Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Five things we know

It's a year before the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics take place and Tokyo has been busy getting ready to host the world's biggest sporting event.

It's the second time the Japanese city has hosted the games. The first time was in 1964 and organisers are promising "the most innovative games ever".

When are the Olympics?

The 2020 Olympics start on Friday 24 July and go on for two weeks until Sunday 9 August.

Then, the Paralympics are on 25 August until 6 September.

Here's five amazing things we've learnt about the games so far.

1. Robots will be lending a hand

Tokyo 2020 organisers have revealed some futuristic robots that will be helping out during the games.

Miraitowa and Someity robots will be greeting crowds at the Olympic venues

There are robot versions of the mascots Miraitowa and Someity that will wave, shake hands, and greet athletes and guests at sporting venues. They have facial expressions and cameras on their foreheads so that they can recognise people and react.

There is also a Field Support Robot - or FSR - which will assist at throwing events at the Olympic Stadium. The robots can self-navigate when retrieving items such as hammers or javelins thrown by athletes, guiding staff along paths that avoid obstacles.

The Field Support Robot will retrieve items like hammers or javelins thrown by athletes

Human Support Robot - or HSR - will guide guests to their seats at venues, and also take snacks and souvenirs to them at their seat while they watch the games.

Finally, a humanoid robot and virtual mobility robot will bring the games to those who aren't or can't be physically present.

It will also transmit sounds and images from games locations to partner robots elsewhere. The virtual mobility robot can let remote people chat with Olympic athletes and fans on site in real time to feel like they're there.

2. The medals are made of recycled waste

The Tokyo 2020 medals have been made out of old mobile phones donated by the public.

The medals, which are designed to resemble polished stones, are the first sustainable medals in Olympic history, according to organisers.

People all over Japan donated 6.2 million used mobile phones over two years to produce about 32kg of gold, 3.5 tonnes of silver and 2.2 tonnes of bronze to make the Olympic and Paralympic medals.

The podiums will also be made from recycled waste, with organisers asking Japanese people to donate their plastic waste for it.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay uniforms will be produced in part using recycled plastic bottles.

3. There are five new sports

There are four new sports at the 2020 Olympic Games - skateboarding, surfing, sport climbing and BMX freestyle.

4. The torch relay is out of this world

Astronauts Soichi Noguchi and Akihiko Hoshide will play a part in the Tokyo 2020 Games

Astronauts Soichi Noguchi and Akihiko Hoshide have been announced as Tokyo 2020 Torch Relay Space Ambassadors for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

This doesn't mean that the torch will go to space as part of its route, but instead the two astronauts will be broadcasting messages to cheer on the Olympic and Paralympic torchbearers straight from the International Space Station.

5. The marathon will be on a heat-resistant surface

The route of the marathon will be painted with a special paint meant to cool the road surface

There are some concerns about the risk of extreme heat after temperatures reached 41.1C in Tokyo in July 2018.

To prepare for this risk, marathons will begin at 6am and the entire route has been painted with a special substance, which organisers claim reduces the road surface temperature - and therefore air temperature immediately above it by up to eight degrees.