Top records broken at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games

Every edition of the Olympic Games provides athletes a chance to achieve sporting glory by breaking records. To have a place for themselves in the record books is every sportsperson’s dream. As the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics approaches, records are sure to tumble, and new sporting heroes will be born.

We take a look at some of the top Olympic records that were broken in the last edition in Tokyo.

Karsten Warholm – 400 Metre Hurdles

Karsten Warholm of Norway in action.
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Getty Images

Warholm, who went into the 400m men’s hurdles as a favourite, completed the race in 45.94 seconds. In the process, he broke the 400m hurdles world record of 46.70 set by him a couple of months back. The Norwegian athlete had broken his own record by a margin of over three-quarters of a second.

He will look to defend his gold-winning record in the 2024 edition in Paris. At the European Athletics Championships, Warholm not only took gold in the 400m hurdles but also set a championship record at 46.98 seconds, one second off his world record.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone – 400 Metres Hurdles

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone put out a record-breaking finals display in the 400m women’s hurdles event.
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AP

The American athlete put out a record-breaking finals display in the 400m women’s hurdles event. She finished the race with a world record time of 51.46 seconds, nearly half a second faster than the previous world record of 51.90, which too was set by her during the U.S. Olympic Trials.

She has been in great form leading up to the Paris Olympics after she recently shattered her world record in the 400m hurdle by clocking an incredible 50.65 at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials in Oregon. Considering her current form, she clearly is one step ahead of her competitors at the Olympics and will surely be the favourite to win gold again.

Yulimar Rojas – Women’s Triple Jump

Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela celebrates after winning the gold medal.
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REUTERS

Yulimar Rojas, also known as the Queen of Triple Jump, set the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on fire as she jumped 15.67 meters (51.41 feet), breaking the world record of 15.50 meters (50.85 feet) set by Inessa Kravets of Ukraine in 1995. In the process, Rojas became Venezuela’s first female Olympic gold medal winner.

She won’t be participating in the Paris Olympics due to an Achilles tendon injury sustained during training. The athletics superstar will still be present at the Games as Venezuela’s Olympic flagbearer.

Tatjana Schoenmaker – 200m Breaststroke

Tatjana Schoenmaker wins the women’s 200m breaststroke final in a new world record during the Swimming event on Day 7 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
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Getty Images

South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker secured a gold medal at the women’s 200m breaststroke event. In the process, she also broke the event world record as she finished with a timing of 2:18.95. She surpassed the record of Denmark’s Rikke Moller Pedersen, who eight years ago went 2:19.11 at the 2013 World Swimming Championships.

Schoenmaker, who has been in good touch this year, will look to repeat the same magic in the Paris Olympic Games.

Japan – Judo gold

Hifumi Abe, left, and Uta Abe were among the nine athletes from Japan, who won gold medals in Judo.
| Photo Credit:
AP

In the 2020 Olympic Games, nine athletes from Japan, won gold medals in Judo, notching up the world record for the most number of Judo golds in an edition. The previous record of eight gold medals was also achieved by Japan during the Athens Olympics in 2004.

Shohei Ono, Takanori Nagase, Chizuru Arai, Shori Hamada, Aaron Wolf, Sone Akira, Naohisa Takato, Abe Uta and Abe Hifumi were the gold medal winners.