Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 (2021): minute by minute

The opening ceremony begins Friday night in Tokyo with Olympic formalities, but the competition is already underway.

Here are the things you need to know for second day events:

Kovit-19 is still there: the challenges of hosting one of the world’s most prestigious sporting events during an epidemic are never clear. Many athletes have had a positive test in their home countries or frustrated their dreams after coming to Japan. Dozens of cases have been linked to the game in Japan.

With only 24 hours left until the opening ceremony, the organizers continue to hope that the Olympics can be successfully held through security measures.

However, things are very different from previous years. The almost empty stadiums where athletes compete are a constant visual reminder of the price of infection. Tomorrow’s festivals may seem even more infertile. Organizers said only 950 people will attend the opening ceremony, which will take place in the 68,000-seat stadium.

Japan’s top Olympic official has not ruled out a last-minute cancellation, but things seem to be moving as planned.

“The world needs a celebration of hope now more than ever before,” World Health Organization Director-General Tetros Adanom Caprais said in a speech before a game in Tokyo. “This year’s celebrations may be quiet, but the message of hope is still important.”

Aspiring athletes: Five women’s football teams protest against racism before their first matches: Great Britain, Chile, USA, Sweden and New Zealand. The Australian team stood with their hands together and posed for a pre-game photo with the country’s native flag.

Swedish defender Amanda Ilestet said after the match that they were defending human rights.

Softball, football and shooting: Today’s schedule is lighter than tomorrow’s Olympics, but here are some highlights:

In the first place is the U.S. The softball team faces third-placed Canada

Men’s football starts with eight games in the afternoon and evening Japan time

Official shooting training will take place in the Asaka shooting range.