Tokyo Olympics

The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games — which being played in 2021 — is a chance for athletes from around the world to compete after the COVID-19 pandemic. It's also a chance for misinformation and rumors. Snopes is here to fact-check the rumors.

What Does the ‘Para’ In ‘Paralympics’ Stand For?

24 August 2021

If your guesses are "paraplegic" or "paralysis" — try again.

Fact Check

Britain's Harry Charles, riding Romeo 88, competes during the equestrian jumping individual qualifying at Equestrian Park in Tokyo at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Sumo Removed, but Equestrian Course Designer Defends Choice

6 August 2021

A sumo wrestler that may have spooked the horses was knocked out of the Olympic...

AP News

Belarusian Olympic sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, who arrived in Poland on Wednesday fearing reprisals at home after criticizing her coaches at the Tokyo Games, holds up an Olympic-related T-shirt with the slogan "I Just Want to Run" after her news conference in Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021. Tsimanouskaya reached Poland by plane from Tokyo through Vienna, a circuitous route due to security concerns, days after she accused team officials of trying to force her to fly back to Belarus, where an authoritarian government has relentlessly pursued its critics. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

2 Coaches Removed from Tokyo Olympics in Belarus Case

6 August 2021

“The two coaches were requested to leave the Olympic Village immediately and have done so,”...

AP News

FILE - In this July 27, 2021, file photo, Carissa Moore, of the United States, celebrates winning the gold medal in the women's surfing competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics at Tsurigasaki beach in Ichinomiya, Japan. The first Olympic gold medalist for surfing, Moore, is the only Native Hawaiian surfer at the Games. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, File)

Native Hawaiians ‘Reclaim’ Surfing with Moore’s Olympic Gold

5 August 2021

Carissa Moore wore a white and yellow plumeria pinned next to her ear for her...

AP News

In this image taken on Wednesday Aug. 4, 2021 and provided by the National Anti-crisis Management, Belarusian Olympic sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, right, who seeks foreign refuge from Minsk authorities, poses for a photo with top Belarusian dissident in Poland, Pavel Latushko, left, shortly after her arrival at the Frederic Chopin Airport in Warsaw, Poland. Fearing for her safety at home after criticizing her coaches on social media, Tsimanouskaya flew from Tokyo to Warsaw with a stopover in Vienna. Poland has offered her and her husband humanitarian visas. (National Anti-crisis Management via AP)

Belarus Runner Showed Japanese Police Plea for Help on Phone

5 August 2021

Krystsina Tsimanouskaya said her grandmother advised her not to return to Belarus but she urged...

AP News

Belarusian Olympic sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, center, arrives at Narita International Airport in Narita, east of Tokyo Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021. Tsimanouskaya plans to seek refuge in Europe after accusing team officials of trying to force her to leave the Tokyo Games early. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Belarus Olympic Sprinter Arrives in Vienna Amid Safety Fears

4 August 2021

The officials “made it clear that, upon return home, I would definitely face some form...

AP News

United States' Jessica Springsteen, riding Don Juan van de Donkhoeve, competes during the equestrian jumping individual qualifying at Equestrian Park in Tokyo at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Springsteen Makes Olympic Debut, Falls Short in Qualifier

3 August 2021

Jessica Springsteen had no luck going solo in Tokyo.

AP News

This ‘1908’ Olympics Video Features at Least 1 Clip from 1906

3 August 2021

The 1908 Summer Olympics were held in London.

Fact Check

Simone Biles, of the United States, warms up prior to the artistic gymnastics balance beam final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Simone Biles Returns to Olympic Competition, Wins Bronze on Beam

3 August 2021

The bronze — matching the one she captured in Rio de Janeiro five years ago...

AP News

Coach Laurent Landi embraces Simone Biles, after she exited the team final with apparent injury, at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in Tokyo. The 24-year-old reigning Olympic gymnastics champion Biles huddled with a trainer after landing her vault. She then exited the competition floor with the team doctor. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

American Star Simone Biles to Return for Balance Beam Finals

2 August 2021

“We are so excited to confirm that you will see two U.S. athletes in the...

AP News

Are Tokyo Olympic Medals Made from Recycled Phones?

30 July 2021

It would mark an Olympic first.

Fact Check

Explainer: How ‘the Twisties’ Stopped Simone Biles Cold

30 July 2021

Maybe Simone Biles made soaring through the air look too easy.

AP News