In Olympics news, the games were more special for five countries who broke the barriers and wrote history with several firsts in the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.
Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz from Philippines competed in the Women's 55kg, Weightlifting and won the Gold medal. The medal was a benchmark in the history of the Philippines as it was their first ever Olympic Gold medal. The Philippines who first participated in the Olympics way back in 1924 have won 10 medals but never a gold. Diaz, who had come close to winning gold in Rio but eventually had to settle for silver, created history by winning Gold in Tokyo.
In 1991 Turkmenistan became an independent country after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The country appeared in the Olympics for the first time in 1996. 53 different Turkmens participated at the Olympics since but failed to secure a Podium finish. 21-year-old Polina Guryeva ended her countries medal drought after winning silver in the Women's 59 kg Weightlifting contest at Tokyo
Bermuda has had the longest wait for an Olympic Gold medal. The Island has been participating in the Olympics for every year barring one since 1936 but didn't win a medal until 1976. Since then Bermuda haven't won another medal. That all changed when 33-year-old veteran Flora Duffy won Gold in the Women's Triathlon at Tokyo making it her country's first ever Gold medal and second medal overall.
Burkina Faso has sent athletes to every Summer Olympic Games held since 1988. The county's 32 year wait for an Olympic triumph was ended by Hugues Fabrice Zanga who won Bronze in Men's triple jump event at Tokyo.
San Marino is a small country in Southern Europe with a population of just 33,600. San Marino has participated in 25 different Olympics. They won their first ever Olympic medal in Tokyo and tripled their medal tally in no time. They had sent only five athletes to Tokyo and got three medals. Shooters Alessandra Perilli and Gian Marco Berti won Silver in the Mixed trap team contest. Perilli then managed to get Bronze in the individual Women's trap as well. Wrestler Myles Amine came through the Repechage to win Bronze in the Men’s freestyle 86 kg. San Marino also became the smallest country (by population) to win an Olympic medal.
Qatar has competed in every summer Olympics since 1984. Despite having won 5 medals in previous editions Qatar never managed to win Gold. Weightlifter Fares Ibrahim Elbakh convincingly won the gold medal after lifting 225 kg and 217 kg in his category of Men's 96 kg Weightlifting. His total score of 402 kg broke the Olympic record. Qatar's campaign became even better when Mutaz Essa Barshim won joint gold in the high jump event with Italian Gianmarco Tamberi after both cleared a height of 2.37 m in their first attempt and subsequently failed to clear 2.39 m.
