Olympics-Fireworks and emptiness as Tokyo prepares to douse Olympic flame

Tokyo 2020 Olympics - The Tokyo 2020 Olympics Closing Ceremony - Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan - August 8, 2021. General view of fireworks above the stadium during the closing ceremony REUTERS/Thomas Peter

TOKYO (Reuters) -Masked athletes marched into a near-empty stadium in Tokyo on Sunday as Japan prepared to douse its Olympic flame and close a Games that were upended by the pandemic and then transformed by the drama of politics, sport and personal turmoil.

A volley of white-and-gold fireworks streaked above the Olympic Stadium, putting in sharp relief the oddity of a Games held without spectators.