'Crown yourself': Curious detail in first Tokyo Olympics medal ceremony
Fans have seen the first glimpse of the unprecedented protocols in place during the medal presentations at the Tokyo Olympics amid the coronavirus pandemic gripping the world.
The Tokyo games are unlike any we have ever seen before with strict protocols in place to protect athletes, staff and officials from the Covid-19 pandemic.
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With athletes forced to wear masks and remain in the Olympic village during the competition, authorities are doing everything they can to maintain the virus in Tokyo.
But, following the official start of the Olympics with the opening ceremony, fans have now spotted the details surrounding the medal ceremony.
China's Yang Qian has collected the first gold medal of the Tokyo Olympics, winning the women's 10-metre rifle competition.
Yang was the sixth-placed qualifier for the final then produced an Olympic-record score of 251.8 to top the podium.
Historically, an Olympic offical would present the corresponding medal around the neck of the athletes in first, second and third.
But in the unprecedented times, China's Yang was presented the medal on a plate to avoid contact with IOC president Thomas Bach.
The athletes then place the medal around their neck themselves.
Fans weigh-in on Olympic medal ceremony
While the medal ceremony followed never-before-seen protocols, fans couldn't help but compare it to other restrictions enforced due to Covid-19 in everyday life.
The most common comparison was parcel or food delivery being dropped off without contact.
The Olympics now feature no-contact delivery pic.twitter.com/AxUlaS1Oz7
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) July 24, 2021
Contactless medal ceremony: pick it up and put it around neck yourself! #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/FlmYOwTFQa
— Santhosh Kumar (@giffy6ty) July 24, 2021
2022 medals will be dropped in by Amazon drones
— Sebastian Eudocimus albus (@The_U_Swag) July 24, 2021
Crown yo self
— Magdalena (@mags_iarba) July 24, 2021
1st medal ceremony of #Tokyo2020 coming up - curious to see what this is like! First medal of these games to China's Yang Qian. 🇨🇳
— Keep the Flame Alive (@flamealivepod) July 24, 2021
Japanese designer Kawanishi Junichi came up with the creation on the medals.
The medals showcase rough stones that have been polished to create 'light' and 'brilliance'.
This represents the symbolic journey of athletes striving for victory on a daily basis.
The medals reflect a myriad of light, which represents diversity and the energy of athletes and those who support them.
Watch 'Mind Games', the new series from Yahoo Sport Australia exploring the often brutal mental toil elite athletes go through in pursuit of greatness:
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