An Olympics like no other officially begins with an Opening Ceremony like none before.
Tokyo 2020 is officially underway, delayed by a year due to Covid-19.
Tennis star Naomi Osaka lit the caldron after Emperor Naruhito declared the Games open at an Opening Ceremony held in an almost empty Olympic stadium.
IOC President Thomas Bach, just before the declaration, said in his opening address “let us cherish this moment because finally we are all here together”.
He added “This is the unifying power of sport. This is the message of solidarity, the message of peace and the message of resilience”.
Usually an event punctuated by celebration, this one took on a more somber tone with a scaled back production. Only selected dignitaries and members of the Olympic Movement were in attendance. No spectators are allowed at almost all of the venues for the Games.
The pandemic was addressed almost immediately through a video before a short fireworks display at the stadium started the evening’s program.
For the first time at an opening ceremony, the members of the Israeli delegation killed by Palestinian terrorists at the 1972 Munich Games were remembered as part of a moment of silence for those who had been lost due to the pandemic.
It took less than 40 minutes for the parade of athletes to begin, led by Greece and then the IOC Refugee Olympic Team. North Korea is the only one of the 206 member countries missing out on this Olympic Games.
For the first time, each NOC was invited to select one female and one male athlete to jointly carry their flag into the stadium. Coronavirus protocols meant a smaller percentage of athletes than ever before were able to take part in the parade.
Homepage photo: REUTERS/Dylan Martinez