IOC President Thomas Bach indicated that the "unprecedented step of postponing the Games had proved more complicated than he thought." The build-up to Friday's Opening Ceremony has been "exceptionally rocky, with Tokyo still under a state of emergency and public opinion consistently against the Games." Four people have tested positive for COVID in the Olympic Village, "heightening fears that the influx of thousands of athletes, officials and media will add to a spike in cases in Japan." Speaking at the IOC session in Tokyo, Bach said, "We can finally see at the end of the dark tunnel. Cancellation was never an option for us. The IOC never abandons the athletes ... we did it for the athletes" (AFP, 7/20).
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