Tokyo staged the Games of the XXXII Olympiad from 23 July to 8 August 2021, held a full year later than planned after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the first peacetime postponement in Olympic history. Almost all events took place behind closed doors, without spectators, under strict health protocols.

More than 11,000 athletes from 206 delegations competed across 33 sports, the largest programme to date, with skateboarding, surfing and sport climbing debuting and karate and baseball/softball added for the host nation. Despite the unusual conditions, the Games produced memorable moments, none more so than the shared high-jump gold between Qatar's Mutaz Essa Barshim and Italy's Gianmarco Tamberi, who agreed to split the title rather than contest a jump-off. Tokyo 2020 was Qatar's finest Olympics.

A delegation of 16 athletes across athletics, weightlifting, beach volleyball, shooting, swimming and rowing delivered the nation's first two Olympic gold medals: weightlifter Fares Ibrahim dominated the men's 96 kg with record lifts, and Barshim claimed his historic shared gold in the high jump. Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan added bronze in beach volleyball, beating Latvia for third place. The three-medal haul, including two golds, was the best result by any Arab or Gulf nation at a single Olympic Games.