Tokyo Olympics will be held without fans as state of emergency goes into force
By MARI YAMAGUCHI and STEPHEN WADE Associated Press
Tokyo Olympics will be held without fans as state of emergency goes into force
Behrouz Mehri/Pool Photo via AP
International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach gestures on screen at the beginning of the five-party meeting in Tokyo, Thursday, July 8, 2021.
Behrouz Mehri/Pool Photo via AP
International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach gestures on screen at the beginning of the five-party meeting in Tokyo, Thursday, July 8, 2021.
Will this be the last time Americans dominate the Olympics?
AP FILE
About the photo: Flames burn in the Olympic cauldron after being lit during the opening ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016.
The Associated Press has covered every modern Olympics, and that includes photographs of the Olympic flame both along the torch relay route and in the cauldron.
The Olympic flame was introduced at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. The torch relay began eight years later ahead of the 1936 Berlin Games.
The flame begins its life at a lighting ceremony in Ancient Olympia, where the original Olympics were held for centuries.
Over the years, the flame has played a bigger and bigger role at the opening ceremony, with the identity of the final torch bearer — often former Olympic greats from the host country — being the topic of feverish discussion.
Muhammad Ali, a gold medalist at the 1960 Rome Olympics, lit the torch at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Four years later, Cathy Freeman lit the flame in Sydney and became the only person to light a cauldron and win a gold medal in the same games.
One of the most memorable lightings came at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics when Paralympic archer Antonio Rebollo shot a fiery arrow over the top of the cauldron, igniting the gases from within.
The torch relay for the postponed Tokyo Games began Thursday, but don’t expect to know the name of the person who light the cauldron on July 23 at the opening ceremony until moments before it happens.
And when it does, the AP will be there to document it.
AP FILE
About the photo: Flames burn in the Olympic cauldron after being lit during the opening ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016.
The Associated Press has covered every modern Olympics, and that includes photographs of the Olympic flame both along the torch relay route and in the cauldron.
The Olympic flame was introduced at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. The torch relay began eight years later ahead of the 1936 Berlin Games.
The flame begins its life at a lighting ceremony in Ancient Olympia, where the original Olympics were held for centuries.
Over the years, the flame has played a bigger and bigger role at the opening ceremony, with the identity of the final torch bearer — often former Olympic greats from the host country — being the topic of feverish discussion.
Muhammad Ali, a gold medalist at the 1960 Rome Olympics, lit the torch at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Four years later, Cathy Freeman lit the flame in Sydney and became the only person to light a cauldron and win a gold medal in the same games.
One of the most memorable lightings came at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics when Paralympic archer Antonio Rebollo shot a fiery arrow over the top of the cauldron, igniting the gases from within.
The torch relay for the postponed Tokyo Games began Thursday, but don’t expect to know the name of the person who light the cauldron on July 23 at the opening ceremony until moments before it happens.
And when it does, the AP will be there to document it.
Will this be the last time Americans dominate the Olympics?
AP FILE
Doves are released during the opening ceremony for the Tenth Olympiad in Los Angeles on July 30, 1932. The athletes of various countries stand on the field.
AP FILE
Doves are released during the opening ceremony for the Tenth Olympiad in Los Angeles on July 30, 1932. The athletes of various countries stand on the field.
Will this be the last time Americans dominate the Olympics?
AP FILE
The Olympic torch in Lustgarten, Berlin, is lit Aug. 1, 1936, where will be guarded by members of the Hitler Youth until it is brought to the Olympic stadium for the opening of the games in the afternoon. The torch relay was not always a fixture of the modern Olympics, which began in 1896. The relay tradition began with Adolph Hitler's 1936 Olympics in Berlin.
AP FILE
The Olympic torch in Lustgarten, Berlin, is lit Aug. 1, 1936, where will be guarded by members of the Hitler Youth until it is brought to the Olympic stadium for the opening of the games in the afternoon. The torch relay was not always a fixture of the modern Olympics, which began in 1896. The relay tradition began with Adolph Hitler's 1936 Olympics in Berlin.
Will this be the last time Americans dominate the Olympics?
AP FILE
British athlete John Mark runs with the Olympic flame, left, and on right, lights the cauldron during the opening ceremony of the XIV Olympiad, in Wembley Stadium, London on July 29, 1948.
AP FILE
British athlete John Mark runs with the Olympic flame, left, and on right, lights the cauldron during the opening ceremony of the XIV Olympiad, in Wembley Stadium, London on July 29, 1948.
Will this be the last time Americans dominate the Olympics?
AP FILE
Australian athlete Ron Clark, bottom left, plunges the Olympic torch into the bronze bowl, to light the Olympic flame, which will burn throughout the XVI Olympic Games, in Melbourne, Australia, Nov. 22, 1956.
AP FILE
Australian athlete Ron Clark, bottom left, plunges the Olympic torch into the bronze bowl, to light the Olympic flame, which will burn throughout the XVI Olympic Games, in Melbourne, Australia, Nov. 22, 1956.
