The Games are done and dusted and wonderful memories were created during the spectacular sporting fair. In the 2 weeks, records were set and broken as well as history itself. This are some of the Top Stats and highlights during the Games:
1. Faith Kipyegon
Kipyegon broke the 33-year-old Olympic record set by Romanian Paula Ivan at the Seoul Games as she clocked 3min 53.11sec in the 1500m women's final. The 27-year-old had just become the first female Kenyan athlete to win consecutive Olympic golds. Becoming a mother in June 2018, Kipyegon took a full year off from running between Rio and Tokyo, only to turn up and blitz the competition in the Games.
2. Barbra Banda
Zambian soccer player Barbra Banda made history by becoming the first female to score multiple hat tricks in a single Olympic tournament. The 21-year-old striker put together back-to-back jaw dropping performances in her team's opening matches against the Netherlands and China. The striker scored on her debut, and became the first African woman to net a treble in the global sporting fiesta in Tokyo. Scoring against Netherlands, the footballer also became the first Zambian to score in the women's football tournament. In addition, she became the leading African goalscorer at the tournament after overtaking Nigeria’s duo of Mercy Akide and Perpetua Nkwocha, who are tied on two goals each. Banda's six total goals also tied Canadian Christine Sinclair's record for most goals at a single Olympics, a mark set at the 2012 London Games.
3. Hugues Zango
Hugues Fabrice Zango made history at the Tokyo Olympics by winning bronze in the men's triple jump final, the first Olympic medal of his country Burkina Faso. What was more amazing was that Zango's sporting dreams had gone hand-in-hand with his professional aspirations, as he is pursuing a PhD in electrical engineering. The 28-year-old's leap of 17.47 metres was 35cm short of his African outdoor record, which he set earlier this year, but was enough to claim third place just ahead of two-time Olympic silver-medallist Will Claye of the USA.
4. Mohamed Sbihi
Gold medal-winning rower Mohamed Sbihi made history after being the first Muslim to carry the British flag at an Olympic opening ceremony. "To know I’m the first person of Muslim faith to have this role and duty is a very proud moment," said Sbihi. Born to a British mother and Moroccan father in Kingston in Surrey – the 33-year-old has gone on to have an illustrious and medal-laden career. He won bronze at London 2012 before going on to claim Olympic gold at Rio 2016.
5. Quinn
Quinn became the first out, transgender, non-binary athlete to compete at the Olympics, the first to medal, and the first to earn a gold medal. In 2020, Quinn came out as non-binary and transgender (using gender-neutral pronouns) and changed their name by adopting their prior surname as a mononym. They were permitted to continue playing professional women's soccer on the basis of their sex assigned at birth, rather than gender identity. Quinn was formerly known as Rebecca Quinn. Quinn won a silver medal at the 2012 CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship in Guatemala and competed at the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, 2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup and 2015 Pan American Games.
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