The latest instalment of the Olympic Games begins at the end of a gruelling five-year cycle, breaking away from the customary four, and in a cloud of concern amid a global pandemic.

COVID-19 has already crept into the athlete's village. Leaving Tokyo without the virus may soon be regarded as something of a significant achievement - but still not quite as memorable as leaving with a gold medal.

The Tokyo Games look unlike any other, but with an estimated $26 billion poured in by organisers, the show will go on. Champions will be crowned and hard luck stories will emerge in equal measure.

Mills is among a group of 18 athletes carrying Canberra's hopes of a gold medal on their shoulders.

Kelsey-Lee Barber, Angeline Blackburn, Jye Edwards

Kelsey-Lee Barber's road to Tokyo had been mapped out to perfection.

She won the javelin world championship in Doha in 2019 with a throw of 66.56 metres and loomed as the favourite to claim gold when her moment came in Tokyo. Then COVID-19 hit.

The 29-year-old shivered through her first Canberra winter in eight years. Her usual Europe summer routine took a backseat. Her garage became a gym and her lounge a yoga studio.

The path to Olympic gold has now been paved over by imperfection by any athlete's usual standards, but Barber still looms as one of Australia's biggest medal hopes after a strong return to Europe's Diamond League before flying to Japan.

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Should all go to plan, she will be on a podium inside the Olympic Stadium on the night of August 6.

Jye Edwards came from the clouds to secure a place on the start line in the men's 1500 metre event on August 7, overcoming a torrid injury run to earn his first trip to the Olympics.

Angeline Blackburn was a 10-year-old girl when she watched Cathy Freeman win that 400m gold medal at Sydney 2000.

Twenty-one years later she joins Australia's 4x400m relay team on August 7 alongside Ellie Beer, Kendra Hubbard and Anneliese Rubie-Renshaw, hunting the nation's first athletics medal since 2004.

Day 11: Tuesday, August 3 - Men's 1500m heats at Olympic Stadium, 10.05am, 10.16am, 10.27am.

Day 13: Thursday, August 5 - Women's 4x400m relay heats at Olympic Stadium, 8.25pm and 8.37pm. Men's 1500m semi-finals at Olympic Stadium, 9pm and 9.10pm.

Day 14: Friday, August 6 - Women's javelin throw at Olympic Stadium, 9.50pm.

Day 15: Saturday, August 7 - Men's 1500m final at Olympic Stadium, 9.40pm; Women's 4x400m relay final at Olympic Stadium, 10.30pm.

Sharni Williams, Lewis Holland

Sharni Williams grew up dreaming of hockey stardom but an afternoon spent watching her friends play rugby turned her sporting ambition on its head.

She soon left her job as a mechanic for an Australian sevens contract and now captains the national side in pursuit of her second Olympic gold medal, with game one against hosts Japan on July 29.

Australia head into the tournament as defending champions but were recently beaten by New Zealand in an Oceania tournament, suggesting the path to gold won't be a walk in the park.

Lewis Holland feared his Olympic dream was over when a hamstring strain saw him overlooked for Australia's 12-man squad.

But a change in IOC policy has opened the door for a 13^th player to be selected throughout the tournament. Then all he had to do was beat the clock to be fit for their opening game against Argentina on July 26.

Holland was back at training within two weeks - earlier than the three to four-week window usually expected - to reignite his campaign in what could be his sevens swansong.

Day three: Monday, July 26 - Men's - Australia v Argentina at 11.30am; Australia v Republic of Korea at 7pm.

Day four: Tuesday, July 27 - Men's - Australia v New Zealand at 11.30am; Quarter finals/9-12 placings from 5.30pm-8pm.

Day five: Wednesday, July 28 - Men's - Finals day

Day six: Thursday, July 29 - Women's - Australia v Japan at 11.30am; Australia v China at 6.30pm.

Day seven: Friday, July 30 - Women's - Australia v United States of America at 11.30am. Quarter finals/9-12 placings from 5.30pm-8pm.

Day eight: Saturday, July 31 - Women's - Finals day

Patty Mills, Marianna Tolo

Australia has never won an Olympic medal in men's basketball. Recent campaigns have ended in heartbreak.

But 2021 looms as their best chance yet after the Patty Mills-led Boomers stunned Team USA - who have lost a handful of players due to coronavirus concerns - in a Las Vegas exhibition game.

Australia will be without Ben Simmons but Mills boasts an impressive NBA supporting cast featuring Joe Ingles, Matthew Dellavedova, Aron Baynes and Matisse Thybulle. Their first game comes against Nigeria on July 25.

The Boomers aren't the only Australian side to have toppled their USA counterparts this month, with the Opals repeating the dose.

