Full schedule for Wednesday, July 21 in the Tokyo 2021 Summer Olympics

The first day of competition for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is here, despite it being two days until the Opening Ceremony on Friday. The Olympics get underway Wednesday morning in Tokyo, which means Tuesday night in the United States.

Two women’s sports are opening the Olympiad, with the softball competition beginning in Fukushima, which is about a 90-minute train ride north from the Olympic Village. The Games starting in the city that was ravaged by a nuclear disaster in 2011 is part of a symbolic revival of the area, sending a signal that things are starting to recover in the Tohoku Region.

Right now the USA is a -200 favorite to win the softball gold medal, which is a significant move from the number of +250 they were getting when the market opened. Their impressive run in the buildup tour has impacted betting prices.

Also, Team USA opens with a banger in women’s soccer, as the team that shocked the red, white, and blue out of Rio in Sweden is the opening opponent. The 2016 Olympics remains the only tournament in international soccer history where the USA didn’t make the final four. The 1-1 draw in Rio was won by the Swedes on spot kicks in a match where former USA coach Pia Sundhage guided the opponents, and she basically crushed the Americans tactically.

Both teams have a new coach, with the US’s Vlatko Andonovski having plenty of choice in how to attack their nemesis. The USWNT knocked off Sweden in their last meeting 2-0 in 2019.

Full Olympics schedule for Wednesday, July 21st by event

Gymnastics

9 p.m. ET (Tuesday)

Men’s Podium Training

Soccer

3:30 a.m. (Wednesday)

Women’s Group E, No. 2: Great Britain vs. Chile

4:00 a.m. ET (Wednesday)

Women’s Group F, No. 3: China vs. Brazil

4:30 a.m. ET (Wednesday)

Women’s Group G, No. 5: Sweden vs. US

6:30 a.m. ET (Wednesday)

Women’s Group E, No. 1: Japan vs. Canada

7:00 a.m. ET (Wednesday)

Women’s Group F, No. 4: Zambia vs. Netherlands

7:30 a.m. ET (Wednesday)

Women’s Group G, No. 6: Australia vs. New Zealand

Softball

8 p.m. ET (Tuesday)

Opening round: Australia vs. Japan

11 p.m. ET (Tuesday)

Opening round: Italy vs. US

2 a.m. ET (Wednesday)

Opening round: Mexico vs. Canada