JAPANESE fans embraced the vibrant atmosphere during Saturday’s opening day of the world athletics championships in Tokyo, four years after being excluded from the same stadium during the pandemic-affected Olympics.
The Tokyo Games, delayed until 2021 due to Covid-19, occurred with empty stands as organisers prohibited spectators to minimise infection risks.
Spectators arrived early on a cloudy and humid morning, determined to compensate for their previous absence, with many gathering before the 7:30 am race walk event.
Hajime Kondo, a 41-year-old office worker from Chiba, attended with his wife Yukiko and their six-year-old son to experience the event together.
“We just arrived but we watched the race walk, and when the Japanese athletes went past, people got very excited,” Kondo told AFP.
He emphasised how witnessing athletes in person inspires children and creates positive motivation for their own activities.
Kondo and his wife had secured Olympic kayak slalom tickets through a lottery four years earlier but watched from home after the fan ban was implemented.
“It was disappointing, we had taken the day off work and everything,” he recalled.
He noted the empty venues appeared forlorn on television and lacked the energetic atmosphere that live audiences provide.
The National Stadium, with a capacity just under 70,000, was approximately half-full when the men’s 35km race walk leaders entered for their final lap during the morning session.
A tremendous roar erupted when Japan’s Hayato Katsuki entered the stadium on his way to securing a bronze medal.
Katsuki, who also competed in the Tokyo Olympics where race walks were moved to Sapporo to avoid extreme heat, appreciated the fan support this time.
“Fans were allowed to cheer us on this time and that gave me a lot of strength,” the 34-year-old said.
He expressed his desire to showcase race walking as an enjoyable event ahead of its inclusion in the Los Angeles Olympics.
Yuko Arimori, head of Japan’s athletics federation, became emotional on Friday while describing how these championships could erase the painful memory of empty Olympic stands.
Arimori stressed that sports involve not only athletes but also everyone drawing energy from the experience.
Takashige Torii, a 49-year-old consultant from Chiba, wished for a fuller stadium during the race walk but remained optimistic about the remaining events.
“It’s a great chance for visitors from around the world to come to Tokyo and get to know Japan and its culture,” he said.
He highlighted how Japanese children missed the Olympic experience and believed this event would positively impact them.
Organisers have sold out some sessions across the nine-day championships while tickets remain available for others.
World Athletics president Sebastian Coe declared the event the largest sporting event of the year by a significant margin on Friday.
Hitoshi Aita, a 38-year-old company worker attending with his wife Misato, found the opening day satisfying and educational.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen race walk and I’m surprised by how fast they go,” he said.
He acknowledged that strong fan support provides significant strength to competing athletes. – AFP