Outgoing Canberra Capitals star Marianna Tolo is poised to play a key role for the Opals, who boast Capitals championship coach Paul Goriss on Sandy Brondello's staff.

The Opals launch their tournament against Belgium on July 27 and are seen as the biggest threat to the all-conquering Team USA despite the controversial exit of Liz Cambage.

Day two: Sunday, July 25 - Men's - Boomers v Nigeria at Saitama Super Arena, 6.20pm.

Day four: Tuesday, July 27 - Women's - Opals v Belgium at Saitama Super Arena, 6.20pm.

Day five: Wednesday, July 28 - Men's - Boomers v Italy at Saitama Super Arena, 6.20pm.

Day seven: Friday, July 30 - Women's - Opals v China at Saitama Super Arena, 10pm.

Day eight: Saturday, July 31 - Men's - Boomers v Germany at Saitama Super Arena, 6.20pm.

Day 10: Monday, August 2 - Women's - Opals v Puerto Rico at Saitama Super Arena, 10pm.

Day 11: Tuesday, August 3 - Men's - Quarter-finals at Saitama Super Arena from 11am to 10pm.

Day 12: Wednesday, August 4 - Women's - Quarter-finals at Saitama Super Arena from 11am to 10pm.

Day 13: Thursday, August 5 - Men's - Semi-finals at Saitama Super Arena at 2.15pm and 9pm.

Day 14: Friday, August 6 - Women's - Semi-finals at Saitama Super Arena at 2.40pm and 9pm.

Day 15: Saturday, August 7 - Men's bronze medal game at Saitama Super Arena, 12.30pm; Women's bronze medal game at Saitama Super Arena, 5pm; Men's gold medal game at Saitama Super Arena, 9pm.

Day 16: Sunday, August 8 - Women's gold medal game at Saitama Super Arena at 12.30pm.

Lydia Williams

Long before the Olympic Stadium lights lit up the Tokyo sky, Lydia Williams' campaign had already begun.

Australia launched it's women's soccer campaign against New Zealand at Tokyo Stadium on Wednesday night on preliminary day one, with two days of competition to be played before the day of the opening ceremony.

The United States are overwhelming favourites to win gold, with few expecting Australia to advance beyond the quarter-final stage.

Preliminary day one: Wednesday, July 21 - Women's - Australia v New Zealand at Tokyo Stadium, 9.30pm.

Day one: Saturday, July 24 - Women's - Australia v Sweden at Saitama Stadium, 6.30pm.

Day four: Tuesday, July 27 - Women's - Australia v United States at Kashima Stadium, 6pm.

Day seven: Friday, July 30 - Women's - Quarter-finals.

Day 10: Monday, August 2 - Women's - Semi-finals.

Day 13: Thursday, August 5 - Women's - Bronze medal match at Ibaraki Kashima Stadium, 6pm.

Day 14: Friday, August 6 - Women's - Gold medal match at Olympic Stadium, 6pm.

Emily Chalker, Edwina Bone, Andrew Charter

Preparing for the Olympics in the midst of a global pandemic has been tough enough. Now imagine being the Hockeyroos after the dysfunction and turmoil they have endured.

Past athletes and staff spoke up about poor management. The leadership group including Crookwell's Emily Chalker stepped down. Coaching and high performance staff stepped down. Hockey Australia chief Matt Favier will follow.

But the arrival of Katrina Powell as coach - the national side's first female mentor in 43 years - has been hailed as a masterstroke as Chalker and Edwina Bone look to better an expected quarter-final finish starting on July 25.

Andrew Charter's Kookaburras head to Tokyo on top of the world rankings, but they've got the weight of the world on their shoulders leading into their opening game on July 24.

Australia's men's hockey team is looking to rebound from its worst Olympic outing in 44 years after failing to reach the medal stage in Rio, desperate to deliver their first gold since Athens in 2004.

Day one: Saturday, July 24 - Men's - Australia v Japan at Oi Hockey Stadium, 10.30am.

Day two: Sunday, July 25 - Women's - Australia v Spain at Oi Hockey Stadium, 11am; Men's - Australia v India at Oi Hockey Stadium, 7.30pm.

Day three: Monday, July 26 - Women's - Australia v China at Oi Hockey Stadium, 1.15pm.

Day four: Tuesday, July 27 - Men's - Australia v Argentina at Oi Hockey Stadium, 10.30am.

Day five: Wednesday, July 28 - Women's - Australia v Japan at Oi Hockey Stadium, 7.30pm; Men's - Australia v New Zealand at Oi Hockey Stadium, 10.15pm.

Day six: Thursday, July 29 - Women's - Australia v New Zealand at Oi Hockey Stadium, 10.15pm.

Day seven: Friday, July 30 - Men's - Australia v Spain at Oi Hockey Stadium, 11am.

