The Tokyo Diaries – the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Part 1

By Keith Miller

So, the Olympics are done and dusted until Paris 2024.  Now that the sportsfest that was Tokyo is over, it’s a good time to go back and take a look at some of the key talking points from the competition.

The Games That Probably Shouldn’t Have Been

This was always going to be a tricky one.  It was painfully obvious that Tokyo was going to suffer financially through holding the Covid Games, with no real way to recoup costs, but when it comes to the IOC, the show must go on.   In very trying circumstances, The Tokyo Committee forged on, and for two weeks, the world was spared 24-hour coverage of a certain virus, lifting spirits accordingly.

Tom Daley’s Hobby

Watching the British champion diver publicly thank his husband and son after he won his fourth Olympic medal was heart-warming.  Watching him then knit feverishly in the stands throughout the rest of the Diving competition and attempting to raise money for Brain Cancer awareness was positively endearing.

Video Killed the Impetus

This was a frustrating one.  Some of the coverage was outstanding (Canoe Slalom and Archery for example), but in other areas it was close to woeful.  In the Hockey, the video replay coverage was so poor, and at times a little strange  that any challenges took an eternity and were ultimately left with a “not really sure” response.  It stifled the game, leading to interminable delays.  The Spidercam footage at the sevens added absolutely nothing other than travel sickness to the viewing experience, doubling down when some robot thing delivering the ball started to break down.  Sometimes less is more.

Shot Through the Heart

In qualification for the Shot Put, New Zealand’s Tom Walsh was bizarrely red flagged on all three of his attempts.  Replays suggested that at least two, and probably all three, were fair throws, leading to Walsh having to challenge his way through the lead official (below) into the semi-final.  It was incredibly poor officiating, and Walsh wasn’t the only one to have legitimate attempts ruled out.  It made it even more grating to see the same official at the final – at least there he managed to bring his white flag.

The Anthem

At the Olympics you are only allowed one version of your anthem.  It was heart-warming to see the New Zealand team, without exception, performing theirs in Te Reo (well, from what we could see from the non-masked athletes anyway).   There is fresh hope that the dirge-like God Defend New Zealand can now be put to bed.  More please.

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You can find more on the Tokyo Diaries, here.