It is a fitting end to a surreal Games; a gilded cage for athletes and observers to reflect on a unique experience
For the past three weeks, I cowered from the summer sun. The temperature during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics rarely dipped below 30C – the blazing heat and oppressive humidity was ever-present. Mercifully, most of the sports I covered were indoors (swimming, track cycling) or in the evening, once the sun had dipped (athletics, hockey). That meant my encounters were typically brief – waiting for a shuttle bus, navigating a maze of security checkpoints.
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