The Tokyo Olympics have now finished - a year later than they should have. The athletes have returned home with medals in hand and begun training for their next competitions.
One man though, who became a feature throughout the Olympics but, is only now being given public recognition after amazing photographs of him went viral.
The anonymous man was pictured every day standing outside the Tokyo Olympic village, in which the athletes lived during the duration of the games, holding motivational and wholesome placards for them all to see.
Prior to the opening ceremony, the man held up a placard saying 'welcome athletes' , but once the games started he changed it to a sign that read:
"Good morning athletes! Even if you don't get a medal, you're still the best!! So believe in yourself!"
For two hours every morning from 7.15 am to 9.15 am the man stood outside the Olympic village cheering on those heading to their events.
It has been reported, but unconfirmed, that the man chose to change the sign because he thought the media was becoming too obsessed with medal counts as opposed to the sportsmanship of the games.
Comments online included:
"Truly #inspirational. #olympics is the platform where you give it your best shot, where the level of competition helps exceed their best, shatter old records, set New World Records. The spirit of humanity to fight challenges & emerge victorious."
"What a sweet, kind-hearted man! This is a lovely gesture. He needs a medal, more than any athlete does, because THIS is the true Olympic spirit embodied."
"The world needs more of this. This kind of message, this kind of support, this kind of dedication, this kind of genuine kindness, this kind of human."
While the Olympics was hailed as a success by the organisers, particularly since it was delayed by one year and was subject to strict Covid-19 restrictions which stopped fans entering the stadium, the games were one of the least-watched in modern times. Many cited the time difference between Japan and North America and Europe as being one of the key reasons why viewing figures were so low.
[h/t: My Modern Met]
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