Summer Review: Tokyo 2021

Remove this Banner Ad

Nothing for me will beat Sydney as it was my home Games and the only one I have been lucky to attend live. The only Olympics I have done so.
They called Tokyo The Silent Games..that it was as the stands were empty. But the sheer professionalism by the Japanese hosts made it the Noisy Games or the Friendly Games too. Everywhere you looked were happy, friendly locals making life easy for people they interacted with. I must have watched twenty sports with semi and finals and I dont recall seeing a foul up by the cultured and meticulous Japanese. Their hard working volunteers were impeccably mannered and helpful. I saw plenty of instances of this, however, the one that stands out was at the 20 or was it the 50k walk when a Japanese volunteer ran to a distressed male competitor who I figured had just been disqualified. He consoled the man for several minutes. A very touching scene. This is at times such a heart wrenching and nerve wracking sport as there are people just waiting to pounce and flash a red card across your face. I think those officials get a warped sense of fullfilment doing that. Alas I digress.
This was without doubt the best covered Olympics I can recall. What you missed on the host broadcaster Network 7's two dedicated channels you found on their multi-channel online offshoot, 7+. Whatever your sporting fix 7 had it covered. The network gets a 10 out of 10 from me. The Japan Olympic Commitee gets a 10 also.
 
Last edited:

Log in to remove this ad.

On 5AA this afternoon's sport show Stephen Rowe and Graham Cornes interviewed Ch 7's Network Head of Sport and managing director of 7 Melbourne, Lewis Martin.

He talked about 7's Olympic coverage and the complexity of it all, having a team in Tokyo, Phil Liggett based in London, 2 studio set ups in Melbourne - partly because of covid restrictions requiring separation of people, and one in Sydney because 40 odd people couldn't get to Melbourne because of covid travel restrictions.

He talks about how it all started with working out last year how to have Bruce in Adelaide call the footy because he couldn't get to Melbourne and the technical issues were ironed out during that exercise.

Talks about how Canberra and the politicians could learn about Australians wanting to be connected at this time and not seperated and the Olympians providing that connection.

He mentions Andy Kay alot in the interview. Andy started as a sport reporter and producer in radio in Adelaide in the late 1970's, in early 1984 moves to Ch 10 to be part of their team to cover the games in LA. In mid 1987 the Hawke government changed the cross media ownership rules so that as Keating said - you can be Queen's of the screen or Prince's of the press but not both and there was a mad buying and selling of media assets. Murdoch who owned part of the 10 network and stitched up Olympic rights for 1984+1988 sold his holdings and Robert Holmes a' Court who owned 7 Perth bought SAS-10 in Adelaide, and Stokes at that stage had ownership in ADS-7 as well as the new Ch 10 in Perth, so they agreed to swap the SA stations affiliations and on 27 December 1987 SAS-10 Adelaide became SAS-7 and ADS-7 became ADS-10.

That meant Andy didn't go to Seoul Olympics but he got involved in 7's football coverage. He went to Barcelona as a sports reporter for 7 and had started moving into the production side of TV sports.

His linkedin page says - but its a bit out of date as Rio2016 and GC Comm Games 2018 are missing;
Head of Olympics & Commonwealth Games Seven West Media: General Manager Seven Adelaide
Executive Producer
Seven Group Holdings
Dates EmployedJul 1984 – Present
Employment Duration37 yrs 2 mos
Location Sydney

E.P. Sydney 2000; Salt Lake 2002; Athens 2004; Turin 2006; Beijing 2008.
E.P. Australian Open Tennis 1999-2010
E.P.Melbourne Cup 2002-2010
E.P.AFL 2007-2008
Prod.World Track and Field-Stuttgart 1993, Gothenburg 1995, Athens, 1997
E.P. Commonwealth Games Manchester 2002
E.P. Corporate Communications SGH 2009-2014

Its a 13 minute podcast, the first minute are ads as is the last minute and around the 10 minute mark they talk about the AFL Grand Final and what the options are for where it might be played if not the MCG.

 
Last edited:
I mentioned in a previous comment that one of the only things stopping this games from being one of the greatest was the dour opening ceremony. The plans for the opening ceremony have been released in full and it looked amazing! (https://aramajapan.com/news/tokyo-2020-opening-ceremony-original-plan-leaks-in-full/114631/)

Pop culture includes Akira, Mario, Sonic, Pikachu, Pac-Man, Hello Kity, Goku, Doraemon and Perfume (J-pop band). It looks like very little was kept for the opening ceremony we got, namely the drones forming the globe, paper cranes and olympic torch.
 
