Your weekend long reads 🏅

Wake up, friends of The Short List! You're missing the Olympics! It's John, here to get you ready for the Games.

Yes, the Tokyo Olympics got underway Friday with its subdued opening ceremonies. With the hefty time difference – 13 hours from the Eastern time zone – you'll need to tune in each morning if you want to watch many events live. (NBC plans to air much of its live coverage on its Peacock streaming service.)

As you probably know, the elephant in the room for these Olympics is COVID-19. Team USA has lost several athletes to positive tests, including budding tennis star Coco Gauff. The first match of the beach volleyball tournament was canceled after a Czech player tested positive for the virus. Success in Tokyo may hinge on whether COVID-19 can be kept at bay for the next two weeks.

But enough doom and gloom! It's time to enjoy one of the great happenings in the sports world. Here are the things you really want to know: 

►Who's competing for Team USA? Get to know every athlete at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

►Top Americans to watch: Simone Biles, Katie Ledecky and others with a great shot at the gold.

►The Olympic village: A visual guide to the 42 venues across Tokyo.

►Are you a trivia whiz? Give your brain a workout with our Olympics quiz.

That should get you started. There's plenty more Olympics content below. 

Let's hear it! U-S-A! U-S-A!