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The opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, delayed for a year by the coronavirus pandemic, began on Friday almost behind closed doors at the national stadium in the Japanese capital.
Japanese Emperor Naruhito was scheduled to officially open the Games after a cultural program re-enacting a traditional Japanese festival with hundreds of performers and the traditional parade of nations that was to last over two hours.
The 68,000-seat arena was nearly empty, with only a few VIPs – including US First Lady Jill Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron – sponsors, officials and media allowed in.
Highlights among others were the lighting of the Olympic cauldron at the climax of the torch relay which also took place largely out of public view due to the pandemic.
The person who lights the cauldron is one of the best kept secrets of all the Games.
Most countries were supposed to have two flag bearers instead of one, as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) promotes gender equality.
They were to include Jamaican sprint star Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, great Czech tennis player Petra Kvitova and the face of the refugee team, Syrian Yusra Mardini, as well as marathoner Tachlowini Gabriyesos of Eritrea.
Over 11,000 athletes will compete in 339 medal-winning events in 50 disciplines in 33 sports through August 8; but a larger number in determining the success or failure of the Games could be the Olympics-linked coronavirus infections which have reached 106 on Friday since July 1.
The vast majority of the competition will take place behind closed doors as Tokyo is under a state of emergency linked to the coronavirus and a majority of the population is against the Games being held now.
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