying breed, with a budget of around $25 billion and a handful of lavish projects to its name.
Caster Semenya. Photo: Michael Dodge/Getty Images
Two-time Olympic champion Caster Semenya lost her appeal Wednesday against the International Association of Athletics Federations, whose rules are designed to reduce naturally high testosterone levels in some female runners.
Why it matters: The decision, announced by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, means that athletes like Semenya will be forced to reduce their natural levels of testosterone to run track events from 400m to the mile.
Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson showing her shot at the ANA Inspiring Women in Sports conference. Photo: ANA Inspiration / Kelly Kline
For many Olympic athletes, especially female athletes, a key challenge is the fact that their sport only gets seen once every four years. Social media, though, has helped many to increase their visibility of their sports as well as their individual impact.
Why it matters: Sport can be a platform to encourage girls to pursue their dreams and a keystone for equality well beyond the field of play, but that requires having a steady and lasting voice.
A Naval vessel passes the Olympic rings during the Rio games in 2016. Photo: Paul Gilham / Getty Images
Russia will not be participating in the 2018 Olympic Games. North Korea will. This sets the stage for an event that will be dominated by political issues as much as ski jumping.
Why it matters: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) claims the Games are meant to contribute to "a peaceful and better world" through non-violent competition. But this year, South Korea is using the Games to ease tensions in the region, the latest example of how countries see the Olympics as a way to advance their political agendas.