Sport
Gymnasts from four nations tumbled, leapt and spun their way through a friendly meet in Tokyo on Sunday in a closely-watched event aimed at revealing the world Japan can securely carry out the postponed 2020 Olympics in an age of coronavirus.
Sophia Butler of the U.S. carries out on the floor at Relationship and Solidarity Competitors, the first worldwide event at a Tokyo Olympic location given that the Games were postponed in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in Tokyo, Japan November 8,2020 REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
TOKYO: Gymnasts from four nations tumbled, jumped and spun their way through a friendly satisfy in Tokyo on Sunday in a closely-watched event focused on showing the world Japan can safely carry out the delayed 2020 Olympics in a period of coronavirus.
Thirty gymnasts from Japan, the United States, China and Russia, consisting of Japan’s triple Olympic gold medallist Kohei Uchimura and Russia’s 2019 World Champ Nikita Nagornyy, participated in the very first international occasion at a Tokyo Olympic location considering that the Games’ postponement in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
An opening message from International Olympic Committee (IOC) head Thomas Bach highlighted the stakes for the fulfill, which appeared briefly threatened last week when Uchimura had what turned out to be an incorrect favorable infection test.
Admiring the “Olympic values” of friendship and uniformity – the names of teams into which the athletes were divided regardless of country or gender – Bach stated the satisfy played a crucial function.
” You are likewise setting an example that sport can be arranged securely even under ongoing health limitations,” he said in a video message.
Viewers at the place, designed by Kenzo Tange for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, clapped enthusiastically however didn’t cheer, mindful of published rules against it – except when Uchimura, who hadn’t completed internationally for 2 years due to injury, completed an electrifying horizontal bar routine.
A number of professional athletes, including Uchimura, stated it was “simply plain enjoyable” to get to a fulfill after a such a long gap.
Uchimura, whose “Uniformity” team edged “Relationship” to win, said the fulfill went beyond sport.
Gymnasts, checked daily for the infection, all wore masks as they marched into the gymnasium behind national flags, and there were fist bumps of congratulations instead of hugs or high fives.
A handful of demonstrators outside called for the Olympics to be cancelled, however spectators shrugged them off.
( Reporting by Jack Tarrant and Elaine Lies; Editing by William Mallard & Simon Cameron-Moore)
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