The Olympic Games are open.

But the celebration was anything but a great joy, as it took place without spectators in the stadium in Tokyo.

The international press reviews at a glance:

Japan

Mainichi Shimbun:

“IOC Monopoly. There were no spectators in the stadium with a capacity of 68,000 and there was no tension. Things went according to a scenario enforced by the IOC. The event took place with all the risks of spreading the infection. It's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel that Bach spoke of. The bloated Olympics becomes an event that puts a heavy burden on people. Can the Olympic flame, re-lit after 57 years in Tokyo, unite the world? Or will it be a source of divisions? "

Nikkei Business Daily:

“The host city of Tokyo remains in a state of emergency.

The top priority of this extraordinary festival is that it is held safely without further spread of infection. "

Asahi Shimbun:

“The games opened with Tokyo in a state of emergency and the number of new infections in Japan continues to rise.

The ideal of the “Olympics of Reconstruction” upheld by the Organizing Committee has faded.

The meaning of festivities is limited.

The games were opened in the face of public opposition. "

USA

Washington Post:

“Japan is forced to smile, but Olympic joy is in short supply.

The celebration was more of a whimper than a bang.

One of the soundtracks of these difficult games could also be heard: demonstrators cursing the entire event. "

New York Times:

“The Olympics open to a sea of ​​empty seats.

The organizers were obviously trying to steer the message of the Games away from the pandemic and scandals and towards pain relieving issues such as peace and global harmony.

But even if these games don't turn out to be a superspreader event, it will be difficult to escape the corona shadow. "

USA Today:

“As expected, the ceremony was functional, it was very long, the speeches should have been shorter.

But that it happened at all was remarkable.

The summer games have officially started.

That's a sentence that many thought would never be written. "

England

Times:

"Hope meets hostility as the Divisive Games open.

For those in Tokyo embracing these competitions, it must have felt like dancing with no music.

More like an illegal rave for the rest.

The games are open, but many in Japan are already counting the days until the closing ceremony. "

Daily Mirror:

“It was a naked ceremony, as there are naked games, and there was no escaping an uncomfortable feeling.

But now that the flame is on, it's all about the athletes.

These games cast a dark shadow, but the athletes will burn brightly. "

The Guardian:

“Olympia has begun, willy-nilly: time for the show to begin.

The opening ceremony had a sad character, but maybe these "cursed games" will bring us many moments of enlightenment. "

Italy

Gazzetta dello Sport:

“The Olympic torch chases away the nightmare of the virus.

We must not forget this ceremony without a spectator, because it symbolizes the will to start again. "

Corriere dello Sport:

“The opening ceremony is an ode to life, to the firm will to restart after the tough times of the pandemic.

Colors and joie de vivre: These Olympic Games want to be a renaissance for Japan. "

Tuttosport:

“The great beauty: colors, style and joy.

The Olympic Games have started, the doubts and discussions before the start have been forgotten.

Japan believes in these games and so do we. "

Corriere della Sera:

“The song of the Olympic Games: Tokyo unites the world with a simple but atmospheric ceremony and a tribute to the victims in Munich in 1972, as Israel has been demanding for 50 years.

It's wonderful to be reunited. "

La Repubblica:

“The big Olympic show has started. With this opening ceremony, the world sends a sign of a new beginning. It's a shame the ceremony isn't impressive. It has been trying too long and too hard to respect modern sensitivity. "