ABSTRACT
Records were broken and personal bests were established. COVID-19 may have indirectly and ironically played a contributing role to athletic success at the Games. The postponement of the Games meant that some athletes profited from an extra year of training in which to hone their abilities. The Games went on despite rising rates of COVID-19 infection in Japan. Some athletes tested positive for COVID-19 and were sent home even before they had competed in the Games, although there was no suggestion that these necessary withdrawals significantly distorted the results of competitions or deprived deserving Olympic champions of their victories. The world of sport faces an uncertain future. Schools, which are major sponsors of sports programs in some parts of the world, are sending students home to quarantine and to engage in remote learning after only a week or two of face-to-face instruction.
