After postponing the Tokyo 2020 Games for a year, organisers said the event would serve as a symbol of world triumph over the pandemic. The ceremony, although lustreless, gave athletes something of a glimpse of everyday Tokyo life as the Olympic Stadium was transformed into a park with grass, buskers and BMX riders. The scene was meant so the visitors could "experience Tokyo", organisers said, a poignant reminder of the many restrictions of the Games. The president of the International Olympic Committee thanked the Japanese people and acknowledged the difficulty of staging the Games during the pandemic. In swimming, a United States team without 23-time Olympic gold medallist Michael Phelps still ended the meeting on top of the medals table.

Source: The Express Tribune August 08, 2021 15:00 UTC