The Highs and Lows of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

What You Need To Know

The Tokyo Summer Olympic Games kick off on July 23, with more than 11,000 athletes flocking to the Japanese capital for a shot at glory.

But the road to the Games has been less than glorious after an unprecedented year-long delay, the biggest disruption since the 1944 London Olympics was canceled during World War II. For host Japan and the International Olympic Committee, the decision to press ahead with the event during a global pandemic drew controversy — and they will be closely watched to see if they manage to pull off a safe competition and stave off the risk of a virus superspreader event. Opinion polls showed a majority of Japanese people were against holding Games as the virus spread across the nation, though surveys later showed an uptick in support among a nervous public as the opening ceremony came closer.

The Games are likely to be a muted affair, with none of the usual pomp and revelry, and no fans watching from the stands. It’s the first to be held without spectators since the modern Olympic movement started in the late 19th century. Athletes and other participants will be in a quasi-bubble, largely cut off from interacting with the Japanese public. Outside the bubble, coronavirus infections are rising in Tokyo as the delta variant spreads. A delayed vaccination rollout has so far only covered most of the elderly in Japan.

Despite the IOC’s pages-long rules and protocols to avert infections, risks remain as Olympians live in close quarters. Two South African soccer players became the first athletes inside the Olympic Village to test positive for Covid-19 along with a video analyst for the team. A female U.S. gymnast tested positive while at a pre-Olympic training camp northeast of Tokyo.