13 Italians in quarantine, the 6 athletes compete. First gold is from China's Yang Qian for the rifle

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July 24, 2021

The six Italian athletes (to which seven managers are added) quarantined today at the Olympic Village for Japanese government procedures are in isolation but continue to train and their situation does not affect participation in competitions. The decision of the Japanese health authorities, which was communicated to the Organizing Committee and then to Coni, is the consequence of the "close contact" on the plane last July 18 with an Italian journalist who found positive for covid.

Following the ascertained positivity for Covid-19 by an Italian journalist, found on July 18, a note from Coni reads, "This morning the Japanese government, through the Organizing Committee of the Games, informed Coni that it had declared ' close contact'13 people from the Italian delegation, including six athletes and seven officials. The athletes are some representatives of the boxing, diving and skateboarding delegations ". In the Coni note it is "immediately clarified that this position of 'close contact' does not impact on the participation in the Games of these athletes, as the law provides that they can continue to train and compete, carrying out a molecular swab six hours before the race. procedure has already started immediately after the official communication to the Coni.inside the village the athletes, although in fiduciary isolation - it is written in the press release - will continue to regularly carry out all their preparatory activities for the Olympic competitions following only specific procedural precautions regarding meals and transfers to the competition facilities ". Coni" is working at the highest levels to guarantee athletes, unfortunately involved in this discomfort not caused by their behavior, the best conditions, including psychological ones, to overcome this particular moment of difficulty quickly and without aggravating it. For privacy reasons, Coni will not communicate the names of the athletes involved ".although in fiduciary isolation - it is written in the press release - they will continue to regularly carry out all their preparatory activities for the Olympic competitions, following only specific procedural precautions regarding meals and transfers to the competition facilities ". Coni" is working at the highest levels to guarantee athletes, unfortunately involved in this discomfort not caused by their behavior, the best conditions, including psychological ones, to overcome this particular moment of difficulty quickly and without aggravating it. For privacy reasons, Coni will not communicate the names of the athletes involved ".although in fiduciary isolation - it is written in the press release - they will continue to regularly carry out all their preparatory activities for the Olympic competitions, following only specific procedural precautions regarding meals and transfers to the competition facilities ". Coni" is working at the highest levels to guarantee athletes, unfortunately involved in this discomfort not caused by their behavior, the best conditions, including psychological ones, to overcome this particular difficult moment quickly and without aggravating it. For privacy reasons, Coni will not communicate the names of the athletes involved ".Il Coni "is working at the highest levels to guarantee athletes, unfortunately involved in this discomfort not caused by their behavior, the best conditions, including psychological ones, to overcome this particular difficult moment quickly and without aggravating it. privacy, Coni will not communicate the names of the athletes involved ".Il Coni "is working at the highest levels to guarantee athletes, unfortunately involved in this discomfort not caused by their behavior, the best conditions, including psychological ones, to overcome this particular difficult moment quickly and without aggravating it. privacy, Coni will not communicate the names of the athletes involved ".

Shooting, the first gold of the Games to China The first

title was awarded at the Tokyo Olympic Games: in the final of the women's 10-meter compressed air rifle, the first Olympic gold of the event went to China with Yang Qian. The silver is by the Russian Anastasiia Galashina, while the bronze goes to the neck of the Swiss Nina Christen. At the Asaka Shooting Range, Sofia Ceccarello misses the 10m rifle final. The blue closes in tenth place with 627.3 points. Paying an 8.8 at the last and native of the qualifiers.

Debut with victory for the volleyball blues

In the first match of the Tokyo Olympics the Italian volleyball team won 3-2 against Canada in a tie break. A comeback victory. "A lot of suffering, we knew it was going to be a difficult game, because Canada is a high-quality team. Many of these players were in the sextet of Rio that beat the United States 3-0. And they were United united who then took a bronze and made a semi-final with us perhaps almost epic ", commented the blue coach Gianlorenzo Blengini.

The inauguration ceremony Kicking

 off the ceremony, which began shortly after 20.00 local time at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, was an exciting video with images of the cities in lockdown - including Milan - which gave way to athletes from the various disciplines in a sort of virtual training as in the period of quarantine. Situation experienced by many sportsmen during the coronavirus pandemic that hit the world. 

A countdown with pink fireworks to mark the time has given way to the evolution of

, which in Japanese culture indicates deep bonds between people. Later a more institutional part began, with the entry into the

stadium.

, the Japanese national flag, carried by five athletes and a representative of the Japanese rescue services.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics were also dedicated to reconstruction after the

2011

. With the entry of Emperor Naruhito accompanied by IOC president Thomas Bach. the

, the Japanese national anthem, was

.

A minute of silence to commemorate the victims of Covid with all those present standing, was observed at the conclusion of the initial part of the ceremony, when the pandemic was remembered - with characters dressed in white, doctors, nurses, patients - and its most dramatic moments. 

Then the members of the Israeli delegation killed in the 1972 Munich Olympics, the first time in the history of the Games, were remembered. The memory of today, at the end of the minute of silence for the Covid victims, moved to tears Ilana Romano and Ankie Spitzer, widows of weightlifter Yossef Romano and fencing coach Andre Spitzer, who were present, as invited, at the Tokyo Olympic. "Justice has finally been done for those husbands, fathers and children who were killed in Munich - their comment -. We have gone through 49 years of suffering but we have never given up. Now we cannot stop the tears, we have waited so long for this. moment". 

