This archive report was first published on 24 August 2020.
On August 23, 2020, Japan's top athletes gathered at the new Tokyo Olympic stadium for a track meet, one year ahead of the Games, which have been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The televised competition was held behind closed doors, with only athletes and a few hundred journalists and officials in attendance at the 60,000-seat facility, which is still undergoing construction work on its exterior.
High jumpers got the Golden Grand Prix 2020 meet underway as up-tempo music and the lively voices of stadium announcers filled the air.
However, the athletes had no spectators to ask for slow hand claps to find their rhythm as they sped down the runway.
"It's great to be back at my place of work," javelin throw winner Genki Dean told reporters. "It's so fun to compete."
The event was held as Japan takes cautious steps to reopen its economy, with professional baseball, football and sumo resuming in front of limited numbers of fans.
However, the nation is also seeing a rebound in new infection figures, particularly in urban areas including Tokyo and Osaka.