My Tokyo Classic Moments:

* That pressure-killing golden paddle in the C1 Canoe Slalom by Jess Fox.

* New queen of the pool Emma McKeon with a record medal haul.

* Ariarne Titmus scaring the togs off legend Katie Ledecky. 800m next Arnie.

* Sailors Matt Wearn, Will Ryan and Matt Belcher only having to turn up for their final races to take home gold.

* Ashley Moloney winning Australia's first ever Decathlon medal. A big future for this 21 year old.
Footnote: team mate Ced Dubler screaming at Moloney to dig deep in the 1500m gets my vote as a classic poignant moment.

* Equestrian legend Andrew Hoy securing yet another Eventing Cross Country medal.

* The elation of devout Christian high jumper Nicola McDermott after her 'leap of faith' almost snatched gold.

* The hopeful rebirth of Aussie middle distance running with Jessica Hull, Stewart McSweyn, Peter Bol and Linden Hall leading the way.
 
Last edited:
We often talk about about Australia punching above its weight but how about New Zealand’s form?

15350443-12-CF-4-E8-B-8-A4-B-48-B6-EEBE21-DF.jpg


A country with a population smaller than Melbourne, ranked 126th in the world, finishes 13th on the medal tally. Extraordinary achievement.
 
Sprout said:
We often talk about about Australia punching above its weight but how about New Zealand’s form?

15350443-12-CF-4-E8-B-8-A4-B-48-B6-EEBE21-DF.jpg


A country with a population smaller than Melbourne, ranked 126th in the world, finishes 13th on the medal tally. Extraordinary achievement.
Click to expand...
They did very well.

I find medal tables are heavily skewed however.

A win in events like volleyball, handball, water polo, basketball, hockey, etc are only worth 1 medal. However those teams will often have to win 7-8 matches to get that single medal. It also involves a large number of athletes. A single volleyball medal is worth more than a single swimming event medal in my opinion.

Personally I think France were one of the stand out performers of Tokyo with a number of their team events doing incredibly well. But on the medal tally they are 10th. I rate their performance in the top 5.
 
Firstly, what a privilege it was to have such a great forum to discuss the Olympics. The Games are definitely enhanced when you have others to discuss it with, and we experienced it all together. Thank you to everyone for the insight, the passion, the laughs, it was such a memorable 16 days!!

What a tremendous Olympics these were. They will go down in history due to the circumstances in which they were held, and for how well Australia fared. From beginning to end there were stories everywhere and history being written. There were so many highlights, but some of them that stood out to me:

  • Titmus winning the 200 and 400. Doing the double was amazing, and her win against rival Ledecky in the 400m set the tone for our swim team, and entire Olympic team. The manor in which she won was most telling as she followed her tactics to perfection. Can she claim the 800m in Paris?
  • The entire swimming team. To perform as well as they did was inspiring. For the first time in a long time they exceeded expectations and set records for this country. The womens 4x1 medley relay was one of the greatest sporting moments I have ever seen. I've been critical of Cate Campbell in the past but that was incredible.
  • Mens and womens 400m hurdles. Warholm vs Benjamin promised a lot and delivered on the hype as they produced what I think was the race of the Olympics. McLaughlin vs Muhammad in the womens was every bit as good, with WR’s tumbling in both.
  • Boomers claiming Bronze. They missed out on their ultimate goal, but beating Slovenia to achieve that elusive Olympic medal, and seeing their reactions on receiving their medals, was a moment I’ll never forget.
  • Peter Bol in the 800m. He didn’t medal, but his performances in getting to the final were outstanding. The fact that he was a realistic medal chance brought athletics right into the spotlight, and the way he conducted himself in the interviews won so many fans.
  • Jessica Fox. I still can’t believe she’s done it. Going into the K1 final having qualified first, she had the expectation of gold but hit two gates and saw her dream slip away. But she didn’t have to wait long before redemption in the C1 as she blew away the field to finally take her well deserved gold. Another tear jerking moment.
  • Volleyball. The French coach diving on the sidelines, Nishida leaping over the net despite not being overly tall, 17 y/o Fedorovtseva pounding them down for ROC, France beating Poland and ROC to take gold. The rallies were outstanding and the passion and commitment from everyone was off the charts. My favourite ‘non mainstream’ Olympic sport.
  • Kookaburras. The free-flowing attacking game-style was a highlight, and their QF match against Netherlands may have been my favourite match of these Games. So intense. You have memories of certain events, and watching that game on a Sunday afternoon, cheering like mad, will be unforgettable.
Also, it must be said that channel 7 did a wonderful job. Sure their coverage annoyed me a little at times, but this up there with Vancouver 2010 as the best coverage I’ve experienced of an Olympics. 7+ was an absolute treat; having the ability to watch what I wanted when I wanted was amazing.

