Axios AM Deep Dive: The Covid Olympics

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TOKYO — The COVID rule-breaking was obvious at Friday's opening ceremony, when athletes were clearly visible on TV with masks below their noses, but an athlete tells Axios that the rule-breaking has been going on well before that.

It's been happening at least since athletes arrived in the Olympic Village, where masks were dropped below noses and different teams were forced to share buses. 

Even the official plan introduces risks, both via the flight to get to Tokyo as well as shared dining facilities, where people of course are unmasked.

Why it matters: Organizers have insisted the games can be safe for both the athletes and the people of Japan. But a sense of fear persists among athletes and other participants, in part because the precautions are both insufficient and not always being followed. 

It's not just the participants. Journalists, who have also been known to drop their masks, are forced to crowd onto official buses to get from one approved location to another. Several expressed concern that there could easily be a significant outbreak.

"For these Games we are asking all the participants to follow the rules in the playbook," Masa Takaya, a spokesperson for the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee, scolded after the opening ceremony.

Zoom out: It's entirely possible — and strongly encouraged — that Americans and other foreigners at the Summer Games will go their entire stay without encountering a single Tokyo resident besides Olympic volunteers. 

I've been here since Tuesday, and the only Japanese people I've interacted with personally are the people in my hotel and those who helped me get from one pre-approved location to another.

For most residents of Tokyo, the only tangible thing they're getting from the Olympics is the bill, if not an increased risk of COVID.

They're even being discouraged from watching the Games in groups.

Risks for athletes are compounded by the fact that the Games' COVID strategy focuses on testing and tracking rather than vaccination since the shots aren't widely available in many countries. 

A good number of athletes are indeed vaccinated (the IOC estimates more than 80%+ will be), but the rules and protocols are essentially the same regardless. (About 100 U.S. athletes are unvaccinated.)

Inside the dome: During the sweaty, muggy opening ceremony, a large protest outside was audible inside the largely empty Olympic Stadium — all the more so during a moment of silence to honor those lost to COVID and those killed during the 1972 Games in Munich.

The roar was a reminder that polls consistently showed the people of Japan strongly opposed going ahead with the Games. 

How we got here: It's been a logistical nightmare for the press and the few other attendees, who had to sift through a half-dozen glitch-prone apps and websites created in part to try to prevent crowding. 

The precautions look more performative than protective. Once here, we've been repeatedly forced to share crowded indoor spaces, including buses to the various venues, hotels and the main press center.

Read Ina's dispatch from the opening ceremony.

1. Behind the scenes at the COVID Olympics

Rulebreaking, masks below noses, crowded buses and fears of an outbreak.

Photo illustration of an Olympic runner jumping a hurdle, over a graphic of a track oval with coronavirus-style protrusions.

Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios, Photo: Steph Chambers/Getty Images

2021 Olympics

Coronavirus

Beijing Winter Olympics

TOKYO — The COVID rule-breaking was obvious at Friday&#x27;s opening ceremony, when athletes were clearly visible on TV with masks below their noses, but an athlete tells Axios that the rule-breaking has been going on well before that.<ul><li>It&#x27;s been happening at least since athletes arrived in the Olympic Village, where masks were dropped below noses and different teams were forced to share buses. </li></ul>

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TOKYO — This year's Games have drifted from the usual mix of sports and drama into reality TV: There are plenty of cameras, no live audience — and even the citizens of Tokyo have to watch on TV.

And, like with all reality TV shows, the contestants take the risks and the producers make the money.

How it works: Like "Survivor," contestants' performance in the on-screen competition is only a part of the adventure. Athletes have had to navigate tons of added rules and procedures to take part in the Games.

Also like "Survivor," how well you do in your challenge is only one of the factors that c0uld lead an athlete to get kicked off the island. 

Behind the scenes: While the venues were designed for fans, their absence makes giant stadiums feel like overly elaborate sets. And there have been plenty of surreal things beyond the pandemic. 

A bear wandered onto the softball field in Fukushima an hour before the first game there. And, with softball only just now returning to the Games, maybe loose bears is just what the sport needs to draw bigger crowds. (I love softball, but I am the only reporter on the bus to the stadium in Yokohama as I write this.)

