Whoever takes the 100-meters crown from Usain Bolt will be denied the fervent victory lap in Tokyo that the now-retired reigning champ enjoyed at Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Bolt’s third-straight win in that event came in at 9.81 seconds, but the performance in front of a live audience of 60,000 in the stadium continued much longer, as he bathed in the adulation of victory. The Jamaican hero stopped for selfies and his famous lightning-bolt pose, and went on to bag the final two of his eight Olympic career gold medals.
Our next winner will also receive a gold medal — that he’ll need to hang around his neck himself — take the top of the podium, hear his national anthem and get a line in the history books. Yet the glory will be muted. Japan’s National Stadium will be like an echo chamber, kept empty of fans to limit the spread of COVID-19.