The 2020 Olympic games in Tokyo may have been delayed for a year by the pandemic, but they're still a remarkable display of athleticism and achievement, perhaps made even more dramatic by these trying times. This week, guess seven people closely associated with the event.



Nobuo Uematsu

publication date: Saturday, August 7, 2021

category: Games

clue: One of Japan's most popular composers long ago wrote his final soundtrack for a famous game series, but it remains so iconic that its victory theme and main theme were played at the opening ceremony of the 2020 Olympics.

explanation: Uematsu was the primary composer for the early games in the Final Fantasy series, and has continued to contribute to them in recent years. more…

intended difficulty: medium

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Denise Sawicki, Erik Bates, Mike Eberhart, and Aaron Shurtleff


Caeleb Dressel

publication date: Friday, August 6, 2021

category: Sports

clue: Growing up in a peninsular state may have helped him become a giant in his sport.

explanation: Dressel, a 6'3" swimmer, grew up in Florida. more…

intended difficulty: hard

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Chris Lemler, Denise Sawicki, Erik Bates, Mike Eberhart, and Aaron Shurtleff


Carissa Moore

publication date: Thursday, August 5, 2021

category: Sports

clue: Hawaii is the birthplace of modern surfing, so it's no surprise that a native daughter won the sport's first Olympic gold medal.

intended difficulty: easy

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Denise Sawicki, Erik Bates, Mike Eberhart, and Aaron Shurtleff


Eliud Kipchoge

publication date: Wednesday, August 4, 2021

category: Sports

clue: This Kenyan runner is heavily favored to win the marathon competition on the final day of the Olympics, given that he's the only person in the world known to have completed a marathon in under two hours.

intended difficulty: easy

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Denise Sawicki, Erik Bates, Mike Eberhart, and Aaron Shurtleff


Yoshirō Mori

publication date: Tuesday, August 3, 2021

category: Government

clue: History repeats itself: Twenty years before he quit as head of the organizing committee for the Olympics because of sexist comments, he was forced to resign as prime minister of Japan after a series of tone-deaf and offensive comments.

intended difficulty: easy

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Denise Sawicki, Mike Eberhart, and Aaron Shurtleff


Hidilyn Diaz

publication date: Monday, August 2, 2021

category: Sports

clue: It's not a big lift to imagine a popular welcome home for this Air Force officer after she became the first Filipino to win a competitive gold medal.

explanation: Diaz won a gold medal in weightlifting. more…

intended difficulty: easy

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Denise Sawicki, Mike Eberhart, and Aaron Shurtleff


Rayssa Leal

publication date: Sunday, August 1, 2021

category: Sports

clue: A little bit of fairy dust helped to propel her from Internet fame to winning a silver medal as Brazil's youngest ever Olympian.

explanation: Leal first gained fame at the age of seven for a video in which she skateboarded while dressed in a tutu and fairy wings. At 13, she won a silver medal in the skateboarding competition. more…

intended difficulty: easy

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Denise Sawicki, and Mike Eberhart


Other Themes in Summer 2021

Thirteen Colonies Week

Have some apple pie, watch some fireworks, and celebrate America's birthday with these seven goos inspired by the names of the original colonies, but beware that several of them deceptively refer to other states entirely. Go »