Olympics-Five rings up in Tokyo sky as competition gets underway

Japan's aerobatics team, the Blue Impulse, skywrite Olympic rings in a practice run ahead of the official opening of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan, July 21, 2021. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese pilots drew the five Olympic rings over Tokyo on Wednesday in a practice flight ahead of a similar manoeuvre which is scheduled for later this week to mark the official start of the Tokyo Games, a rare festivity surrounding the COVID 19-hit Olympics.

The Japanese air force's aerobatic demonstration squadron, Blue Impulse, flew over the capital shortly after noon and drew the Olympic symbol with white smoke near the national stadium, with people on the ground waving and taking smartphone photos.