The Olympic Underdogs of Tokyo 2020 Olympics

I don't often watch a lot of sports but there's just something about the Olympics that I find appealing. Perhaps it's the massiveness of it all - I can promise most of you have seen advertisements for the event at least once in the lead up to it. Or maybe, it's the variety they bring. The Olympics are without a doubt the biggest celebration of sports in general, with popular sports such as football and athletics, but also less known categories, such as artistic swimming or rock climbing!

Hosted every four years, Tokyo 2020 has seen over 11,000 athletes join together in Japan to compete for 309 medals in 33 different sports. Among these winners, some have participated in multiple Olympic games and already have several medals to their name. For others, this has been their very first Games on the biggest 'stage' of all.

Why not celebrate these people? So, without further ado - whether you've been following the games or not - let me introduce you to a few young athletes who have made a name for themselves this year.

#1; Sky Brown, 13 - Team GB

At just 13 years old, Sky has made history as the youngest GB athlete to win an Olympic medal, after a very successful bronze in the Women's Park skateboarding final. The sport debuted at Tokyo 2020, seeing some of the youngest participants ever desperate to take a spot on the podium.

#2; Kokona Hiraki, 12 - Team Japan

More success for skateboarding - Kokona Hiraki placed just above Sky, winning silver for Japan. Only a few weeks younger than Sky, she is the youngest Japanese athlete to compete in the Summer Olympics. From this year's Games, it's clear that skateboarding has a bright future in the Olympics and some very talented young athletes!

#3; Sunisa Lee, 18 - Team USA

Making her Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 as the first Hmong-American gymnast, it's clear that Sunisa 'Suni' Lee has plenty more to show us. Despite everything going on, Sunisa stepped up and managed to gain three medals - A gold, silver, and bronze, becoming one of the most decorated Olympians of the season alongside Angelina Melnikova.

#4; Jessica and Jennifer Gadirova, 16 - Team GB

Jessica and Jennifer were also newcomers to the Games. Alongside their teammates, Amelie Morgan, 18 and Alice Kinsella, 20, they placed third in the All-around Team Finals, bringing in the first GB medal in the event since 1928. Twin sisters Jessica and Jennifer also made it through to the All-around Individual and Floor finals. More history was made with Jessica placing in the top 10 of the individuals and Jennifer in 13th. This whole team have buckets of potential and will be the gymnasts to watch out for.

#5; Hend Zaza, 12 - Team Syria

The youngest athlete of this year's Olympics, Hend Zaza, was just 12 years and 204 days old when she took part in her preliminary table tennis match. Her opponent, 39 year old Austrian Liu Jia, was more than three times Zaza's age!

While I've shared some of the impressive competitors, there are plenty of other young athletes trying to build a name for themselves as the future of the Olympic Games this year. Participating at a competition this last at such a young age is an incredible feat in itself. I'm very excited to see how far they come, and it won't be too long before we see more of them!