Will this be the last time Americans dominate the Olympics?
AP FILE
Italian student Giancarlo Peris holds the torch after lighting the Olympic flame in the tall tripod brazier on the perimeter of the Olympic Stadium in Rome, Aug. 25, 1960, at the formal opening of the XVII modern Olympiad.
AP FILE
Italian student Giancarlo Peris holds the torch after lighting the Olympic flame in the tall tripod brazier on the perimeter of the Olympic Stadium in Rome, Aug. 25, 1960, at the formal opening of the XVII modern Olympiad.
Will this be the last time Americans dominate the Olympics?
AP FILE
Japanese runner Yoshinori Sakai runs with the Olympic torch to light the cauldron, right, during the opening ceremonies of the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Oct. 10, 1964.
AP FILE
Japanese runner Yoshinori Sakai runs with the Olympic torch to light the cauldron, right, during the opening ceremonies of the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Oct. 10, 1964.
Will this be the last time Americans dominate the Olympics?
AP FILE
The Olympic Torch burns during the opening day ceremony in Mexico City, Oct. 12, 1968.
Will this be the last time Americans dominate the Olympics?
AP FILE
Runner Guenther Zahn stands near the Olympic flame he lit above the Olympic Stadium on Aug. 26, 1972, during the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games in Munich, Germany.
AP FILE
Runner Guenther Zahn stands near the Olympic flame he lit above the Olympic Stadium on Aug. 26, 1972, during the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games in Munich, Germany.
Will this be the last time Americans dominate the Olympics?
AP FILE
Gymnastics athlete Sandra Henderson, left, and track and field athlete Stéphane Préfontaine Lighting of the Olympic Flame during the 1976 Montreal Olympics, July 17, 1976.
AP FILE
Gymnastics athlete Sandra Henderson, left, and track and field athlete Stéphane Préfontaine Lighting of the Olympic Flame during the 1976 Montreal Olympics, July 17, 1976.
Will this be the last time Americans dominate the Olympics?
AP FILE
Soviet athlete Sergei Belov runs with the Olympic flame past the Olympic team from Afghanistan during opening ceremonies of the 1980 Summer Olympic Games in Moscow on Saturday, July 20, 1980. A number of teams boycotted the ceremony to protest Soviet intervention into Afghanistan.
AP FILE
Soviet athlete Sergei Belov runs with the Olympic flame past the Olympic team from Afghanistan during opening ceremonies of the 1980 Summer Olympic Games in Moscow on Saturday, July 20, 1980. A number of teams boycotted the ceremony to protest Soviet intervention into Afghanistan.
Will this be the last time Americans dominate the Olympics?
AP FILE
Rafer Johnson, 1960 gold medalist for the decathlon, lights the Olympic torch during the Opening Ceremonies of the 23rd Olympiad in Los Angeles in 1984.
AP FILE
Rafer Johnson, 1960 gold medalist for the decathlon, lights the Olympic torch during the Opening Ceremonies of the 23rd Olympiad in Los Angeles in 1984.
Will this be the last time Americans dominate the Olympics?
AP FILE
An arrow carrying the Olympic flame leaves the bow of Antonio Rebollo to light the Olympic Torch and open the XXV Olympic in Barcelona on Saturday night, July 25, 1992.
AP FILE
An arrow carrying the Olympic flame leaves the bow of Antonio Rebollo to light the Olympic Torch and open the XXV Olympic in Barcelona on Saturday night, July 25, 1992.
Will this be the last time Americans dominate the Olympics?
AP FILE
Boxing legend Muhammed Ali lights the Olympic flame, as American swimmer Janet Evans looks on during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games opening ceremony in Atlanta, July 19, 1996.
AP FILE
Boxing legend Muhammed Ali lights the Olympic flame, as American swimmer Janet Evans looks on during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games opening ceremony in Atlanta, July 19, 1996.
Will this be the last time Americans dominate the Olympics?
AP FILE
Australian runner Cathy Freeman stands under the Olympic torch after lighting the flame at the opening ceremonies for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Sept. 15, 2000.
AP FILE
Australian runner Cathy Freeman stands under the Olympic torch after lighting the flame at the opening ceremonies for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Sept. 15, 2000.
Will this be the last time Americans dominate the Olympics?
AP FILE
The Olympic cauldron rises in this multiple exposure photo, left, after Nikolas Kaklamanakis, right, lit it during the Opening Ceremony of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Friday, Aug. 13, 2004. The photo at left is a single frame time exposure interrupted at six intervals while the Olympic cauldron rises after being lit.
AP FILE
The Olympic cauldron rises in this multiple exposure photo, left, after Nikolas Kaklamanakis, right, lit it during the Opening Ceremony of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Friday, Aug. 13, 2004. The photo at left is a single frame time exposure interrupted at six intervals while the Olympic cauldron rises after being lit.
Will this be the last time Americans dominate the Olympics?
AP FILE
Jorge Alberto Oliveira Gomes lights the Olympic cauldron during the opening ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016.
AP FILE
Jorge Alberto Oliveira Gomes lights the Olympic cauldron during the opening ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016.
