Hong Kong media took stock of the top ten superstars who regrettably missed the event

On July 15, the website of Hong Kong's South China Morning Post published an article listing 10 sports stars who were absent from the Tokyo Olympics, and the article was excerpted as follows:

Some of the world's best athletes will compete at Tokyo 2020, the greatest event in sports. However, some elite players will also be absent.

The following list lists 10 famous athletes who either decided not to participate or simply could not go to the Tokyo Olympics.

1. Serena Williams (Tennis)

We cannot accuse Serena williams of underestimating the importance of the Olympics. After all, she has won four Olympic gold medals, the last time she won the women's singles title at the 2012 London Olympics. Still, she won't be competing in the Olympics again, she said there are "many reasons" behind the decision.

Serena Williams, who will turn 40 in September, is still struggling to win the all-time record 24th Grand Slam singles title, but will have to wait until the START of the US Open after she withdrew from Wimbledon due to injury.

2. Lin Dan (badminton)

In July 2020, the legend of Chinese badminton, "Super Dan", bid farewell to his 20-year career, saying that his physical condition and injuries no longer allowed him to compete with his teammates.

Lin Dan, who has won two Olympic gold medals, was originally planning to stand on the Olympic field for the fifth time, but his ranking is far behind his teammates , Rio 2016 Olympic champion Chen Long and rising star Shi Yuqi - with little chance of qualifying.

3. Rafael Nadal (Tennis)

The 35-year-old world number three will decide not to compete in this year's Wimbledon and Olympics after "listening" to his body. He said the gap between the French Open and Wimbledon was only two weeks apart and did not allow his body to recover after playing on the clay court.

But he is still determined to "extend" his career and continue to compete in the highest level. Top men's athlete Dominic Thiem also chose to miss the Tokyo Olympics.

4. Mo Farah (Athletics)

Farah is one of the superstars who missed the Olympics. The four-time Olympic champion, the British athlete, failed to qualify, so he could not defend his title in Tokyo. The 38-year-old has won the London and Rio Olympics twice, but failed to reach the 27 minutes and 28 seconds of the 27 minutes and 28 seconds at the World Championships in Athletics in The United Kingdom in June. He also missed another British Olympic qualifier earlier in June, saying his underperformance was due to a foot injury.

5. Dustin Johnson (Golf)

In March, world number two golf star Dustin Johnson confirmed that he would not be competing in the Olympics because the Games coincided with the "golf intensive competition". Traveling between the U.S. and Japan is too long, he prefers to focus on the PGA Championship, a golf grand slam tournament, rather than the Olympics.

6. Yan Runzhe (Weightlifting)

North Korean weightlifter Yan Yun-chol is a five-time World Champion. As a Gold Medalist at the London Olympics and a Silver Medalist at the Rio Olympics, he lifted three times his weight at the 2019 World Championships, setting a new world record in the deadlift. Because North Korea refuses to send a team to this year's Olympic Games on the grounds of the risk of COVID-19, Yan Will not be able to win another medal.

7. James Harden (basketball)

The Brooklyn Nets guard reportedly withdrew from the U.S. team because of a leg injury in the MLB playoffs. Previously, he had expressed interest in traveling to Tokyo to witness the U.S. team compete for the gold medal.

He played for the United States during the 2012 London Olympics and the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, winning two gold medals. He also qualified for the 2016 Olympics but was eventually out.

8. Sun Yang (swimming)

The Chinese sports star, who has won three Olympic gold medals, was banned from competing in June after breaking a bottle of blood sample during an out-of-competition doping test at his home in Hangzhou in September 2018.

After the Swiss Federal Court discovered that members of the arbitration panel had posted questionable social media posts, the 8-year ban imposed on Sun Yang by the Court of Arbitration for Sport was overturned, and the ban was reduced to 4 years and 3 months, and he would not be able to return to the court until the eve of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

9. LeBron James (basketball)

When the U.S. basketball team announced the roster in June, Neither LeBron James nor Anthony Davis nor Steve Curry was selected. LeBron won three medals — two gold and one bronze — for the United States in 2004, 2008 and 2012.

The NBA superstar suffered an ankle injury at the end of March, which left him missing most of the 2020-2021 season. He will star in the movie "Slam Dunk in the Air 2" this summer.

10. Carolina Marin (Badminton)

Carolina Marin, the last women's singles gold medalist, was unable to defend her title because of torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus. The Spanish player thanked everyone for their support and promised she "will definitely be back".

Source: Reference News Network