Fake cheers, empty seats: Tokyo gives glimpse of Covid-era Olympics

Athletes competing in the 400m race test event for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics at the National Stadium in Tokyo on May 9, 2021. — AFP

Welcome to the Covid-era Tokyo Olympics, which Japan seems determined to hold at all costs.

An athletics test event brought home the reality of hosting an Olympics during the pandemic, with athletes competing in a muted atmosphere and excitement hard to muster.