Hours ahead of the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, people take photos with the Olympic rings outside the Olympic Stadium. SOURCE: AFPTV https://youtu.be/CdC5tHJSq1E
Tag: Olympics
Pinoy rower Cris Nievarez qualifies for quarterfinals
MANILA – Cris Nievarez made the quarterfinal cut in the Tokyo Olympics men’s rowing single sculls event after finishing third in his heat on Friday at the Sea Forest Waterway in the Japanese capital. Nievarez clocked in at seven minutes and 22.97 seconds, making the quarterfinal cut as the top three rowers per heat will qualify to the next round. He will join Croatian Damir Martin, who topped Heat 5 at 7:09.17, and Russian Alexander […]
Ceremonies chief sacked on eve of troubled Tokyo Olympics
by Talek HARRIS Agence France Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — The director of the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony was fired for jokes about the Holocaust on Thursday, causing fresh embarrassment a day before the pandemic-delayed Games finally get under way. The latest row involving a senior Games figure comes at a time of widespread opposition to the 2020 Olympics as Tokyo battles its highest number of coronavirus cases since January. Japan’s Covid-19 crisis has […]
Japan PM denies IOC pressure to hold Olympics: report
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has denied he was pressured by the International Olympic Committee into holding a Games that remains deeply unpopular as virus cases surge in Tokyo. And with just days until the opening ceremony, the Japanese leader said Tokyo was “in the right place, and we’re ready to go.” In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, the 72-year-old insisted he was “absolutely not” pushed into going ahead […]
Surfing gives hope to Brazilians with disabilities
by Rodrigo ALMONACID SANTOS, Brazil (AFP) — Doctors told Malu Mendes that she would never walk normally again, but now she is a world champion at riding waves. Miguel Almeida can barely see but has been able to sense the formation of waves since he was a child. Like many Brazilians, both have managed to overcome their physical disabilities thanks to surfing. They head to the beaches of Santos in mid-morning to enjoy the waves. […]
Coronavirus hits Olympic Village for first time
by Talek HARRIS Agence France Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — The chief of the Tokyo Olympics tried to reassure “worried” athletes on Saturday as the Games Village was hit by its first coronavirus case, six days before the pandemic-delayed event opens. As thousands of competitors pour into Japan for the Games, which will largely take place without spectators, the positive test for an unnamed person in the Village heightened worries over biosecurity. About 11,000 […]
48,000 meals a day: Tokyo tackles feeding an Olympic Village
by Natsuko FUKUE TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Even under ordinary circumstances, feeding an Olympic Village is a mammoth task, with chefs preparing tens of thousands of meals a day for elite athletes from around the world. But at Tokyo 2020, there’s an added pressure: strict coronavirus rules forbid athletes from eating at local restaurants, so it’s their only chance to sample Japan’s famous cuisine. “I feel it’s a lot of responsibility for us,” admitted Tsutomu […]
Booker looking at quick turn from NBA Finals to Olympics
PHOENIX, United States (AFP) — Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker won’t be done with basketball after the NBA Finals, with plans to join the US Olympic team after the championship showdown against Milwaukee. The 24-year-old guard, a two-time NBA All-Star, will be joined by Bucks’ rivals Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton on the 12-man US roster that is set to play its first game in Tokyo on July 25. If the NBA Finals reach the […]
Japan to impose virus emergency in Tokyo during Olympics: reports
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — The Japanese government plans to impose a virus state of emergency in Tokyo during the Olympics, reports said Wednesday, meaning spectators could be barred from venues. The emergency measures — less strict than a blanket lockdown — will be in force until August 22, several Japanese media outlets reported, following a rise in cases less than three weeks before the Games begin. “The government decided to declare the fourth state of […]
Japan PM warns of closed-door Olympics as virus cases rise
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s prime minister warned that the Tokyo Olympics could be held behind closed doors, as virus cases rise in the city just three weeks before the Games begin. Organizers decided last month to set a limit of 10,000 fans or half of each venue’s capacity for events at the pandemic-postponed Games. But Yoshihide Suga repeated cautions that spectators could be locked out of competitions if the situation worsens, with the government […]
Breastfeeding athletes can bring children to Tokyo: organizers
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Breastfeeding athletes will be allowed to bring children to the Tokyo Olympics “when necessary”, organizers have announced, after criticism from mothers over tough rules on bringing family to the Games. The clarification was welcomed by some athletes as a relief, but US football star Alex Morgan slammed organizers for keeping her in the dark about the criteria. Athletes’ families are banned from attending the pandemic-postponed Games, under anti-virus rules that organizers […]
Japan Olympic chief says ‘no way’ to ensure zero virus cases
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s Olympic chief said Monday there was “no way” to ensure zero virus cases among teams arriving for the Tokyo Games, as officials prepare to tighten screening procedures. Japanese Olympic Committee president Yasuhiro Yamashita said “thorough measures” would be necessary at airports, after two members of Uganda’s team tested positive last week following their arrival in Japan. “No matter what measures are put in place, there is no way we will […]
