Olympic torch relay: Clapping OK, but cheering is discouraged

With the Olympic flame at its heart, the role of the torch relay is“to arouse joy and excitement for the Games” across the host nation. That’s the message Tokyo 2020 officials put out Thursday. But, they warned, be careful how you express your joy — and definitely don’t get too excited.

“We ask that spectators refrain from cheering and shouting,” Yukihiko Nunomura, a senior member of organizing committee, said at a news conference, explaining spectators will be expected to wear masks.“please cheer by clapping your hands,” he added.

Spectators aren’t being discouraged from attending, organizers stressed. But crowds are, if you can work out when a group of spectators becomes a crowd.

“If by any chance, any dense gatherings happen on streets, the torch relay can be stopped as we prioritize safety and security,” Nunomura said.

The tamped-down torch relay will begin March 25 in the northeastern prefecture of Fukushima, hit by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011. The flame is supposed to travel through all of Japan’s 47 prefectures before arriving in Tokyo for the July 23 Opening Ceremony. But the route may be modified based on the pandemic, organizers said.

The relay will be live-streamed to deter mass gatherings on streets.

Celebrities have been enlisted to carry the torch and help generate excitement — but again, not too much. Organizers said they had asked torchbearers not to reveal their running slots in case crowds turn up to see them.