Joint gold medalists Mutaz Essa Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi pose on the podium of the men's high jump final during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on August 2, 2021. Photo: AFP
Athletes who compete at the Olympics perform at the highest level and always go for gold. However, as the Games' motto goes, the event is also about being "faster, higher, stronger - together". Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim (right) and Italy's Gianmarco Tamberi (left) had both jumped perfectly at 2.37 metres but both failed to cross the Olympic record of 2.39 metres at the high jump final after all their three attempts. So, Barshim asked the referee if they can have two golds and the response was affirmative. It was even more special because both of them had overcome career-threatening ankle injuries to reach this position. Here, Barshim and Tamberi pose with their joint gold medals on the podium after the men's high jump final during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on August 2, 2021. Photo: AFP
British diver Thomas Daley won the gold medal at the synchronized 10-m platform diving event with his diving partner Matty Lee but what won the hearts of fans around the world was his knitting skills. Daley was spotted knitting an Olympic-themed cardigan during the event while competing or being in the stands watching other events. He not only made a cardigan but also a sleeve for his gold medal to avoid any scratches on it, and even fashioned a sweater for his friend’s French bulldog. In this photo, Daley sits with his knitting as he watches divers in the preliminary round of the men's 3-m springboard diving event during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo on August 2, 2021. Photo: AFP
In one of their most successful hockey campaigns at the Olympics, the Indian women’s hockey team reached the semifinals but lost it narrowly to Argentina with a 2-1 scoreline. The team, which played the bronze medal match next against Great Britain lost out on a medal, but the sporting spirit displayed by the English side after the match caught many eyes. In this photo, India's Neha Goyal is seen being comforted by Great Britain's Susannah Townsend after India were defeated 4-3 in the women's bronze medal match at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, at the Oi Hockey Stadium in Tokyo, on August 6, 2021. Photo: AFP
New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard made history at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as she became the first openly transgender athlete to compete in an individual event at the Games. While 43-year-old Hubbard did not reach the final, she cupped her hands to depict a heart to all the people who supported her – her fellow country people, the International Olympic Committee and the International Weightlifting Federation. In this photo, New Zealand's Laurel Hubbard reacts in the women's +87kg weightlifting competition during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Tokyo International Forum in Tokyo on August 2, 2021. Photo: AFP
Kellie Anne Harrington, Irish women’s lightweight boxing champion at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics won the gold but it was what she did before and said after the final that has earned her additional respect from people around the world. When Harrington entered the stadium holding the Irish flag at the opening ceremony, she and her team bowed to the Japanese people to pay respect for being able to host the games during the Covid-19 pandemic. After her final bout, when asked what people at St. Vincent’s Hospital, her workplace in Dublin would say, she said, ‘Hakuna Matata’, which is a famous quote from The Lion King, which means 'there are no worries'. In this photo, Harrington celebrates after winning against Brazil's Beatriz Ferreira in the women's light (57-60kg) boxing final bout during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo on August 8, 2021. Photo: AFP
Laurel Hubbard wasn’t the only transgender athlete to make history at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, as the Canadian midfielder Quinn became the first trans athlete to win a medal at the Olympics after the Canadian football team defeated Sweden in the final. Quinn goes by one name and is non-binary, using gender neutral pronouns. They came out earlier this year in an Instagram post, and have previously represented the team at the 2016 Rio Games. In this photo, Canada's midfielder Quinn warms up prior to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games women's final football match at the International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama on August 6, 2021. Photo: AFP
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