- Title: Lucky few reflect on indoor Tokyo 2020 experience
- Date: 2nd August 2021
- Summary: SOUNDBITE (Japanese) MORITA ISADO, SAYING: "If we didn't have COVID, more people would have been able to watch the cycling event. I wish a lot of people could have watched it and had fun." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE QUEUING (SOUNDBITE) (English) EMMA COHEN, FROM BRITAIN BUT LIVING IN TOKYO, SAYING: "Yeah great, it was a good environment very strange. So, no cheering which was unusual, but lots of clapping and still really nice to see the Olympics happening." PEOPLE QUEUING TOKYO 2020 MASCOTS ON SCARF (SOUNDBITE) (English) DAVE COHEN, FROM BRITAIN BUT LIVING IN TOKYO, SAYING: "I think we were kind of assuming that it would get cancelled to be honest. So, watching the email inbox every day and waiting for the email, but it never came. So, happy to be able to make it." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE GETTING ON BUS (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRANDON GRILC, FROM THE UNITED STATES BUT LIVING IN TOKYO, SAYING: "Yeah, we have been waiting for a year and a half to figure out if we were going to get tickets or not. We were entered into a second lottery. So, we are just happy to be a part of it." BUS LEAVING
- Embargoed: 16th August 2021 14:45
- Keywords: COVID-19 Olympics Tokyo 2020 coronavirus fans supporters track cycling
- Location: IZU, JAPAN
- City: IZU, JAPAN
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Olympics,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA003EOL79DZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Fans were thanking their lucky stars after being part of a privileged crowd who got to watch the Tokyo Olympics at an indoor venue on Monday (August 2).
The games have taken place mainly behind closed doors since beginning more than a week ago.
Spectators have lined the streets at road races and cycling events, but all have taken place outdoors and on public roads.
But the Olympic velodrome is in Shizuoka Prefecture, around two and half hours from Tokyo by train or car, where anti-Coronavirus measures are not as strict as the state of emergency the capital is currently under.
The velodrome was allowed to operate at around 50% capacity, meaning up to 1,800 fans got in, although numbers appeared lower.
A mainly Japanese crowd were joined by a handful of foreigners who live in the country.
They witnessed a new Olympic record in the men's team pursuit from favourites Denmark, and China taking gold in the women's team sprint.
(Production: Xihao Jiang and Iain Axon) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None