“At the right time”: Tokyo’s bitter Corona Games

For Thomas Bach the matter is clear. “We can confidently say that these Olympic Games came at the right time,” claimed the President of the International Olympic Committee on Sunday in his glowing final assessment of the Summer Games in Tokyo. But the dark mask that the 67-year-old wears during his speech at the five-star Hotel Okura may seem to many to be a contradiction to Bach's words. The constantly increasing corona infections in the Olympic city and the desolately empty arenas are weighing on the image of the emergency games in Japan.

For the IOC boss, it was still a “very successful Olympic Games”. The painful postponement of a year, the worries of the organizers, the enormous expenses, the resistance in the host country - all of this dissolves into relief for Bach on the final day. “Some had already spoken of ghost games before. We have seen the opposite. The athletes gave these games soul,” says the German. The USA is the top nation again Bach reiterates that the risk of playing games in the middle of the pandemic was taken for the sake of the athletes. And they would have found the risky decision to be the right one. “I have never experienced such an atmosphere of friendship and solidarity as here,” enthuses the 1976 Olympic fencing champion.

The US volleyball players won gold at the end. © AFP / YURI CORTEZ

For the third time in a row, the USA is the strongest nation, just ahead of the Chinese. In third place are Japan's athletes, who have celebrated 27 Olympic victories - more than ever before. The fact that the hosts won judo at the venerable Nippon Budokan as well as the hip skateboard newcomer appeared to be a remarkable combination of Olympic tradition and modernity. Alone: The best way the Japanese could celebrate was in front of the television. These moments remain in your memory Essa Mutaz Barshim from Qatar and the Italian Gianmarco Tamberi also provided great TV entertainment, agreeing to share the high jump gold and celebrating this heartily. The Norwegian Karsten Warholm tore his shirt at the finish after 400 meters of hurdles and became a symbol of the record series on the fast track in the extremely expensive Olympic Stadium. Max Kruse's marriage proposal in front of the camera, the knitting diver Tom Daley and the tennis star Alexander Zverev crying with happiness - these difficult games also had moments for long-term memory.

One of the most memorable moments: Mutaz Essa Barshim (left) and Gianmarco Tamberi celebrate double gold. © POOL / CHRISTIAN PETERSEN

US gymnastics star Simone Biles, who revealed mental problems, was thought-provoking. Instead of becoming the most successful Olympian with a gold series like in Rio, the 24-year-old decided not to take part in almost all of the races. Japan experienced its own drama with the early tennis exit of Naomi Osaka, who had lit the Olympic flame at the beginning. Osaka recently made it public that she was suffering from periods of depression. Concern for the mental health of top athletes was as big a topic of debate in Tokyo as the IOC's efforts to achieve greater gender equality. The next games are in six months There is no breathing space for the Olympic world after the fire in Japan goes out. Beijing will be opening its Winter Games in just under six months. In addition to the Corona crisis, which is probably far from over, Thomas Bach will probably no longer be able to avoid the probing questions about human rights in China as he did in the extraordinary days in Tokyo.

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“At the right time”: Tokyo’s bitter Corona Games

At the end of the Tokyo Games, the Olympic organizers are greatly relieved. The risk worked out for IOC boss Thomas Bach and Japan's organizers. But the Corona shadows weigh heavily on the balance sheet.

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