The Tokyo 2020 Olympics - which was held after a one-year delay in light of the Corona pandemic - witnessed many surprises that were not limited to the competition arenas, but also extended outside them.

Here are some of the biggest surprises at the Tokyo Games:

The defection of a player from Belarus

Perhaps one of the most exciting moments of the Olympics was the refusal of Belarusian runner Kristina Tsimanskaya to return to her country after being forced to stop her participation in the Olympics and to take her to the airport against her wishes.

The 24-year-old runner obtained a humanitarian visa from Poland after she publicly criticized the national team's coaching staff and accused them of neglect.

In statements to her in Poland, Tsimanoskaya said her family was afraid that she would be placed in a psychiatric hospital if she returned to Belarus.

Biles' withdrawal

American gymnast Simone Biles withdrew from the women's team competition after a single jump on a vault;

But she returned to win a bronze on the balance beam after she overcame the "twisting" (loss of balance and sense of place in the air) a well-known phenomenon in the world of gymnastics and trampoline.

The 24-year-old American had come to Japan looking to set a record by winning 6 gold medals;

But she shocked the sports world when she withdrew from the inaugural competition for psychological reasons after just one jump.

Returning to the competition, Biles stressed the importance of prioritizing mental health.

"You did it for me and I was proud of myself for being able to compete again," she said.

Can we get two gold?

Qatari Moataz Issa Barshim, 30, and Italian Gianmarco Tampere, 29, were tied in the high jump when the organizing committee offered them a deciding jump to determine the winner;

But Barshim asked, "Can we get two golds?"

In a photo that became one of the most memorable moments of the Tokyo Olympics;

The official nodded in agreement and the two players intertwined and cheered happily.

Qatar also succeeded in achieving the first Olympic gold in its history, when the 23-year-old weightlifter, Faris Ibrahim, won the gold medal in weightlifting in the 96-kg category, setting an Olympic record.

youth sports

The Tokyo Olympics witnessed the launch of new sports, and skateboarding and surfing in particular attracted a new segment of spectators.

Young men and women took the lead in skateboarding;

Momiji Nishiya, 13, became the youngest Japanese woman to win a gold medal.

Japan's medal tally

Host nation Japan broke its medal record in Tokyo, with a total of 58 medals including 27 gold in sports ranging from skateboarding to wrestling, ranking third in the standings after the United States and China.

Fall and rise

Dutchman Sivan Hasan was unable to fulfill her dream of winning 3 medals after stumbling and falling in the women's 1500m heats.

In a remarkable achievement, Sevan rose and continued the race to take first place and qualify for the semi-finals.

But in the end, Sevan settled for a bronze medal in the 1500m, although she rose up to add the 10,000m gold to her gold in the 5,000m she had already achieved.

teacher victory

A little-known Austrian cyclist, 30-year-old full-time teacher Anna Kiesenhofer, achieved one of the biggest surprises by winning the road cycling gold.

"I'm glad I wasn't afraid and tried to win the race," said Kiesenhofer, after winning Austria's first cycling medal since the first Olympic Games in 1896.

Tunisian surprise

Perhaps no Olympic gold medal will be more celebrated than that of 18-year-old Tunisian swimmer Ahmed El Hefnaoui, who stunned the world's swimming superpowers.

El Hefnawy beat Australian Jack McLoughlin and American Kieran Smith, although he was the slowest among the finalists.

"I can't believe it. It's a dream come true. It's amazing. It was my best race ever," El Hefnawy said after his impressive achievement.

The American Michael Phelps - the greatest swimmer in history - praised El Hefnawy's performance.

Osaka exit

Days after her participation in lighting the Olympic torch, Japanese star Naomi Osaka was eliminated in the third round of the tennis competition.

The world number two lost to Czech Marketa Vondrosova in her first tournament since she withdrew from the French Open last May, when she said she had been suffering from depression for three years.

"I'm definitely feeling a lot of pressure this time," Osaka said. "I think maybe it's because I've never played in the Olympics before and because the first time here was a bit heavy."

Italians dream

The Italians celebrated after their athletics team won its fifth gold in Tokyo, surpassing the previous record of 36 medals set at the 1960 Rome Olympics.

Lamont's Marcel Jacobs was probably the biggest upset in 100m history when he won gold.

"Italy continues to dream...we are the fastest in the world," wrote the newspaper Corriere della Sera - after Italy added another surprising gold in the men's 4x100m relay by beating the British team by 0.01 seconds.