Athletes to put on own medals in Tokyo Olympic as the coronavirus infections reach six-month high

Analysis Knight Rider

Athletes to put on own medals in Tokyo Olympic as the coronavirus infections reach six-month high

Athletes to put on own medals in Tokyo Olympic as the coronavirus infections reach six-month high
To prevent the coronavirus from spreading, successful athletes at the Tokyo Olympics will wear medals around their necks.

International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach announced the "very significant change" to customary medal presentations in the 339 events.

The medals will not be worn around the competitor's neck; instead, they will be handed on a tray to the athlete, who will then take the medal himself.

It shall be ensured that the person who places the medal on the tray does so exclusively with sterilised gloves, so the athlete can be confident that they have not been touched previously.

The Olympic practice differs from that of European soccer, where UEFA head Aleksander Ceferin has personally draped medals around players' necks in recent weeks at competition finals.

At the Euro 2020 medal and trophy ceremony in London on Sunday, Ceferin also shook hands with Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. In a penalty shootout, his stop secured Italy's victory over England.

During the ceremony, Bach confirmed that there will be no handshakes or hugs.

An IOC member or a high-ranking official from a sport's governing body often presents an Olympic medal. The International Olympic Committee had previously stated that medalists and ceremony officials would be required to wear masks.

With no paid spectators permitted at most events, an "immersive sound system," as Bach called it, will attempt to create a mood for the athletes in the stadiums and venues.

He claimed that crowd noise recorded from previous Olympics events would be sent into the arena as one of the various ways to assist the competitors.

Some athletes will be connected to their family, friends, and fan groups at home via screens after their event. Fans will transmit up to six-second video clips to be screened near the playing field.

The Tokyo Olympics begin on July 23, with the city in emergency due to increased COVID-19 cases.