With fans banned, Tokyo 2020 Olympics announces unprecedented alternative
IOC President Thomas Bach said that the Tokyo games will broadcast double the coverage of the 2016 Rio games, using cutting-edge technology to bring the excitement to viewers around the world.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFA child poses for photographs with the Olympic rings in front of the Japan Olympic Museum in Tokyo , Japan, February 17, 2020(photo credit: REUTERS/ATHIT PERAWONGMETHA)
In ten days, the world will come together for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Opening Ceremony in an unprecedented operation as spectators are banned from the action due to a state of emergency declared in Japan in the face of rising COVID-19 cases. The games, which were already postponed a year due to the pandemic, will feature "virtual" attendees in the crowd to cheer on the athletes, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced in a Tuesday press release. IOC President Thomas Bach said that the Tokyo games will broadcast double the coverage of the 2016 Rio games, using cutting-edge technology to bring the excitement to viewers around the world. “The athletes, and I think the whole world, are longing for these Games. These Games will send a message of unity and solidarity during this ongoing pandemic and the message of hope to so many people around the world," Bach continued. “I’m promised we will see some very good innovations and surprises. And we are looking forward to this together with the athletes, who will enjoy support even without so many live spectators.”He noted that an emphasis is placed on health protocols. “Safety and security was always our first principle in particular, after the postponement of the Games. And there we have undertaken very huge efforts to make these Games safe and secure for literally everybody," Bach said.
