Atmospheric farewell celebration ends unusual games - KICKE

In one as already at the opening ceremony and almost empty National Stadium of Tokyo Ioc-President Thomas Bach spoke at 22.03 local time from the "Olympic Games of Hope, Solidarity and Peace" and explained four minutes later the XXXII. Olympic games with the official final formula for completed. A little later, the Olympic fire also went out.

The final act of these games offered beautiful and typical elements of Japan's traditional culture and a last brief insight into the fascinating culture of the country - barely something to see about the Olympic participants because of the Coronavirus pandemic. Nevertheless, the active "magic of these Olympic games created" as Bach formulated in his speech and emphasized: "You have inspired us with the involved power of sport."

Despite too much wind: Paris introduces itself

Between relaxation and devotion - the final celebration of Tokyo in pictures

The planned spectacular presentation of the coming host Paris fell differently than planned. Actually, the organizers wanted for 2024 a gigantic flag almost in the size of a football field with the dimensions of 90 times 60 meters at the Eiffel Tower. But because of too strong winds in Paris, this part of the ceremony fell away - and was replaced by recordings from a sample from the beginning of June. "Au Revoir à Paris," said Bach at the end of his speech.

In Tokyo, no viewers were admitted to the sports facilities because of the Coronavirus pandemic. The athletes had to leave at the latest 48 hours after their last competition, so that German Olympic champions such as TennisProfi Alexander Zverev, long-jumper Malaika Mihambo or Ringerin Aline Rotter fakes were no longer in the country when the small German delegation led by flag carrier Ronald Rauhe that Stadium entered. Before the eyes of Ioc boss Bach and Japan Kronprinz Akishino, who instead of his older brother, Emperor Naruhito, attended the celebration.

"The Coronation" - Rauhe is wearing German flag

Germany's most successful canoe had won gold with the kayak foursome at the end weekend and finished his career. "To wear the flag out of the stadium is the crowning of my career," the 39-year-old had said. When invading the athletes of the 205 nations and the refugee team there was an exuberant mood inside the stadium. Spacing rules seemed out of force, it was danced and made arm in the arm of memorial photos. The German athletes gave away their small flags to the volunteers. Volunteers also wore the flags of those countries whose active ones had already left Japan.

Well-known Japanese songs like "UE O Muite Arukou" (for example: "Let's look up when we go") from Kyuu Sakamoto from 1961 made a moving atmosphere before the award ceremony for the medal winners of the two marathon Competitions that were held in Sapporo in the morning.

Peaceful protests accompany relaxed final act

As with the opening ceremony, the ceremony was accompanied by a small, peaceful protest. Around the national stadium, about 50 activists had gathered. "No Olympics" was on a poster to read. The fact that Olympia was allowed to take place with participants from all over the world regardless of increasing case numbers during the pandemic in the metropolitan town of Tokyo, in part was sometimes very critical in Japan.

Atmospherically, the final act nevertheless worked more lotient and more positive than the overture was more than two weeks ago, which had arrived unspectacularly and without flair in most viewers. When the French national anthem took Marseillaise and pictures of the rooftops about Paris, the picturesque competition sites on the Eiffel Tower or at the Castle Versailles, Tokyo was already (almost) history and the metropolis on his Olympic summer future.

The German medal winners of Tokyo