First Athletes Arrive at the Tokyo Olympics Amid a Pandemic

The Australian softball team is among the first international Olympic teams to arrive in Japan. The team’s arrival has been hailed as a major milestone for the Olympics, but it comes as critics call for the cancellation of Games amid Japan’s battle against a stubborn fourth COVID wave. On May 28, the Japanese government extended its COVID-19 state of emergency on Tokyo and several other areas until June 20. (The Olympics are scheduled to start on July 23.) Although new cases have declined in recent weeks, the country of 126 million is still recording around 3,000 cases a day. The pandemic means this year’s Olympics will be unlike any other. Although there are some individual athletes already in the country—including runners from South Sudan—the Aussie Spirit softball team is one of the first squads to fly in. Their experience offers insight into what this year’s Games might look like for other athletes and support staff still intending to travel there from across the world. Read more about the Tokyo Olympic