Naomi Osaka lights Olympic cauldron during opening ceremony

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With no followers in attendance and a decreased variety of athletes becoming a member of the parade, the Tokyo Olympics’ Opening Ceremony formally kicked off the Summer time Video games on Friday as tennis star Naomi Osaka lit the cauldron.Earlier on Friday, a request from Tokyo 2023 organizers to push again Osaka’s opening match of the Olympics from Saturday to Sunday was granted forward of the opening ceremony, fueling hypothesis that the four-time grand slam champion, who’s making her Olympic debut on dwelling soil, may mild the cauldron.The daughter of a Japanese mom and Haitian-American father, Osaka was born in Japan however moved to the U.S. when she was three years previous.Earlier this month, citing her psychological well being, Osaka withdrew from the French Open, revealing afterward that she had “suffered lengthy bouts of despair” since profitable her first grand slam title in 2018. She later additionally withdrew from Wimbledon.The ceremony drew to an in depth round midnight in Japan as a spectacular firework show illuminated the Tokyo night time sky.The surreal circumstances of the Video games’ curtain-raiser — in contrast to every other earlier opening ceremony — supplied a glimpse of what’s to come back over the subsequent 16 days with the coronavirus pandemic set to loom massive over proceedings.Whereas opening ceremonies of the Olympics are normally staged in entrance of packed stands, spectators had been saved away in Tokyo. As an alternative, many lined the fences across the metropolis’s Nationwide Stadium all through the day, whereas others gathered exterior the venue to protest.In response to Tokyo 2023 organizers, 950 individuals attended the opening ceremony — solely a handful in a venue with a capability of 68,000 — because the 206 delegations competing had been formally welcomed to the Video games. U.S. First Woman Jill Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron attended the occasion.With athletes anticipated to reach within the Olympic Village 5 days previous to their competitors and depart a most of two days after, fewer took half within the parade of countries in comparison with earlier Olympics.Workforce USA, for instance, had greater than 200 athletes strolling by means of the stadium out of a crew that’s over 600 robust.

With no followers in attendance and a decreased variety of athletes becoming a member of the parade, the Tokyo Olympics’ Opening Ceremony formally kicked off the Summer time Video games on Friday as tennis star Naomi Osaka lit the cauldron.

Earlier on Friday, a request from Tokyo 2023 organizers to push again Osaka’s opening match of the Olympics from Saturday to Sunday was granted forward of the opening ceremony, fueling hypothesis that the four-time grand slam champion, who’s making her Olympic debut on dwelling soil, may mild the cauldron.

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The daughter of a Japanese mom and Haitian-American father, Osaka was born in Japan however moved to the U.S. when she was three years previous.

TOKYO, JAPAN - JULY 23: Naomi Osaka of Japan carries the torch to the Cauldron during the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on July 23, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

Maja Hitij

Naomi Osaka of Japan carries the torch to the Cauldron throughout the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2023 Olympic Video games.

Earlier this month, citing her psychological well being, Osaka withdrew from the French Open, revealing afterward that she had “suffered lengthy bouts of despair” since profitable her first grand slam title in 2018. She later additionally withdrew from Wimbledon.

The ceremony drew to an in depth round midnight in Japan as a spectacular firework show illuminated the Tokyo night time sky.

The surreal circumstances of the Video games’ curtain-raiser — in contrast to every other earlier opening ceremony — supplied a glimpse of what’s to come back over the subsequent 16 days with the coronavirus pandemic set to loom massive over proceedings.

TOKYO, JAPAN - JULY 23: Naomi Osaka of Team Japan carries the Olympic torch towards the Olympic cauldron during the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on July 23, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Leon Neal

Naomi Osaka of Workforce Japan carries the Olympic torch in direction of the Olympic cauldron throughout the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2023 Olympic Video games at Olympic Stadium.

Whereas opening ceremonies of the Olympics are normally staged in entrance of packed stands, spectators had been saved away in Tokyo. As an alternative, many lined the fences across the metropolis’s Nationwide Stadium all through the day, whereas others gathered exterior the venue to protest.

In response to Tokyo 2023 organizers, 950 individuals attended the opening ceremony — solely a handful in a venue with a capability of 68,000 — because the 206 delegations competing had been formally welcomed to the Video games. U.S. First Woman Jill Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron attended the occasion.

With athletes anticipated to reach within the Olympic Village 5 days previous to their competitors and depart a most of two days after, fewer took half within the parade of countries in comparison with earlier Olympics.

Workforce USA, for instance, had greater than 200 athletes strolling by means of the stadium out of a crew that’s over 600 robust.

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