Will this be the last time Americans dominate the Olympics?
Kim Kyung-Hoon/Pool Photo via AP
The torch is prepared to be lit during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay Grand Start in Naraha, Fukushima prefecture, northeastern Japan, Thursday, March 25, 2021. The torch relay for the postponed Tokyo Olympics began its 121-day journey across Japan on Thursday and is headed toward the opening ceremony in Tokyo on July 23.
Kim Kyung-Hoon/Pool Photo via AP
The torch is prepared to be lit during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay Grand Start in Naraha, Fukushima prefecture, northeastern Japan, Thursday, March 25, 2021. The torch relay for the postponed Tokyo Olympics began its 121-day journey across Japan on Thursday and is headed toward the opening ceremony in Tokyo on July 23.
TOKYO (AP) — Fans were banned from the pandemic-postponed Tokyo Olympics which will open in two weeks, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said after meeting with IOC and Japanese organizers on Thursday.
The ban came hours after a state of emergency in the capital starting from Monday, declared by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to contain rising COVID-19 cases.
The twin decisions have turned the Olympics into a made-for-TV event in a decision pushed by the Japanese government and supported by the International Olympic Committee.
“Many people were looking forward to watching the games at the venues, but I would like everyone to fully enjoy watching the games on TV at home,” Koike said after the meeting.
Keep scrolling for historic photos of the Olympic flame through the years
Fans from aboard were banned months ago, and the new measures will clear venues around Tokyo — indoor and outdoor — of any fans at all.
The emergency declaration made for a rude arrival in Japan for IOC President Thomas Bach, who landed in Tokyo on Thursday just hours before the new measures were announced. He was to spend three days in self-isolation at the five-star hotel that lodges IOC members.
Suga said the state of emergency would go into effect on Monday and last through Aug. 22. This means the Olympics, opening on July 23 and running through Aug. 8, will be held entirely under emergency measures. The Paralympics open on Aug. 24.
“Taking into consideration the impact of the delta strain, and in order to prevent the resurgence of infections from spreading across the country, we need to step up virus prevention measures,” Suga said.
Suga, who had long favored fans, hinted at a no-fan Olympics in announcing the state of emergency.
“I have already said I won’t hesitate to have no spectators,” he added.
Just two weeks ago, organizers and the IOC allowed venues to be filled to 50% of capacity but crowds not to exceed 10,000. The state of emergency has forced a late turnaround, which was always an option if infections got worse.
“We will have to consider the option of no spectators,” Marukawa said in opening remarks with the IOC and others as they went into meetings to discuss a ban on fans.
The main focus of the emergency is a request for bars, restaurants and karaoke parlors serving alcohol to close. A ban on serving alcohol is a key step to tone down Olympic-related festivities and keep people from drinking and partying. Tokyo residents are expected to face stay-home requests and watch the games on TV from home.
“How to stop people enjoying the Olympics from going out for drinks is a main issue,” Health Minister Norihisa Tamura said.
The present state of emergency ends Sunday. Tokyo reported 896 new cases on Thursday, up from 673 a week earlier. It’s the 19th straight day that cases have topped the mark set seven days prior. New cases on Wednesday hit 920, the highest total since 1,010 were reported on May 13.
The no-fan atmosphere will include the opening ceremony at the $1.4 billion National Stadium, which is traditionally the most watched event during the Olympics.
“It’s not too late. Cancel or postpone it,” said Yukio Edano, the head of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the largest opposition party to Suga’s LDP
The uptick in infections has also forced the Tokyo city government to pull the Olympic torch relay off capital streets, allowing it to run only on remote islands off the Tokyo coast. It’s unclear how the torch will enter the stadium for the opening ceremony.
“The infections are in their expansion phase and everyone in this country must firmly understand the seriousness of it,” Dr. Shigeru Omi, a top government medical adviser, said.
He urged authorities to quickly take tough measures ahead of the Olympics, with summer vacations approaching.
Omi has repeatedly called for a ban on spectators, and has said it’s “abnormal” to hold the Olympics during a pandemic.
Separately, a government COVID-19 advisory panel met Wednesday and expressed concerns about the ongoing resurgence of the infections.
“Two-thirds of the infections in the capital region are from Tokyo, and our concern is the spread of the infections to neighboring areas,” said Ryuji Wakita, director-general of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.
The Olympics are pushing ahead against most medical advice, partially because the postponement stalled the IOC’s income flow. It gets almost 75% of its income from selling broadcast rights, and estimates suggest it would lose $3 billion to $4 billion if the Olympics were canceled.
About 11,000 Olympians and 4,400 Paralympians are expected to enter Japan, with tens of thousands of officials, judges, administrators, sponsors, broadcasters, and media also entering. The IOC says more than 80% of resident of the Olympic Village will be vaccinated.
Nationwide, Japan has had about 810,000 cases and nearly 14,900 deaths. Only 15% of Japanese are fully vaccinated, still low compared with 47.4% in the United States and almost 50% in Britain.