Day eight: Saturday, July 31 - Women's - Australia v Argentina at Oi Hockey Stadium, 12.45pm.

Day nine: Sunday, August 1 - Men's quarter finals at Oi Hockey Stadium, 10.30am to 10pm.

Day 10: Monday, August 2 - Women's quarter finals at Oi Hockey Stadium, 10.30am to 10pm.

Day 11: Tuesday, August 3 - Men's semi-finals at Oi Hockey Stadium, 11.30am and 8pm.

Day 12: Wednesday, August 4 - Women's semi-finals at Oi Hockey Stadium, 11.30am and 8pm.

Day 13: Thursday, August 5 - Men's bronze medal game at Oi Hockey Stadium, 11.30am; Men's gold medal game at Oi Hockey Stadium, 8pm.

Day 14: Friday, August 6 - Women's bronze medal game at Oi Hockey Stadium, 11.30am; Women's gold medal game at Oi Hockey Stadium, 8pm.

Nathan Hart, Daniel McConnell, Rebecca McConnell

Nathan Hart features in an Australian outfit seen as a strong chance of a medal in the men's team sprint.

He joins Matthew Glaetzer and Matthew Richardson inside the Izu Velodrome on August 3.

It's a family affair in the mountain bike discipline with husband and wife duo Daniel and Rebecca McConnell set to fly the flag for Australia.

Daniel's fourth Olympic campaign begins on July 26, and Rebecca's third starts a day later.

Day three: Monday, July 26 - Men's cross country at Izu MTB Course, 4pm.

Day four: Tuesday, July 27 - Women's cross country at Izu MTB Course, 4pm.

Day 11: Tuesday, August 3 - Men's Team Sprint - Qualifying from 4.58pm; Gold final from 6.44pm at Izu Velodrome.

Jessica Hansen

Australia's prospects in the pool look as promising as they have for years.

So much so that this year's crop of swimmers have been hailed as the generation which could deliver a gold rush for Australia as the nation looks to climb back up the leaderboard after dwindling returns at recent Olympic tournaments.

Jessica Hansen booked her first Olympic appearance in the 100 metre breaststroke with silver at the Olympic trials, when she finished in an impressive 1:06.69.

She finished 10^th in the 2019 world championships, and will look to better that when heats begin on July 25.

Day two: Sunday, July 25 - Women's 100m breaststroke heats at Tokyo Aquatics Centre, 8.59pm-9.14pm.

Day three: Monday, July 26 - Women's 100m breaststroke semi-finals at Tokyo Aquatics Centre, 11.50am-11.56am.

Day four: Tuesday, July 27 - Women's 100m breaststroke at Tokyo Aquatics Centre, 12.17pm.

Luke Letcher, Caleb Antill, Cameron Girdlestone

Olympic debutants Luke Letcher and Caleb Antill will bolster Australia's men's rowing quadruple sculls tilt on the opening day of the Olympics.

The Canberra duo join 2016 Olympic silver medallist from the boat class, Cameron Girdlestone - himself now an adopted Canberran - and fellow debutant Jack Cleary.

The Netherlands loom as the country to beat while the Italian and Polish crews are also in medal contention.

Day zero - Opening ceremony: Friday, July 23 - Men's quadruple sculls heats at Sea Forest Waterway, 12.30pm.

Day two: Sunday, July 25 - Men's quadruple sculls repechage at Sea Forest Waterway, 11.40am.

Day four: Tuesday, July 27 - Men's quadruple sculls final at Sea Forest Waterway, 10.58am.

Clare Warwick

Thousands of seats inside a Fukushima stadium were empty when the first pitch of the Olympic Games was thrown on Wednesday morning.

But that matters little to Clare Warwick and the Australian softball team, who are relishing the chance to compete at the Games for the first time since 2008.

Warwick was a reserve for the Australian team when they won bronze in Beijing. She was 21 at the time. Now 34, the utility player is determined to make the most of what could be her last shot at gold.

Preliminary day one: Wednesday, July 21 - Australia v Japan at Fukushima Azuma Baseball Stadium, 10am.

Preliminary day two: Thursday, July 22 - Australia v Italy at Fukushima Azuma Baseball Stadium, 4pm.

Day one: Saturday, July 24 - Australia v Canada at Yokohama Baseball Stadium, 11am.

Day two: Sunday, July 25 - Australia v United States at Yokohama Baseball Stadium, 11am.

Day three: Monday, July 26 - Australia v Mexico at Yokohama Baseball Stadium, 9pm.

Day four: Tuesday, July 27 - Bronze medal game at Yokohama Baseball Stadium, 2pm; Gold medal game at Yokohama Baseball Stadium, 9pm.

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