Olympic torch: Celebrate Tokyo 2021 with the biennial marathon event
Whether it be to classic montage music such as the theme to Chariots of Fire or a rock anthem such as Kid Rock’s “Bawitdaba”, nearly everyone on this planet finds motivation in the tradition of the Olympic torch relay, which traditionally kicks off 121-days before the Olympic Games and wraps up during the opening ceremonies.
This Thursday will mark day one of the carrying of the Olympic torch, which will be carried in turns by an estimated 10,000 torchbearers across Japan’s forty-seven prefectures, with its final destination taking place on the opening night of the Olympic Games on July 23rd, 2021. The event will kick off at the J-Village football training centre near the damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.
The torch will first be carried by members from the 2011 Japan women’s soccer team, who won the World Cup that very year. We’re overjoyed, after a year’s delay, that the Summer Olympic Games are finally taking place, and you can bet that we’ll be keeping a close eye on the carrying of the Olympic torch. Are you as excited as us for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics?
2021 Tokyo Olympics
The 2021 Tokyo Olympics is scheduled to take place between July 23rd-August 8th, 2021. The anticipated Summer Olympic Games, which takes place in a different country every four years, was originally set to be underway last year in the Summer of 2020, but was, albeit understandably, postponed due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the current global pandemic.
Today, only four months until the opening ceremony, fans around the world continue to express their excitement for this four-year tradition, which, perhaps at times foolishly, creates an illusion that for a two-week period the world is finally at peace, a much-needed mirage given the cruelty of the world.
Many fans anticipated going to the Tokyo Olympic live in-person, itching to return to normalcy as well as check out some of their favorite Olympic athletes live, including Simone Biles, Serena Williams, Christian Taylor, Megan Rapinoe, and many, many others. However, as we’ve learned earlier this month, fans who had hoped to travel abroad to witness the games in-person may have to wait another few years. But why?
No fans allowed
Sadly, the Japanese government has determined that it’s simply not safe for travelers to come and watch the spectacle that is the Summer Olympics in person, due to growing concerns about the new variants of the virus which have been detected in several countries, even with the success of the current vaccine rollout.
Today, Japan continues to halt any new entries of foreign nationals in principle, seeing as how it’s taking a bit more time than expected for the Japanese government to stem the number of infections since last January when the rate was as high as 2,500 cases per day . . . and that’s just in Tokyo, home of the 2021 Summer Olympics!
Because of this decision, the government will now have to reconsider its growth strategy, as with hopes of hosting the Summer Olympics – as well as postponing the event by a full-year – came the idea that incoming spectators for the anticipated games might help revive the Japanese economy. But alas, the world simply isn’t ready for these types of gatherings just yet.
Spirit of the games lives on
While there may not be many spectators allowed during this year’s Olympic Games, we’re still stoked that the Games are even taking place at all, given these uncertain times. The carrying of the Olympic torch, set to kick off its journey this Thursday, serves as sort of a symbol, a match that will soon ignite the great flame of hope, as the return of the Olympic Games is just another positive step forward into life being what it once was.
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How excited are you that the 2021 Summer Olympic is almost here? Who’s been your favorite person to ever carry the Olympic torch? How about your favorite event to watch during the Summer Olympic Games? Comment below and let us know your thoughts.
