On the Ground in Tokyo for the Pandemic Olympics

ESPN Daily

ESPN

Sports

4.6 • 3.9K Ratings

🗓️ 22 July 2021

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are here, one year late, and much to the dismay of many in Japan. The Tokyo Games will be unlike any other in Olympic history. Fans will not be allowed in any of the arenas. Athletes, officials and media are required to remain in the Olympic “bubble” and stay separated from the general public. And the Olympic Village, which typically serves as a giant party for the athletes, promises to be much more subdued. All of it, of course, is to hopefully keep the coronavirus from spiking, and possibly forcing the Games to be halted. Pablo caught up with ESPN producer, Tony Florkowski, who is getting ready to work his 14th Olympic Games, and is currently quarantined in his hotel room. Then, Jason Coskrey of the Japan Times helps us understand how the people of Japan are reacting to these Olympics set to begin under a state of emergency. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Like, I'm sitting in my room and I'll tell you, like, outside my room is a dolphin tank.
0:10.7	I'm not kidding you.
0:11.6	An actual, literal tank of dolphins?
0:16.7	Yes.
0:17.8	Tony Florkowski is an ESPN producer on the ground in Tokyo, covering his 14th Olympic Games.
0:26.0	I believe there's some kind of aquarium somewhere.
0:29.3	So for two days, I sat here and just watched this dolphin swim back and forth.
0:35.7	And I just, like, I want a free willie somehow.
0:39.6	He's kept me engaged, I got to tell you.
0:47.4	It is strange times in Japan right now.
0:51.7	Just 24 hours from the lighting of the Olympic Cauldron and the official
0:55.9	start of the Tokyo 2020 Games, now taking place in 2021, with no fans in attendance,
1:04.0	in a country that does not want them, while the looming threat of COVID might just put a stop
1:10.0	to everything.
1:11.9	Today, we talk to two journalists on the ground in Tokyo to find out just what to expect
1:17.2	from an Olympics unlike any other for the athletes, the spectators, the dolphins, the media,
1:24.2	and the people of Japan.
1:27.7	I'm Pablo Torre. It's Thursday, July 22nd.
1:32.4	This is ESPN Daily.
1:35.5	Presented by UKG.
1:37.6	Our purpose is people. ESPN and 30 for 30
1:52.0	podcast present girl V horse
	...

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