KEEP YOUR FUCKING MASKS ON AND KEEP YOUR DISTANCE! JESUS FUCK.

I know my use of all caps makes me seem like a crazy person. Well, I feel like a crazy person.

COVID Olympics: Medalists Get New Right to Pose for Mask-Less Photos

~25 mins ago

Athletes who won medals on the opening weekend of the Tokyo Olympics also helped earn a photogenic victory for others to share in the next two weeks.

Some medalists on Sunday ignored the order from organizers to wear masks for the entire podium ceremony. Seeing the pushback, the International Olympic Committee later agreed to ease its strict pre-Games rule designed to help protect against the coronavirus.

"Victory ceremony protocol has been adapted to allow athletes to have an image for the media that captures their faces and their emotions during a unique moment in their sporting career," the IOC said Sunday.

Earlier in the day, Olympic organizers were still urging medalists to obey all the original rules. That meant curbing hugs, wearing masks and not gathering on the top step for a group photograph.

"It's not a 'nice to have,' it's a 'must have,'" IOC spokesman Mark Adams said of masks at the daily news conference held each morning in Tokyo. "We feel for the athletes (but) there are things that unfortunately we have had to make stricter."

Hours later, the rules were amended while still following scientific advice, the IOC said.

Medalists now have a 30-second photo opportunity after the gold medalist's national anthem is played to remove their masks while staying on their own podium step.

"At no point during this limited time should the athletes be invited to join each other on the gold-medal platform," the IOC said in a statement explaining the new rules. "The silver and bronze medalists join the gold medalist on the latter's platform for a photo opportunity with masks on."

Still, the women's cycling road race medalists joined each other in a happy, mask-less photo on the podium outside Tokyo at Fuji International Speedway on Sunday.

Also Sunday, the Tokyo organizing committee's tally of games-related COVID-19 infections in Japan this month rose to 137, including 14 athletes.

  • inshallah2 [none/use name]
    ·
    3 years ago

    I posted it in r/Olympics - COVID Olympics: Medalists get new right to pose for mask-less photos • The women's cycling road race medalists on the podium. [short article in comments]

    There will more of that stuff on the podium. What a great example in a time of a pandemic of a deadly respiratory illness that has a new far more deadly variant.

    I wonder if I'll get any comments. My hunch is no.

    It's shocking how many people lack empathy and they may not even actually value human life even if they think they do. But it's another thing for those people to trumpet that fact on the net.

    Edit

    I was wrong. I've started to get replies...

    absolute hysteria, this really isn't a big deal

    Unpopular opposition: I don’t care. They’ve most likely been tested for Covid on arrival and I bet some of them have been vaccinated.

    I can understand those people who say the game should have been canceled. And I fully understand the Tokyo residents, and the rest of Japan that are against it.

    But I’m guessing you’re not Japanese/living in Japan? Just enjoy the games and stop complaining, as they surely won’t stop now

    • ultraviolet [she/her]
      ·
      3 years ago

      And I fully understand the Tokyo residents, and the rest of Japan that are against it.

      But I’m guessing you’re not Japanese/living in Japan? Just enjoy the games and stop complaining, as they surely won’t stop now

      :brainworms: lib mentality. "XYZ is already happening so there is no way to do anything about it, shut the fuck up and let me enjoy brunch."

      • inshallah2 [none/use name]
        ·
        3 years ago

        I like the very carefully worded "I’m guessing you’re not Japanese/living in Japan?"

        I do not think people in foreign countries should needlessly suffer illness, sickness, and death. And I'm ten times as adamant about that if the horrorshow is happening so sports events can happen.

        Call me crazy.

        My plan was to sit back, keep silent, let them rant, and let others reply. But I just couldn't stop myself from replying. And because of the photo and title - it keeps getting upvotes. Some redditors think it's a feel good article because they didn't open the thread.

        • ultraviolet [she/her]
          ·
          3 years ago

          Idk why they even forced it this year. You could just push it back to 2024.

          • inshallah2 [none/use name]
            ·
            3 years ago

            Money, legal reasons, corporate reasons and money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money.