Park the pandemic, Olympics are here

There’s no avoiding the fact that these have been a challenging past 18 months. But when our women’s football team faces Australia at Tokyo Stadium at 8.30pm on Wednesday night, in the first of New Zealand appearances at the Olympic Games, many of us will be parking the pandemic to one side.

By 11pm on Friday night, when the opening Olympic Games ceremony begins, many more of us will be well into the swing of enjoying competitive international sport.

It’s not all late-night viewing, however.

Many of the rowing events at Sea Forest Waterway will be staged around midday and early afternoon. Hockey and cycling will likewise be in the early afternoons.

You can be certain the Herald and Newstalk ZB will be working hard on providing up-to-the-moment coverage.

The spectre of Covid-19 will not be far away, however.

Officially, these Games will still be referred to as the 2020 Olympics after being postponed for a year due to the pandemic.

All the branding that was designed with last year in mind will be used, and the medals will still be stamped “Tokyo 2020”.

Overseas spectators have been banned from attending and though specifics are yet to be finalised, there will be plenty of restrictions and precautions in place to protect against the spread of Covid-19.

Athletes are not required to be vaccinated to enter Japan, but the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is encouraging them to get a jab anyway. They will be tested before leaving their home country, on arrival, and regularly throughout the duration of the event.

There are some who say the Games should not be going ahead while the virus is rampant and lives are being lost.

They are entitled to the view and have every right to express it. They are also most welcome not to tune in and watch the events.

By the time of the closing ceremony on August 8, we are bound to be immensely satisfied with our Olympians for all the effort they put in to get there, to give their all, and will be looking forward to their return.

C’mon Kiwis, do us proud.