At a softball game I attended Saturday in Yokohama, protesters outside Yokohama Baseball Stadium were not just opposed to these Games but the Olympics in general. "Abolish Olympics" read one sign, while another proclaimed: "Olympics kill the poor."

Organizers are scrambling to reschedule events due to a potential tropical storm or even typhoon that could hit early this week, with a number of rowing matches moved up to Sunday from Monday.

One nonreality thing: The doves they released at the opening ceremony were made of foam.

2. The reality show Olympics

Plenty of cameras, no live audience, and the contestants take the risks while the producers make the money.

Illustration of an old-fashioned television with colored bars on it and the Olympic logo

TOKYO — This year&#x27;s Games have drifted from the usual mix of sports and drama into reality TV: There are plenty of cameras, no live audience — and even the citizens of Tokyo have to watch on TV.<ul><li>And, like with all reality TV shows, the contestants take the risks and the producers make the money.</li></ul>

Data: Momentive; Chart: Danielle Alberti/Axios

Americans are split down the middle on whether the Olympics should even be happening while Tokyo is still in a coronavirus state of emergency, according to a new Axios/Momentive poll.

The big picture: Many aren't convinced that the Games are safe — even after being delayed from last year — and most believe they're going to end with a bunch of sick athletes.

Two-thirds believe there will be a coronavirus outbreak among the athletes,  while 6 in 10 expect the Olympics to trigger a virus outbreak among the general public.

Two-thirds support the decision to ban spectators this year.

What they're saying: "The spectator-less Olympics will offer wall-to-wall coverage of the many ways the coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt our daily lives and the events that used to draw us together," said Jon Cohen, the chief research officer for Momentive (formerly SurveyMonkey).

Between the lines: Like so many other aspects of the pandemic, partisan politics has deeply shaped perceptions about the risks of this year's Olympics. 

Six in 10 respondents said athletes should be required to be vaccinated to compete in the Olympics, but Democrats were twice as likely to say so (84%) as Republicans (41%), with independents (57%) somewhere in the middle.

Only 54% of Republicans believe an outbreak among the athletes is likely, compared with 67% of independents and 81% of Democrats.

By the numbers: Just 47% of Americans surveyed think it's a good idea to go ahead with the Summer Olympics — but that disapproval is largely being driven by Democrats, while Republicans and independents narrowly support the decision to hold the Games.

There's also a big difference by age, with younger adults more likely to approve than older adults: 56% of people age 18-34 support the decision, compared with just 47% of those age 35-64 and 35% of those 65 and older.

By contrast, there was broad agreement across the board that delaying the Games last year was the right decision. More than 8 out of 10 Americans supported the decision, including 92% of Democrats, 76% of Republicans and 84% of independents.

Methodology: These data are from an Axios|Momentive online poll conducted July 14-18 among 5,169 adults ages 18 and older in the United States. Respondents were selected from the more than 2 million people who take surveys on the Momentive platform each day.

Data have been weighted for age, race, sex, education and geography using the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey to reflect the demographic composition of the United States age 18 and over. The modeled error estimate is plus or minus 2.0  percentage points.

3. Exclusive poll: America's divide over the COVID Olympics

Americans are split down the middle on whether the Olympics should even be happening.

Americans are split down the middle on whether the Olympics should even be happening while Tokyo is still in a coronavirus state of emergency, according to a new <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Axios/Momentive poll" data-vars-click-url="https://www.surveymonkey.com/curiosity/axios-2021-olympics-covid/" data-vars-content-id="c0dc7016-2ed8-41b2-ad74-9ddebbe6d853" data-vars-headline="Exclusive poll: America&#x27;s divide over the COVID Olympics" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/curiosity/axios-2021-olympics-covid/" target="_blank">Axios/Momentive poll</a>.The big picture: Many aren&#x27;t convinced that the Games are safe — even after being delayed from last year — and most believe they&#x27;re going to end with a bunch of sick athletes.

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For the first time since 2004, the face of Team USA at the Olympics will not be Michael Phelps, who retired from swimming in 2016.

Why it matters: With the most decorated Olympian of all time no longer anchoring coverage and driving attention, a new crop of American stars will emerge in Tokyo.

Usain Bolt — the Jamaican track star who drew global interest during the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Games — is also retired now, leaving a void nearly the size of Phelps.