Japan take a bow, to pull off these Games given the circumstances and even the negativity from a large portion of their own people was a massive achievement. It looked flawless from a TV perspective.

And the sadness of the Games finishing has well and truly hit. There is a huge void that will take a while to fill. As a sports fan, having the ability to turn on the TV/app and see world class athletes complete and achieve their dreams is simply the best. To help ease the pain I’m currently watching official Olympic films, and I’m on Atlanta 1996. I’m watching a segment at a time to prolong the experience, last night I watched Michael Johnson’s 200/400 double. Keen for what’s in store tonight. Bud Greenspan was an absolute legend and he makes every story epic.

Once again thank you to EVERYONE who contributed to make these Games so special. What a ride that was. See you all in 178 days for the Winter Olympics!
 
Drummond said:
See you all in 178 days for the Winter Olympics!
Click to expand...
What about the Paralympics in two weeks. You planning on not being here for that Drummond?
Drummond said:
There is a huge void that will take a while to fill.
Click to expand...
I am already catching up on 7+ of any sports or events I missed. Have to say there are more than I figured.
 
Last edited:
RedmanWasHere said:
Paralympics.

Winter Olympics.

Commonwealth Games.

There's a shitload to be on the lookout for.
Click to expand...
These events are great to watch. But for me the Summer Olympics is my favourite sporting event by a long way and I always have a touch of sadness when they are over.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

pepsi said:
They did very well.

I find medal tables are heavily skewed however.

A win in events like volleyball, handball, water polo, basketball, hockey, etc are only worth 1 medal. However those teams will often have to win 7-8 matches to get that single medal. It also involves a large number of athletes. A single volleyball medal is worth more than a single swimming event medal in my opinion.

Personally I think France were one of the stand out performers of Tokyo with a number of their team events doing incredibly well. But on the medal tally they are 10th. I rate their performance in the top 5.
Click to expand...
France had 8 teams qualify and won 3 golds 2 silver and 1 bronze thats approximately 75 individuals going home with a medal not 6.

Thats plenty of inspiration for Paris 2024 even though they finished 8th gold ranking and 10th by total medal rankings.

Reminds me of Oz in Atlanta building up to Sydney with 9-9-23 =41 medals 7th by gold and 5th by total, but lots of teams won medals basketball women bronze, Hockey men bronze and women gold, softball women bronze so thats 60 indivduals with medals.

In Sydney Hockeyroos and womens water polo win gold, Opals stepped up to silver and Kookaburras and softball won bronze again. The Boomers were 4th both games.

Im putting together an adjusted medals table that has medals handed to indivuduals totals, not medals by events totals.

NZ won 6 golds out at Sea Forest Waterway, 3 in rowing and 3 in canoe sprint events.
 
RussellEbertHandball said:
France had 8 teams qualify and won 3 golds 2 silver and 1 bronze thats approximately 75 individuals going home with a medal not 6.

Thats plenty of inspiration for Paris 2024 even though they finished 8th gold ranking and 10th by total medal rankings.

Reminds me of Oz in Atlanta building up to Sydney with 9-9-23 =41 medals 7th by gold and 5th by total, but lots of teams won medals basketball women bronze, Hockey men bronze and women gold, softball women bronze so thats 60 indivduals with medals.

In Sydney Hockeyroos and womens water polo win gold, Opals stepped up to silver and Kookaburras and softball won bronze again. The Boomers were 4th both games.

Im putting together an adjusted medals table that has medals handed to indivuduals totals, not medals by events totals.

NZ won 6 golds out at Sea Forest Waterway, 3 in rowing and 3 in canoe sprint events.
Click to expand...

Hey mate, quick question. To your knowledge, has there ever been an event decided after the closing ceremony for whatever reason?

I was pondering the men’s marathon and the prospect of typhoon, how catastrophic it would have been if they couldn’t go ahead with it on Sunday.
 
