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Tokyo: Like any other Olympics, the Tokyo Games created its share of indelible moments _ runners lunging across the finish line, swimmers reaching for the wall, athletes standing on podiums with medals around their necks. The most lasting images from the 2020 Games _ held in 2021, of course _ will be those that underline the once unimagineable circumstances surrounding them. A staff member cleans the table during table tennis mixed doubles round of 16 matches.
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Reminders are everywhere that these will forever be remembered as the Pandemic Olympics. A sign designating a closed seating area is taped to a seat. |
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A last-minute rule change allowed athletes to remove their masks for a podium photo-op with their medals, but the face coverings had to be quickly restored. Liam Heath, of Great Britain, kisses his bronze medal in the men's kayak single 200m final.
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Thus the awkwardness as American dressage riders Adrienne Lyle, Steffen Peters and Sabine Schut-Kery fiddled to get their masks back in place.
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Masks, of course, are everywhere. Gymnastics judges eyed competitors carefully over top of them. Judges evaluate Asia D'Amato, of Italy, performing her floor exercise during the women's artistic gymnastic qualifications.
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British archer Bryony Pitman attached one to the arrows in her quiver.
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Volunteers at every Olympic venue have offered friendly assistance without being able to show guests their smile.
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Disinfection has become an around-the-clock effort. Workers clean seats in-between softball games.
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Officials in gloves sanitize the volleyballs, wipe down the table tennis surface and spray down the corners of the boxing rings.
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A man, wearing a protective face mask, sits inside an empty Ariake Arena, just before the start of a women's volleyball preliminary round pool A match between Japan and South Korea.
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A spectator with a mask bearing the flag of Japan watches during the men's cycling road race.
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A woker cleans the table on the podium for the media conference during a rehearsal before the start for Taekwondo at Makuhari Hall Messe.
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Workers clean the handball court at the Yoyogi National Stadium.
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An olympic volunteer wears a mask as he stands at a media bus stop.
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