Serena Williams (skipped) and Sha'Carri Richardson (suspended) were expected to be two of the most-watched Americans in Tokyo, so their absences open the door even wider for other names to grab the spotlight.

Who to watch: If anyone has already replaced Phelps as the face of Team USA, it's gymnastics G.O.A.T. Simone Biles. Three other members of Team USA who could see their fame skyrocket in Tokyo:

Katie Ledecky, swimming: The defending gold medalist in the 200-, 400- and 800-meter freestyle is even better in the 1,500, which makes its Olympics debut on the women's side.

Noah Lyles, track and field: The Alexandria, Virginia native is the favorite to win gold in the 200 meters after recording the world's fastest time this season (19.74 seconds).

Caeleb Dressel, swimming: The 24-year-old is favored in each of his three individual events. Add in four relays and he's got a shot at seven gold medals, which would tie Mark Spitz for second-most in a single Olympics (behind Phelps' eight).

What they're saying: NBC Olympics executive producer and president Molly Solomon previewed the network's coverage plans in a briefing with the press. The first week will be an introduction of sorts, focusing heavily on the names listed above, plus a few more stars poised to break out.

NBC then plans to broadcast an unprecedented 7,000 hours of coverage, including more than 5,500 hours of online streaming.

Gone are the days when Olympic superstardom required a prime-time broadcast. Now, legends can be born in virtually any event, and social media will play a bigger role than ever in deciding who and what goes viral.

The bottom line: There may never be another Michael Phelps, who starred in Athens, Beijing, London and Rio de Janiero. But there will be another face of Team USA — and that athlete, or athletes, will take up that mantle over the next two weeks in Tokyo.

4. The post-Phelps Olympics

A new crop of American stars will emerge in Tokyo.

Illustration of a shadow of Michael Phelps being cast over a swimmer pool

For the first time since 2004, the face of Team USA at the Olympics will not be Michael Phelps, who retired from swimming in 2016.Why it matters: With the most decorated Olympian of all time no longer anchoring coverage and driving attention, a new crop of American stars will emerge in Tokyo.

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Axios Media Trends

A new(ish) face will be leading NBCUniversal's prime-time coverage of the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games: veteran sportscaster Mike Tirico. 

Why it matters: It's Tirico's first run as prime-time host for the Summer Olympics. Legendary broadcaster Bob Costas hosted 12 Olympic Games between 1988 and 2016 for NBC before handing over the prime-time spot to Tirico in 2018.

Tirico's role is just one of the changes viewers can expect to see in this year's Summer Olympics coverage.

One familiar face that's new to the Olympics will be MSNBC political data guru Steve Kornacki. He will help Tirico and other hosts analyze data in real time, like Olympic medal counts, scores, records and more.

Other prominent people will join as special correspondents for NBC, including skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, figure skating gold medalist Tara Lipinski, and Olympic figure skater and television commentator Johnny Weir.

Rebecca Lowe will serve as NBC’s daytime coverage host. 

In total, there are a record 178 commentators guiding NBCUniversal's coverage of the Games across all of NBCU's channels, including NBC, USA Network, CNBC, NBCSN and NBC's Olympic streaming channel.

In addition, NBC's coverage plans will differ dramatically this year from previous Olympic Games.

While the Olympics have been livestreamed since 2012, this is the first time NBC Universal will have its new streaming service, Peacock, available to stream events.

How it works: Tirico is one of the most versatile sports broadcasters in the world, but in an interview with Axios, he said the Olympics "requires much more knowledge of history and preparation than covering a professional sports event."

"The two could not be more opposite and are quite different jobs," he said.

"When calling a game, you do as deep a dive as possible on the two teams competing. ... The Olympics have approximately 11,000 athletes and over 200 nations, so a deep dive like football preparation is impractical and as prime-time host unnecessary."

Tirico says that at a higher level, his preparation has been about "developing a familiarity with the host nation, the geopolitical issues surrounding the Games, and the historical context of the overall event." For the events that play a big part in NBC's prime-time coverage, he has more in-depth preparation.

The big picture: A COVID Olympics presents unique challenges for NBCU and its television hosts. So many new issues around health and safety precautions and geopolitics will undoubtedly affect the tone of the event.

