As we head towards the end of 2021 and Australian sport has its eyes set on 2022, Ministry of Sport will continue to reflect on the top five stories across major codes and categories for the year.

Here are the top Olympic Games stories for 2021.

5– Olympics Diversity Push:

The 2020 Tokyo Games saw a record number of women and Indigenous Australian athletes compete.

Out of 472 Australian athletes, 254 were women and 16 were Indigenous, a record high number making these Olympics one of the most inclusive.

However, the Games were just 1% shy of equal distribution between men and women, something future Games will aim to fix.

The IOC also announced their support for the International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport by providing additional funding into the company.

4 – Beijing 2022 Human Rights:

The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games has been met with much controversy after continued reports of human rights issues in China.

The Games were first put under the spotlight when Chinese officials announced they would control who could attend the event, which was met with much controversy.

After these reports came out, the IOC announced they would not interfere with human rights issues or relocate the games.

This led to the US, Canadian, and Australian delegates boycotting the Winter Games.

3 – Tokyo 2020 in Action:

The Tokyo Games were announced as the most successful games since the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

With Australia winning many gold medals, a report revealed how much each medal was worth, with gold medals earing athletes $20,000 each.

2 – Tokyo 2020 and COVID-19:     

For the first time in history the Tokyo Games were postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic which swept through the world.

However, the Games were almost postponed a second time, with confirmation the Games would go ahead announced only weeks from the start date.

The Games went ahead, however strict measures were put into place such as, no spectators and mandatory masks.

Athletes and staff were not allowed to leave their athlete villages and were not allowed to party or sightsee to keep any COVID-19 outbreaks contained.

Mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 was also enforced for all athletes, staff and coaches.

Despite these restrictions, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games was highly successful.

1 – Brisbane 2032:

In July, Brisbane was announced as the host for the 2032 Olympic Games after support from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The Queensland State government announced a $1 billion redevelopment project of the Gabba in Brisbane in preparation for the Games once the decision was announced.

The government aims to showcase Queensland and Australian culture during the Games, creating a diverse and sustainable community surrounding the Games.

The state is expected to see an $8.1 billion boost to the economy, while Australia as a nation will see a $17.6 billion economic boost.

To view all other editions of the Ministry of Sport 2021 in review series, click here, otherwise, keep an eye out on the Ministry of Sport website and social media channels for the next release in the series.