Are fans allowed at the 2021 Olympics?
The games start in Tokyo on Friday 23rd July.
All sporting eyes are currently on the delayed Euro 2020 football championships, but later this summer another even bigger sporting event that was postponed last year finally gets underway: The Olympics.
Taking place in Tokyo, the games will get underway on Friday 23rd July with many of the world's greatest athletes set to battle it out for bronze, silver, and gold medals.
Of course, one of the highlights of the ongoing Euros has been the presence of fans in the stadiums, and you might be wondering if spectators will similarly be allowed to watch the Olympics in person when they start next month.
Read on for everything you need to know.
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Are fans allowed at Olympics 2021?
Although there have been warnings from health officials, it was recently confirmed that a small number of fans would be able to attend the Tokyo Olympics – however only those already living in Japan.
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Spectators are allowed in the stadia so long as crowds do not exceed 50% of a venue's capacity, meaning that as many as 10,000 people could attend – not including delegates and sponsors, who are classified as organisers rather than spectators.
Speaking about the decision to allow fans, in spite of a report last week by Japanese medical experts that advised hosting without spectators, organising committee president Seiko Hashimoto said, "There are so many cases, domestically and internationally [of] sports events with spectators.
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"By exercising thorough measures and based on the government criteria, we believe we can hold the Games with spectators.
"The entire world is facing the same issues and we have to work together to overcome them."
The situation will continue to be monitored and there is still a possible outcome whereby spectators would not be allowed at all – if there is a rapid increase in infection rates and a subsequent impact on Japanese healthcare systems.
Tokyo had been in a state of emergency until it was lifted on Sunday 20th June, less than five weeks before the games begin, and there are fears that infection rates could swell again once the Olympics get underway.
In the UK, viewers will be able to watch extensive coverage of the Games on the BBC, live broadcasts of various sports across a range of channels.
If you’re looking for something else to watch check out our TV Guide. Visit our dedicated hub for more Sports news.
