Nearly 700 of the best athletes in the United States including 18 from New Jersey will compete against the world during the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which got underway Friday with opening ceremonies.
The games will be like no other thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic as no fans from other countries were allowed at the games to provide that intangible support that Olympians feed off of.
The athletes themselves are under tight restrictions that limit their interactions with each other.
Friday's opening ceremonies which took place at 7 a.m. Eastern time gave fans the first indication of the virus's impact when 5,700 masked up athletes marched into a nearly empty stadium during what is usually a vibrant, exciting ceremony.