The Olympic Games have officially begun.
On Friday, the Opening Ceremony kicked off the 2020 Tokyo Games in style, with dazzling fireworks displays, jaw-dropping performances and breathtaking costumes. This year’s theme is “United by Emotion,” according to the hosts, per ESPN, after the Games were delayed a year by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Things certainly had a different feel this time around, as athletes from more than 200 countries paraded with flags in front of a mostly empty Olympic Stadium in Tokyo. Fewer than 1,000 spectators were present — filling less than 2% of a stadium designed for 68,000 — as Japan is currently under a state of emergency because of rising coronavirus infections in the capital. The entirety of the Tokyo Games, which will feature a record 33 competitions and 339 events held in 42 competition venues, will be held under emergency measures.
Here are the highlights from the Opening Ceremony.
Tennis star Naomi Osaka lit the cauldron, officiating the start of the Games. The 23-year-old, No. 2-ranked women’s tennis player and Chūō City native will compete in her hometown of Tokyo, looking to bring home Japan’s first gold medal in tennis.
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