By Philip Barker in Tokyo
Her hair specially braided with the National Japanese colour Cherry Red, Naomi Osaka ignited the cauldron to light the Olympic Flame after an Opening Ceremony which largely captured the mood of uncertainty yet also offered a message of hope.
She had received the Flame from the young people of Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima, the three prefectures most affected by the earthquake and Tsunami of 2011.
The ceremony had been staged in a stadium which was largely empty except for dignitaries and members of the media.
The Games had been opened by Emperor Naruhito, the third generation of the Imperial family to perform the duty.
He had been invited to do so by International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.
“Today is a moment of hope. Yes, it is very different from what all of us had imagined.” Bach said.
“Let us cherish this moment because finally we are all here together, the athletes from 205 National Olympic Committees and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team, living under one roof together in the Olympic Village.”
A giant sphere had floated above the stadium against the Tokyo night sky as a symbol of the world.
Bach paid tribute to the Japanese nation which he described as “Gracious Hosts.”
“Ten years ago you set out on a journey to bring the Olympic spirit back to Tokyo after the outstanding Olympic Games of Tokyo 1964.”
“It was a difficult journey with unprecedented challenges along the way first reconstructing after the great East Japan Earthquake, then the Coronavirus pandemic. This is why our gratitude and admiration for you is even greater.”
The evening had begun with Arisa Tsubata, both a nurse and a boxer, running on a treadmill, a reminder that so many athletes have been training remotely over the last year
A group of dancers used elastic rope to convey the inner workings of the body and the heart as the stadium was bathed in red light. The light and projections of virtual imagery conveyed a three-dimensional effect in a sequence entitled “Apart but not Alone.”
There was a moment of remembrance for those who had passed away during the pandemic.
This was followed by “Kiyari Uta,” a work song that has been sung since the 17th century. In this scene, it is sung not by performers, but by actual members of the Edo Firemanship Preservation Association.
The display of the Olympic Rings, a signature scene at any Opening Ceremony, was performed with simplicity.
They were made from wood from trees which came from seeds brought to Japan during 1964 from across the world. The resonance of those first Tokyo Games, often viewed as the end of a golden era of simplicity, would return later in the ceremony, not least in a sequence on pictograms, first used in 1964 to help overcome the language barrier.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Professor Muhammad Yunus had appeared on the big screen from his home in Bangladesh to receive the Olympic Laurel.
Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto greeted the athletes speaking in Japanese but for the last four words.
“We have been encouraged by your commitment in spite of all the difficulties you’ve had to endure,” Hashimoto said.
“You have always moved forward and done your very best. As a fellow athlete, I offer you my heartfelt gratitude. You have always believed in yourselves, and you have made tremendous efforts in what you do. Step onto this stage with confidence. The world is waiting for you!”
According to tradition established in 1928, Greece led the athletes’ parade. Each of the nations had nominated joint flag bearers. The Greek team was led into the stadium by gymnastics champion Eleftherios Petrounias, accompanied by Anna Korakaki, the gold medal winning shooter who had begun the Torch Relay in Ancient Olympia.
The IOC Olympic Refugee Team, now mercifully using an acronym of the French name Equipe Olympique Refugies followed, an innovation for this year. Swimmer Yusra Mardini and Marathon runner Gabriyesos Tachlowini were the flag bearers. Tonga’s Pita Taufetofua was bare chested once more, parading with fellow taekwondo player Malia Paseka.
At the end of the procession, the United States and France immediately preceded the host nation in recognition that Paris will stage the Olympics in 1924 and Los Angeles will follow in 1928.
Then came Japan, with world champion freestyle wrestler Yui Susaki joining National Basketball Association star Rui Hachimura with their flag.
A new style oath, taken even before the Emperor opened the Games, saw a male and female coach and judge join two athletes to speak a revised oath in Japanese:
“Together we stand in solidarity and commit ourselves to sport without doping, without cheating, without any form of discrimination. We do this for the honour of our teams, in respect for the Fundamental Principles of Olympism, and to make the world a better place through sport.”
A performance of Imagine by John Lennon, 50 years old this year, was led by a choir of schoolchildren.
The arrival of the Olympic Flag was another highly symbolic moment. This year it was “broadened to include citizens from around the world who have also dedicated themselves, as essential workers—either as part of their professional duties or on a voluntary basis—to bring day-to-day help and support to those in need.”
The effect of a release of doves was achieved with special effects as the voice of Susan Boyle performing “Wings to Fly” was heard.
A performance inspired by traditional Kabuki theatre was the prelude to the finale.
In the climactic moments the Flame had arrived in the stadium to the sounds of Ravel’s Bolero, music synonymous with sporting excellence ever since it was used by ice dancers Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean to win gold at the Winter Olympics in 1984.
It was carried by the two triple Olympic champions originally selected to collect the Flame at the Handover ceremony in Athens.
Judoka Tadahiro Nomura and freestyle wrestler Saori Yoshida passed the Flame to a succession of runners which included Olympians, Paralympians and essential workers.
Finally double Australian and US Open winner Naomi Osaka emerged from the shadows, to light the cauldron.
There had been so much talk in the ceremony of gender equality and this was a perhaps unintended reminder that the first female Olympic champion of all had also been a tennis player, Charlotte Cooper.
An hour later, on the water front, 2016 badminton doubles champion Ayaka Takahashi ignited the almost identical bowl at the Ariake Yume-no-Ohashi Bridge.
The Flame will burn using Hydrogen fuel in a bowl designed by Oki Sato.
The choice of Takahashi means that women both began and ended the Relay.
In Ancient Olympia , Greek shooting gold medallist Anna Korakaki had become the first woman to run with the Flame in the ancient stadium and Japan’s 2004 Athens gold medallist Mizuki Nogumi took over outside the memorial grove dedicated to Pierre de Coubertin. The Flame was received at the handover by swimmer Naoto Imoto, a swimmer at 1996 Games.
At the Grand Start in Fukushima, members of Japan’s 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup winning squad were the star attraction of the launch of the 121-day relay as they carried the Torch as a group from the J Village Football Training Centre.
The presence of women at every key juncture of the Relay helped reinforce the IOC message.
It is the third time in successive Games that the Flame has been re-lit. In 2012 Austin Playfoot, a torch bearer from 1948, ignited the London cauldron after it had been repositioned in the stadium following the opening ceremony and in 2016 Jorge Gomes, an athlete from Rio de Janeiro had lit a second public cauldron at Candelaria close to the waterfront Naval district of the city.
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