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Australian cycling star Richie Porte is a contender in the Olympic men's road race, only days after he finished the Tour de France.
Richie Porte will launch Australia's Olympic cycling campaign in a brutal road race on Saturday as the nation's Tokyo Games begin in earnest.
The Tour de France star leads a three-man team with Olympic debutants Lucas Hamilton and Luke Durbridge in a 234km race featuring 4865m of climbing - all in hot and humid conditions.
Teammate Rohan Dennis pulled out of the road race to focus on next Wednesday's road time trial, where he's one of the medal favourites.
Porte, on Olympic debut in Rio, crashed in the road race on the final descent and was ruled out of the time trial with a shoulder injury.
The Tokyo course suits the Tasmanian's climbing skills but his performance hinges on how he has recovered after finishing the Tour de France last Sunday.
Porte's medal bid comes as Emma McKeon is among the first from Australia's much-vaunted swim team in action in Tokyo.
McKeon, eyeing potentially six medals, opens her hectic campaign with 100m butterfly heats on Saturday.
McKeon will also be a key part of Australia's 4x100m freestyle relay team, which will also swim a Saturday night heat.
McKeon and flagbearer Cate Campbell will likely be rested from the heat ahead of Sunday's final when Australia chase a third consecutive Olympic crown.
McKeon, Cate Campbell and Madi Wilson will team with Bronte Campbell, who said their title defence was on track.
"There's a huge history," Bronte Campbell said.
"I am never going to make predictions about (finishing) places.
"On paper is one thing but in the lights of the arena, it's totally a different thing. But I am confident."
Saturday's Olympic program also heralds the start of a host of sports including water polo, table tennis, shooting, beach volleyball, boxing, taekwondo and badminton.
At the rowing, Australia's men's and women's single sculls open their Games while the nation's softballers, with a win and a loss so far, play Canada - also one win, one loss - in a vital encounter.
The men's hockey team, the world No.1 Kookaburras, meet host nation Japan with a burden of history: Australia has turned nine Olympic medals into just one gold, in 2004.
Australia's women's footballers, after a 2-1 opening win against New Zealand, clash with Sweden, who upset gold-medal favourites United States 3-0.
And Sam Stosur and John Millman are in tennis action while world No.1 Ash Barty plays a doubles match ahead of her first-round singles match on Sunday.