The move marked a sharp turnabout from just weeks earlier, when organizers said they aimed to hold the global sporting showpiece with limited spectators.
The Tokyo Olympics will take place without spectators, organizers said on Thursday, as a resurgent pandemic forced Japan to declare a coronavirus state of emergency for the capital that will run throughout the event.
Although widely expected, the move marked a sharp turnabout from just weeks earlier, when organizers said they aimed to hold the global sporting showpiece with limited spectators. Construction workers are seen around spectators' seats in preparation for the Olympic Games at Ariake Urban Sports Park in Tokyo."It is regrettable that we are delivering the Games in a very limited format, facing the spread of coronavirus infections," Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto said following talks between government officials, Tokyo organizers and Olympic and Paralympic representatives.
Once seen as a chance for Japan to stand large on the global stage after a devastating earthquake a decade ago, the showpiece event wasOlympic Minister Tamayo Marukawa said organizers had agreed to hold the Games without spectators in Tokyo, and to decide according to the local situation for venues outside of the capital.