Royces Hart said:
Hey mate, quick question. To your knowledge, has there ever been an event decided after the closing ceremony for whatever reason?

I was pondering the men’s marathon and the prospect of typhoon, how catastrophic it would have been if they couldn’t go ahead with it on Sunday.
Click to expand...
Not that Im aware of. The last 2 Olympics maybe a couple more the last day has had the mens marathon early in the morning or early afternoon and about a dozen events all indoors.

I reckon Sydney caused a change. On the Sunday I went out to Penrith to watch the Canoe sprint finals, 6 were on Saturday and 6 were on Sunday. It was a 9am start and supposed to be finished by about 11am. But there was a big gale and they kept delaying it by an hour at a time.

Eventually they said we have to get these done today rather than come back tomorrow when the weather was going to be good and the poor bastards had to paddle into a head wind and choppy waters. Apparently the IOC and SOCOG pulled rank because flights had been booked and arrangements for celebrations etc so they said everything has to finish before the closing ceremony.

I lived at Concord and the marathon was scheduled to pass about 300m from my house at the 38km mark at about 4pm. I caught the train back to Strathfield and jogged a couple of kms to where my flatmates had parked themselves and made it in time to see the first runner pass with less than 10 minutes to spare.
 
Tokyo 2020(21) was amazing for anyone not in Japan but in a similar timezone. I echo the thoughts of those who have explained what a godsend they were - the nature of the sports, their internationalism and the calibre of the competition made them far more compelling than following AFL games played in empty stadia or hubs. It's the most that I've followed of any Summer Olympics since Sydney 2000 and I think it'll be an event that I'll look back at fondly in years to come.

I don't speak Japanese and I suspect our media aren't greatly interested in sourcing Japanese viewpoints, but my suspicion is that the Games won't be as fondly remembered in Japan. They did the heavy lifting and received none of the benefits in return. There was no great communal experience (that we know of), although I did enjoy watching certain events become noticeably fuller in the stands as the days wore on!

The highlights for me were the strong showings by Australia's athletes in swimming and athletics. Not just on pure weight of medals, but the number of athletes who achieved personal bests or qualified for finals. An amazing result that justifies the decision to re-qualify athletes so close to the re-scheduled Games, and which speaks to the value of the high qualification standards that were set. I have a massive amount of respect for many of these athletes and I found myself greatly invested in the fortunes of people such as Peter Bol, Ash Moloney (and Cedric Dubler!), Nicola McDermott, Rohan Browning, Ariarne Titmus, Emma McKeon and Hayley McKeown. Jess Fox' mental toughness to return so well from the disappointment of an expected Gold Medal in her first event (the K-1) was brilliant - I was delighted for her to win a long-cherished Gold in the C-1 event.

I wish there was a similar attitude to our team sports, who too often qualify based on geographic good fortune and the vagaries of where the AOC and Australian Sports Commission choose to prioritise funding. We had the largest Olympic delegation outside of the host nation, which seems overblown. Altogether 169 athletes competed in 11 teams across the football, basketball, water polo, hockey, rugby sevens and softball competitions. The Boomers' Bronze Medal win was fantastic, exorcising the demons of previous Games and the blowout against Team USA. Too many of our teams however performed poorly and then behaved poorly in the aftermath. Track cycling was also underwhelming - one medal from 11 events is a paltry return for a sport we traditionally perform well in and which receives a lot of resources, including a large pool of Tokyo competitors.

Finally, well done to Channel 7 whose 7+ platform was superb. That was a mammoth exercise in technology and personnel, which delivered a brilliant experience.
 
Last edited:
imadodgyumpire said:
I'm glad most of you enjoyed it as there has always been a certain dissatisfaction for me right throughout.

If you guys thought it was good with the restrictions in place, can you imagine what it would've been like with a clean run?

For it to have been run the way it has, then it should've run last year anyway.
Click to expand...
I understand where you’re coming from but everyone was a lot more anxious about covid than they are now. It was all unknown and people were wondering what it all meant. I doubt many governments would’ve wanted their athletes to go last year. And by delaying it a year, they might’ve thought they could get crowds this year.
 
Broar said:
Pretty sad that the mens high jump and 100m barely gets a mention in most peoples reviews when that 20 or so minute period was incredible. Highlight of the games for me.
Click to expand...
The men’s high jump was definitely a highlight. As were hundreds of other moments! There were just too many to list. If I did a full review I could write thousands of words and no one is going to read that!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top