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Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Tokyo's Olympic flame burns at last after subdued ceremony

Organizing chief vows to make Games 'source of pride' for future generations

The Olympic flame burns in Tokyo as the opening ceremony concludes on July 23. (Photo by Takaki Kashiwabara)

TOKYO -- The 2020 Tokyo Games kicked off on Friday with virtually no spectators, a reduced contingent of athletes, and subdued performances to acknowledge the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which delayed the Olympics by a year.

The opening ceremony included a moment of silence for the 4 million people who have died in the pandemic. Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka lit the Olympic cauldron, fashioned in the shape of the sun over Mount Fuji, after Emperor Naruhito officially opened the Games.

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