The pandemic brought a halt to many traditional events across the globe, maybe most notably the summer Olympics which were scheduled to take place in July and August 2020 in Tokyo, Japan. However, the tradition has been rescheduled, as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be held this summer.

The International Olympic Committee said these games will be “the most innovative ever organized and will rest on three fundamental principles to transform the world: striving for your personal best, accepting one another and passing on a legacy for the future.”

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics will look very different compared to previous games. Instead of building all new facilities for the events, Japan will be reusing facilities from the last Tokyo games in 1964. Additionally, there are plans to spend $2.8 billion just on precautionary measures related to COVID-19.

The Tokyo Olympic Committee said that the hope is to have spectators, but no decision will be made until it is closer to opening ceremonies. Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said, “We are determined to deliver hope and courage to the world.”

These games will also introduce new sports to the competition this year, including karate, skateboarding, surfing, climbing, baseball and softball, resulting in 33 different sports for athletes to compete in.

U.S. viewers will see recognizable athletes competing this year, such as Simone Biles, Megan Rapinoe, and Katie Ledecky.

Simone Biles is the most decorated American gymnast and will be making an appearance at this year’s games after winning four gold medals and one bronze medal at the 2016 Rio games.

Megan Rapinoe is a highly decorated soccer player and helped the national team win a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and the 2019 World Cup.

Katie Ledecky is the most awarded female swimmer of all time with a gold medal from the 2012 London games and four golds, one silver, and a world record set at the 2016 Rio games.

With such turmoil in the world due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the summer games seem to be striving to be a bright spot helping unite citizens of the world.