2020 Summer Olympics storylines to keep an eye on

"Tokyo 2020" won't be the first time this great city has played host to the Games. Tokyo also welcomed the world's greatest athletes for the 1964 Summer Olympics — the first held in Asia. Bob Hayes won the 100 meters and Joe Frazier took home boxing gold. The city was actually slated to host the Summer Olympics in 1940, but they were moved (to Helsinki, Finland) after Japan went to war with China. Those Games were eventually canceled due to World War II.

Competition venues will be broken down into two regions within the greater Tokyo area:  Heritage and Tokyo Bay Zones. The city has drawn praise from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the media for its preparation and organization when it comes to getting ready for the Games — and it should, with a reported budget of at or over $20 billion. However, a good chunk of public-funded money is being used.

It would not be an Olympics without scandal. Pre-Games controversy and the Olympics go together like Michael Phelps and a Speedo. Once again, bribery is in the news, and it is surrounding Japanese Olympic Committee president Tsunekazu Takeda. The longtime leader of that organization resigned from the position earlier this year amid allegations that he approved payment to a consulting firm out of Singapore before the 2013 IOC vote for these Games. 

Six new sports, or events, have been added to the 2020 Olympic program, including the return of both baseball and softball. Now, before United States' baseball fans get excited, don't expect to see MLB superstars making up most of the U.S. roster, especially not with these Games being held in the middle of the 2020 season. In addition to those sports, karate, sport climbing, surfing (that's right) and skateboarding will all have their moments at Tokyo 2020.

Let's go back to the new Olympic sports for 2020, specifically skateboarding. It makes sense, considering how popular the snowboarding events have become at the Winter Games, and it spurs interest among the younger set. However, it's also intriguing because U.S. snowboarding star Shaun White reportedly has his mind set on being part of the American contingent headed to Tokyo. White, a three-time Olympic gold-medalist snowboarder whose roots are steeped in skateboarding, has his work cut out just to make the squad, but it's obviously worth keeping an eye on leading up to next summer.

In addition to those sports being added to the 2020 Olympic lineup, some changes, or updates, have been made to a bevy of existing events. For example: Women's boxing weight divisions will increase from three to five and the men down from 10 to eight. The BMX park competition (an X Games favorite) is a new event within the cycling discipline, and mixed events will be added to sports such as archery, swimming, judo, shooting, table tennis, triathlon and track and field. The 800-meter freestyle is now part of the men's swimming program, while the women will compete in the 1,500. Basketball, meanwhile, will introduce a 3x3 competition. 

We're not kidding: 3-on-3 basketball is now an Olympic discipline. The half-court, single hoop, play-to-21...everything. We hope that trash-talking and food trucks will also be involved to complete the playground-like atmosphere. This along with skateboarding have the potential to be two of the biggest new attractions to the 2020 Games. And the first question should be: Who will actually be playing in 3x3? Certainly LeBron won't be checking up James Harden. In fact, it's been reported that NBA players might not be eligible, but a FIBA selection process and criteria are in place. One notable player possibly headed to Tokyo is former Purdue star Robbie Hummel, who spent time in the NBA and is a college hoops TV analyst and commentator.

One of the bigger stories clouding the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea was the IOC's suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee as part of the widespread doping controversy. Designated Russian athletes were allowed to compete under the Olympic flag as an Olympic Athlete from Russia (OAR). However, as new information and controversy comes to light regarding laboratory data, the country could again be banned for 2020.

On the flipside, one of the most hopeful and promising moments of the Pyeongchang Games was the unified Korean women's hockey team — made up of athletes from North and South Korea. At the moment it's uncertain if we will see something similar from the Korean sides in 2020. It's been reported that North Korea is slated to send a delegation of athletes. Stay tuned.

The great Usain Bolt is retired, but he has not shied away from the news. From rumors that he might be thinking about hitting the track again to slamming Jamaican sprinters for — in his opinion — their inability to follow in his dominating footsteps, Bolt is too quick to keep quiet. The Americans, meanwhile, appear to have the talent to own the sprint events in Tokyo unless Bolt decides retirement is not for him.

We already know Bolt does not think anybody from his country is worthy of taking the torch, so that could fall on the U.S. While Justin Gatlin continues to defy age (he'll be 38 for the Games), talented young sprinters like Christian Coleman and Noah Lyles are two of the brightest stars on the track scene — and could potentially break out if they make it to Tokyo.

OK, so Bolt's future might seem unpredictable, or maybe not. As we hit the pool, we know Michael Phelps, and his record-23 Olympic golf medals, has called it a competitive career. It's only natural to wonder who is next in line for Olympic greatness in the pool within the men's ranks. Fellow American Caeleb Dressel might be the guy. He won a pair of relay golds in Rio in 2016 and is a stud in the 50- and 100-meter events. The massive amount of ink on his left arm only elevates his coolness factor.

We got Bolt and Phelps out of the way, so let's shift the attention to the hard court and LeBron James. The NBA superstar won't be playing in this year's FIBA World Cup, but he has not ruled out an appearance in Tokyo next summer for what would be his fourth Olympic Games. A lot would seem to depend on whether the new-look Lakers actually make the playoffs. We'll see.

Following an impressive run to the 2019 Women's World Cup title, the U.S. can shift its focus to finishing some Olympic business next summer. The Americans were stunned by Sweden on penalties in the quarterfinals in Rio — marking the first time the USWNT did not reach the Gold Medal game. We have a feeling it won't allow something like that to happen in Tokyo.

While superstar Simone Biles is expected to be part of U.S. team for the 2012 Games, USA Gymnastics is still a fragile organization. Trust issues obviously remain in the wake of the Larry Nassar scandal, and its leadership will forever be under a microscope going forward. And rightfully so. It will be interesting to see if all that's transpired in recent years will be a factor in competition for the U.S. next summer.