This more reflective phase has given way to a finale which, through the typical Japanese figure of

, the festival of Shinto shrines, in which young dancers dressed in both the typical clothes of these events - which refer to Japan of the time Edo - both with modern clothes. A tap dancer also broke in, a dance that was hugely successful in Japan in the days of Fred Astaire.

During the inauguration, the Olympic laurel was awarded to the Nobel Peace Prize winner, Muhammad Yunus. Yunus, creator of microcredit and for this reason awarded with the Nobel, was awarded the recognition "his vast work in sport for development".

The part of the show ended with fireworks and gave way to the traditional parade of athletes, called according to the sequence of the Japanese syllabary hiragana. The names of the countries have been introduced with signs that recall the comics, another great product of the Japanese cultural industry. Throughout the ceremony, on the field, a large silhouette in the shape of Mount Fuji, symbol of Japan, stood out.

At 20.40, the parade of delegations, wearing masks, was opened as usual from

, followed by the Refugee team, in its second test after Rio in 2016. The athletes will carry the white Olympic flag with five colored circles and each time they win a medal it will be this same flag that will be raised and the Olympic anthem will be played. .

The parade of athletes ended with Japan as hosts, preceded by France, which will host the next edition of the Summer Games in Paris.

The blue team marched at the National Stadium for 18th place after Israel and before Iraq and Iran, following the order of the Japanese alphabet. The Italian flag-bearers Jessica Rossi and Elia Viviani lead the blues: it is the first time with two standard bearers for Italy, which has joined the innovation allowed by the IOC. Behind the two standard-bearers another 116 athletes and blue athletes, with the head of mission Carlo Mornati.

Its creator, Marco Balich, had announced "a surprise" and many were amazed at the end of the Tokyo 2020 inauguration ceremony. It was when a huge sphere made of lights that reconstruct the continents of the Earth began to rotate. light on the Olympic stadium. Then came the immortal "Imagine" by John Lennon, sung first as children and then by singers like Angelique Kidjo from Beninese or John Legend from America.

After the parade of the vast majority of delegations led by two standard-bearers, a man and a woman, the moment of the

promotes gender equality. During the Tokyo Games Opening Ceremony inside the Olympic stadium, the number of those who recited the ritual formula was increased from three to six: two athletes, two coaches and two judges, in line with what was requested by the IOC and the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee.

"We have prepared for these Olympics with the collaboration of an infinite number of people, convinced and resolute in our determination to create an event where everyone who takes part can feel safe. I hope this opening ceremony can give a little contribution towards a positive future in which everyone strives to achieve the best for themselves feeling truly united in diversity ". These are the words of the president of the Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Seiko Hashimoto, in her speech at the Olympic Stadium during the Tokyo 2020 opening ceremony.

"We thank all the many unsung heroes, doctors, nurses and all the Japanese people, who are helping to contain the pandemic." These are the words of the IOC president, Thomas Bach, during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Games. "It was a difficult journey, with unprecedented challenges along the way: first the reconstruction after the eastern Japan earthquake, then the pandemic. For this reason our gratitude and admiration for Japan is even greater ". 

"Today is the time for hope. Yes, it is very different from what we expected but we are here together. This is the unifying power of sport, and we can only be together here thanks to the Japanese people, to whom we would like to express all the our appreciation and respect, "he added.

The Emperor of Japan, Naruhito, declared the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games 'officially open'. Immediately afterwards, six athletes, including the blue Egonu, entered the stadium hosting the opening ceremony, carrying the Olympic flag.

It is Naomi Osaka, the Japanese tennis player born to a Japanese mother and a Haitian father, the last torchbearer of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Osaka received the Olympic torch after a relay race inside the stadium of the ceremony. opening, carried out by several athletes symbol of the sporting history of Japan, a couple of health workers, by a group of children born in Fukushima and from the prefectures affected by the nuclear accident of 2011, and lit the Olympic brazier that officially starts the competitions of the Games.

Outside the national stadium in Tokyo, a hundred demonstrators are protesting against the holding of the event despite the surge in new cases of coronavirus that has hit Japan. There are also groups of enthusiasts stationed in front of the barriers.

This morning the first races. With

, the first blue, who opened the Games of the Italian rowing team by finishing second in the men's single battery and passed the round. Chiara Ondoli and Alessandra Patelli, with the third place in the battery behind Romania and Canada, lead the pair in the semifinals. Italy in the semifinals also in the men's four sculls. The race for the medals will take place on July 27th.

Among the athletes there is the highest number of Covid positives detected through molecular salivary tests. This was reported by the Olympic organization, specifying that today's figure is 19. Among these, three were detected upon arrival from abroad: a Czech beach volleyball player (in the Czech delegation there are now six infected, of which four athletes) and a Dutch taekwondo team. The others were already present in Japan and, among them, there is also a Filipino athlete who was in the Olympic village.The other positives are ten Olympic operations workers in Japan, two of whom are located in the Olympic village, three staff members arriving from abroad and three members of the media. In all so far, the positive cases detected in the Olympic context are 106.

Green light from the IOC to the rainbow belt, Germany rejoices: "Love always wins".