July 17, 2021
Olympic rings are displayed in front of the construction site of the New National Stadium, the main stadium of Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, during a media opportunity in Tokyo, Japan on July 3, 2019
Reuters file
Former Hong Kong swimming star Karen Lo Cheuk-hang still remembers how she felt when there was no live audience at a local competition she once took part in.
“To be honest, I didn’t mind that, because I am stressed when performing in front of the crowd,” Lo recalled.
With the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games just one week away, athletes will also have to get used to not having live audiences. Host country Japan recently extended a state of emergency in the capital after a resurgence in Covid-19 cases, meaning that events will be held without spectators.