TOKYO, July 23 (Xinhua) -- The 32nd Summer Olympic Games, which was delayed by one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, finally opened at Tokyo's Olympic Stadium behind closed doors on Friday.
About 950 people, including officials and reporters, were allowed into the 68,000-capacity venue to watch the opening ceremony.
Tokyo was elected the host of the 2020 Olympic Games on September 7, 2013.
On March 24, 2020, Japan and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have agreed to postpone the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games by one year. It has been almost eight years since Japanese people celebrated the return of the Olympic Games after the 1964 Olympics.
"Today is a moment of hope," the IOC President Thomas Bach said in his speech, also calling for solidarity within the Olympic community.
"The Olympic athletes are sending a resounding message of hope to our fragile world. The Opening Ceremony will highlight this Olympic message of resilience, solidarity and unity of all humankind in overcoming the pandemic. The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 are a light at the end of this dark tunnel," he added.
"Here is a vision for the future, one that embodies 'Unity in Diversity', one of peace and respect for one another. This is the power of sport, and an expression of the fundamental values of the Olympic Movement," commented Tokyo 2020 president Seiko Hashimoto.
Bangladeshi social entrepreneur and banker Muhammad Yunus was awarded the Olympic Laurel at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics, becoming the second recipient of the laurel that was introduced in 2016 to honor people who have "made significant achievements in education, culture, development and peace through sport."
The Tokyo Olympic Games, attracting 11,000 athletes from 205 delegations and the Refugee Olympic team, will run through August 8.
China has dispatched a 777-member delegation to Tokyo, its largest ever participation in an overseas Games. The 431 Chinese athletes, including 24 Olympic champions, will compete in 30 out of 33 sports in Tokyo.
After much negotiation, Guinean athletes finally made their Olympic trip with five athletes including 3 women representing the country in Tokyo.
In Friday's rowing regatta, most favorites progressed to the next round. France finished first in the men's double sculls heat in six minutes and 10.45 seconds, a new Olympic best time, and the Netherlands improved it to 6:08.38 in another heat.
South Korea showed its dominance in archery by claiming five of the top six spots in the women's and men's individual ranking rounds.
In women's category, An San scored 680 out of a possible 720 to break the 25-year Olympic record of Lina Herasymenko of Ukraine, who registered 673 at Atlanta 1996. The South Korean side combined for 2,032, overshadowing previous Olympic record of 2,004 set by themselves at Beijing 2008.
As the Tokyo 2020 enters its first finals day, 11 gold medals are up for grab in shooting, road cycling, weightlifting, archery, judo, fencing and taekwondo. Enditem
