Spectators Not Allowed at Olympics, North Texas Athlete Looking at the Positives – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth
After a year of delay and just a few more weeks, the Tokyo Olympics will be canceled without fans after Japan declared a state of emergency over the coronavirus.
Olympic officials had already banned international spectators weeks earlier, but Thursday’s news means that even those living in Japan will not be able to attend.
“We’ve known our family couldn’t come for a while, so this news isn’t really that surprising, I would say,” said Tom Scott, an Olympic athlete from North Texas.
Fans will be banned from stadiums and arenas around Tokyo when the Olympics begin after Japan’s prime minister declared a state of emergency through August 8. For some North Texas fans who had planned to travel to Tokyo to support Team USA, this is disappointing news.
Scott, 31, is from DFW and attended the Dallas Jesuit. He has been training at the Academy of Classical Karate since he was 8 years old and is currently a karate teacher at the St. Markus Catholic School in Plano.
He represents Team USA in Kumite (fight), as does Brian Irr, 32, who also comes from the Plano Dojo.
This is the first ever Karate debut Olympiad.
Scott said having a crowd can be stimulating, but not having fans in the stands can also be beneficial.
“It’s an exciting environment, but honestly without it, it will also allow the athletes to keep a cool head and maybe even the field, so I’m excited about that aspect,” said Scott. “Well, we didn’t want our Japanese opponents to have an advantage over us so we’ll find a good side.”
Having a live audience in each arena helps create an atmosphere that many athletes feed on in sports, especially at events such as swimming and diving.
“It will be strange, it will be different when there are no spectators, but at least we have the Olympics,” said Edgar Hernandez, who lives in Southlake.
Prior to the Olympics travel bans, he had planned to travel to Tokyo to support Hailey Hernandez, the 18-year-old diver from Southlake who recently earned her place on Team USA.
“We were heartbroken. I was ready to look for plane tickets and then I didn’t see any viewers, so just watch it on TV,” said Hernandez.
Edgar, who is not related to Hailey, said he has known the Olympic athlete since she was a freshman because she and his son were on the same swim team at Southlake Carrol High School. He said that since their two families have the same last name, the parents joke and call each other cousins.
“We wish Hailey the best and we will spiritually be with her and cheer her on, I think we will yell at her on TV,” said Edgar, whose family is hosting a goodbye for Hailey on Thursday night.
On Friday, Scott and Irr will be bid farewell as they prepare for the Olympics.
“If anyone is curious about how the athletes are feeling, we already knew our family wasn’t coming, I’m so excited to even do this, so don’t worry about us, we’ll stay tuned,” said Scott.
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