And let the Games...Sh-h-h...(X 10K)

Sights, Sounds of '2020' Tokyo Olympic Games: The Olympics, assuming they are still held in Tokyo in less than 30 days as (re)scheduled (IOC says "Yes!" and majority of Japanese citizens say "No Thank You!"), are certain to look and sound much different than any of those any of us have witnessed up close or at a distance, as either an athlete or spectator. That is, if the IOC and the volunteers who haven't vanished are able to pull it off...

Trials and Tribulations: As I have mentioned in this space before, one of my favorite times of this every four year period, is the Olympic Trials, for it is the Trials that ultimately determines who gets on the long flight to Tokyo. For every athlete that "I made it mom and dad!" there's dozens who have worked and sweated along with their families all these years, but who "I came up this 🖖short!" But don't mistake those tears as simply of sorrow, as they (those who come up 'just short'), while sorrowful for not being able to accompany their teammates, are nonetheless (most, at least) overflowing with gratitude for the experience of coming this far, with no regrets! This particular Olympics there may even be a few who, having years of eligibility and energy left, let out a sigh of relief...for those that actually 'make it' will have to go through some additional trials this particular Olympics, those of the medical kind, different than simply being drug tested for performance enhancers...In any case our U.S. trials are already well under way and have been well worth watching, once again...

Arrivals and Departures- Tokyo, Japan:  First volunteers, then athletes, then spectators...some of which changed plans 'mid-flight' due to a change in the environment 'on the ground', whereas others were sent home prematurely due to a positive COVID test ...the spectators will number in the thousands! Sounds like a lot, eh? Well, venues are being limited to 10K (a familiar number for any long distance runner and an actual Olympic distance race); there's also still a possibility that the athletes will be performing in front of only a few individuals holding cameras, that spectators might not be allowed in at all, depending on the COVID numbers, the influence of ongoing protests of Japanese citizens, among other factors...in which case the tickets that have been issued may become some type of  crypto currency, the initial offering price YTB (sort of like the Olympics themselves). 

Sights, Sounds: Certainly less sites to be enjoyed in and around Tokyo as well as farther reaches for any spectators allowed in to Japan for these Olympics. And for those in attendance and us viewing overseas, the sights and sounds will definitely be different than those we have processed with our auditory and visual sense organs in prior years as well. We may, for example, see those dreaded 'cut outs' instead of real fans, maybe even judges. And, in addition to simulated applause (hopefully they get the timing right to not throw off the athletes), we will probably hear an amplified version of normal sounds that are usually muted to our distance ears, such as the DASH! of their feet, the SPLASH! in the pool, and the CRASH! of the occasional misstep...the athletes themselves will also have quite a different experience than their prior counterparts, including the veiled and/or fake fans (let's not get too critical if they veer off course while straining to find familiar faces among the cut outs) and the louder than normal sounds of their own breathing...

Finger Pointing: No, not that finger silly! (there's already been a lot of that by the polarized sides those wanting the Olympics to go on versus the cancel crowd). I'm referring here to the index finger, which will be utilized by officials everywhere, starting with those in the airport pointing those arriving to where they need to go for various screenings, to the those in charge of the few spectators allowed (modeling the "s-h-h-h!" sound with the index finger to the lips, the official cheer of the 2020/2021 Olympics), to the athletes themselves, who are being encouraged to simply point with greater emphasis than prior years to the winners (or themselves when they make a mistake in a gesture of humility), rather than hand shaking, high fiving, hugs...

Near, Far Sighted: Given the postponement of "2020" the next Summer Olympics are that much closer, about one year according to my 'new' math...which are to be held in Paris, France -- for the third time! Technically, it will be the sixth, as they also hosted three Winter Olympics...so the Parisians are already hard at work (those that have been allowed out) on new, updated venues. So they should be experts at prepping, except this whole postponement thing, which their officials are watching keenly...once again from a distance, thank you. Speaking of distance, if you are preparing to attend the 2024 Olympics and have a particular interest in surfing (no, not that kind that you already did this morning, silly!), you better set your GPS or chat with Alexa now, as the venue is more than any other Olympic distance from France...15,727 K (or 9772.3 miles) away in Tahiti, an island in French Polynesia...a distance that most Japanese citizens would like to see the current Olympics exported...

Finally, "Let the Games..."