"I think there has to be honesty with the viewers," he said. "I think it will be important for us to read and assess the tone of the athletes when we are there and share that with the viewers."

Catch up quick: Tirico, 54, isn't a newcomer to the Olympics, but this will likely be his most visible Olympics to date. He first served as an NBC prime-time host during the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. He was a daytime anchor for the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics.

Tirico got his start at ESPN in 1991 after spending four years as a sports director at a local radio station in Syracuse, the city home to his alma mater.

Despite accusations of sexual harassment that resulted in a suspension from ESPN in the early 1990s, he eventually went on to grow his career at the network for 25 years before heading to NBC in 2015.

What to expect: "My role is to put what happens in perspective, either before or after the event," Tirico says. He will rely on a stable of experts and analysts to provide insights into different sports and events as they unfold.

5. The new faces of NBC's Olympics coverage

It's Mike Tirico's first run as prime-time host for the Summer Olympics.

Photo illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photo: Cy Cyr/PGA Tour via Getty Images

A new(ish) face will be leading NBCUniversal&#x27;s prime-time coverage of the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games: veteran sportscaster Mike Tirico. Why it matters: It&#x27;s Tirico&#x27;s first run as prime-time host for the Summer Olympics. Legendary broadcaster Bob Costas hosted 12 Olympic Games between 1988 and 2016 for NBC before handing over the prime-time spot to Tirico in 2018.

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Whats Next

Axios What's Next

With no spectators allowed at the Tokyo Olympics, robots might be the only ones on hand to witness the athletic feats at this year's Summer Games.

Why it matters: Organizers had billed the 2020 Olympics as "the most innovative ever," with plans to deploy teams of robots to assist and dazzle visiting athletes and fans. 

While some robots will still provide assistance on-site at the postponed Games, COVID-19 has ensured there will be far fewer humans around to impress.

Driving the news: Tokyo entered a new state of emergency this week, less than two weeks before the start of the Olympics as it seeks to stem a rise in COVID-19 cases.

International in-person spectators were banned months ago and then last week, organizers said even Japanese fans would have to watch the Games on TV.

For the robots, though, this could be their moment to shine. 

Lifelike mascot robots, Miraitowa and Someity, might not be able to give as many high fives and handshakes as planned. But they can still show their enthusiasm by reacting to each other's actions and changing their facial expressions. 

And Toyota's T-TR2 telepresence robot, equipped with a camera atop a life-size video display, will allow people to connect from remote locations. (It already enabled an Olympic torchbearer to join the Torch Relay remotely from a hospital.)

Field support robots similar to the automated vehicles Toyota uses to carry auto parts in its factories will help retrieve the discus and javelin at track and field events.

Olympic staff will use Panasonic's "power-assist suits" backstage at the venues and Olympic Village to unload and transport heavy objects. The exoskeletal suits support the back and hip area, making loads 20% easier to lift.

The big picture: Japan is a global leader in robotic technology, and the Games were meant to be a chance to showcase that expertise to the world while demonstrating robots' potential for wider application in everyday life.

The Games were also to be a big moment for Toyota, a major worldwide Olympics sponsor, which planned to roll out fleets of robots and automated vehicles to highlight its transformation from a car company to a "mobility company" that gives people the freedom to move physically — and virtually. 

The postponement in 2020 did have a silver lining for Miraitowa and Someity, the mascot robots, however. Developers used the extra year to make them even more lifelike. 

A sensor embedded on the sole of their feet sends information to calculate the center of gravity every 1/1,000 seconds, which helps control the motor for each of their joints. 

To make the joints less robotic looking, they were covered with a flexible 3D-printed material. 

The team also improved the robot’s eye movements, which are synced to the remote operator's eyes. This allowed the robot to first make eye contact before waving its hand. 

What to watch: There's a chance other assistive robots sidelined for the Olympics — machines that deliver food and beverages to spectators, for example — could still be used at the Tokyo Paralympics, which start Aug. 24. 

6. The robot Olympics

Organizers will be rolling out robots throughout the Games, but no fans will be there to see them in action

Photo illustration of three robots to be used in the Tokyo Olympics on a medal podium

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photos: Courtesy Toyota

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The robot Olympics

Illustration of various sports references such as a target, volleyball, and tennis ball, in the shape of the olympic rings