Gymnasts in Tokyo show how pandemic Olympics may be possible

TOKYO: Gymnasts from four nations tumbled, leapt and spun through a friendly meet in front of several thousand fans in Tokyo on Sunday in a closely-watched event aimed at showing the world Japan can safely carry out the postponed 2020 Olympics in an era of coronavirus.

Thirty gymnasts from Japan, the United States, China and Russia, including Japan’s triple Olympic gold medallist Kohei Uchimura and Russia’s 2019 World Champion Nikita Nagornyy, took part in the first international event at a Tokyo Olympic venue since the Games’ postponement in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The one-off friendly event was seen as a crucial trial run for having international athletes travel to and compete in Japan during the Olympics, which will bring more than 11,000 athletes to Tokyo next July. A few international matches have been held recently, but remain rare.

An opening message from International Olympic Committee (IOC) head Thomas Bach highlighted the stakes for the meet, which seemed briefly threatened last week when Uchimura had what turned out to be a false positive virus test.

Lauding the “Olympic values” of friendship and solidarity — the names of teams into which the athletes were divided regardless of country or gender — Bach said the meet played a crucial role.

“You are also setting an example that sport can be organised safely even under ongoing health restrictions,” he said in a video message. “…Giving us confidence in our preparation for future events, in particular of course with an eye to the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.”

Spectators at the venue, designed by Kenzo Tange for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, clapped enthusiastically but didn’t cheer, mindful of posted rules against it – except when Uchimura, who hadn’t competed internationally for two years due to injury, completed an electrifying horizontal bar routine.

Uchimura, whose “Solidarity” team edged “Friendship” to win, said the meet went beyond sport.

“It’s important to work towards the Olympics next year, but we must also be athletes who give you hope and dreams,” Uchimura said.

He made a passionate plea to his compatriots to look for ways to hold the Olympics, as opinion polls indicate most Japanese believe the global sporting event should either be delayed further or cancelled.

“It’s not that we cannot hold it,” he said. “I hope everyone will come to focus on what we can do so that we can hold it.”

Nagornyy echoed his competitor’s call and said: “For any athletes, next year’s Olympics will be the most important competition of their lives. Even if these [sanitation] conditions were to be imposed during the Olympics, we are ready to respect them.”

Gymnasts, tested daily for the virus, wore masks as they marched into the gymnasium behind national flags, and there were fist bumps of congratulations instead of hugs or high fives.

Fans entering the stadium, which was the venue for swimming in the 1964 Olympics, had temperatures taken and hands sanitised. Seating was spread out and everyone wore masks, a standard practice everywhere in Japan.

Top Japanese government officials attended, including Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike, Olympic minister Seiko Hashimoto and sports minister Koichi Hagiuda.

Yoshiro Mori, president of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee, said Bach would visit Japan next week partly to review the gymnastics meet.

“Unless this competition becomes a success, there was a view that it would be almost impossible to hold the Olympics next year,” Mori said during the closing ceremony.

Gymnastics organisers also said the southern Japanese city of Kitakyushu will hold the 2021 world championships in artistic and rhythmic gymnastics from October 17 to 31.