July 22, 2021

Key moments from the Olympic Games before the opening ceremony

WATCH: National headlines from ABC News

Each day, ABC News will give you a roundup of key Olympic moments from the day’s events in Tokyo, happening 13 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time. After a 12-month delay, the unprecedented 2020 Summer Olympics is taking place without fans or spectators and under a state of emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic.

US women’s soccer falls to Sweden 3-0

The U.S. women's team fell to Sweden in the first group match, a familiar foe that knocked them out of the 2016 Olympic games. The loss broke the U.S. women's national team's 44-game winning streak, but it did not knock them out of the competition. Three teams from each group will advance to the next round.

Dan Mullan/Getty Images
Lina Hurtig #8 of Team Sweden scores their side's third goal past Alyssa Naeher #1 of Team United States during the Women's First Round Group G match between Sweden and United States during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Stadium on July 21, 2021 in Chofu, Tokyo, Japan.
Ricardo Mazalan/AP Photo
United States' Christen Press reacts as Sweden's players celebrate their third goal during a women's soccer match at the 2020 Summer Olympics, July 21, 2021, in Tokyo.

Olympian coronavirus cases rise to 91 as athletes make their way to Tokyo

The most recent tally includes U.S. volleyball player Taylor Crabb, the nationally top-ranked skeet shooter Amber Hill and Dutch skateboarder Candy Jacobs, according to The Associated Press. Officials in Tokyo reported 1,979 new coronavirus infection in the metropolitan area on Thursday, July 22, 2021.

More: Tokyo new virus cases near 2,000 a day before Olympics open
Thomas Peter/Reuters
People stand in front of Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games signage as the coronavirus outbreak continues in Tokyo, Japan, July 21, 2021.

US gymnastics team leaves Olympic Village for hotel

Gymnastics coach Cecila Landi stated the safety of the team from the ongoing pandemic could be better managed at a hotel than at the Olympic village. The team will continue to be tested for COVID-19 daily, just as they would at the athletes' village.

Ashley Landis/AP Photo
From left, Grace McCallum, Jordan Chiles, Simone Biles, and Sunisa Lee of the United States wait their turn to train on vault for artistic gymnastics at Ariake Gymnastics Centre venue ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 22, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan.

4 new Olympic events set to debut this year

The 2020 Games will include skateboarding, sport climbing, surfing and karate for the first time in Olympic history. In addition, the 2020 games will see the return of softball and baseball, and new disciplines in existing sports such as three-on-three basketball and bmx freestyle.

More: How To Watch Olympic Skateboarding
Matthew Childs/Reuters
Jagger Eaton of the United States skates during the men's street training atAriake Urban Sports Park, Tokyo, Japan on July 20, 2021.
Francisco Seco/AP
Australia's Owen Wright rides a wave during a training session at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 22, 2021, at Tsurigasaki beach in Ichinomiya, Japan.

Jill Biden leads delegation to Tokyo

First lady Jill Biden landed in Tokyo to attend the opening ceremony. Around 950 people, including journalists, heads of state and Olympic officials will attend the ceremonies.

More: Jill Biden to stop in Alaska on her way to Tokyo Olympics
Kyodo/via Reuters
First Lady Jill Biden arrives at Yokota Air Base to attend the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, July 22, 2021, in this photo released by Kyodo.

Olympics highlights gender equality

The 2020 Games feature the most female athletes at any Olympics with nearly 49% of the total athletes competing, as well as the first transgender athlete, New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, to compete in the games. Additionally, the amount of mixed-gender events have doubled this Olympics.

More: Tokyo Games show strides, hurdles in gender equality
Masashi Hara/Getty Images
Ellen White of Team Great Britain celebrates with teammates after scoring their side's second goal during the Women's First Round Group E match between Great Britain and Chile during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Sapporo Dome on July 21, 2021 in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.
Paul Childs/Reuters
In this file photo, Laurel Hubbard of New Zealand competes at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

IOC loosens restriction on athlete's expression

The International Olympic Committee has loosened some restrictions on athletes' political and social expressions, allowing them to express their views during interviews, on social media and on the field before competition.

Noriko Hayashi/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Players take the knee ahead of an opening round women's football match between the U.S. and Sweden at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday, July 21, 2021.

The opening ceremonies will begin at 7 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Friday, July 23, 2021. See more scenes from pre-ceremony events below:

More: Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony director fired over Holocaust joke
Clive Mason/Getty Images
Mt. Fuji is seen in the background as Nikole Barnes and Lara Dallman-Weiss of Team USA (center) sail their 470 class dinghy during a practice race ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on July 21, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.
Silvia Izquierdo/AP Photo
Japan's goalkeeper Sakiko Ikeda falls as Canada's players celebrate after Canada's Christine Sinclair scores a goal against Japan during a women's soccer match at the 2020 Summer Olympics, July 21, 2021, in Sapporo, Japan.
Julian Finney/Getty Images
Yu-Jan Shiao of Chinese Taipei during a practice session at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on July 21, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.
Jung Yeon-je/AFP via Getty Images
Table tennis players practice during a table tennis training session at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, in Tokyo, on July 21, 2021, ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Stefan Wermuth/Reuters
A diver trains at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, Tokyo, Japan on July 21, 2021.
Yuichi Yamazaki/Getty Images
Torch bearers exchange the flame during the Olympic Torch Relay Celebration event on July 21, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.
Loic Venance/AFP via Getty Images
A British gymnast takes part in a training session at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre in Tokyo on July 22, 2021, ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

For more Olympics coverage, see: https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/Olympics