Olympic superfan gets creative in cheering on coronavirus-hit Tokyo Games

Kyoko Ishikawa set herself a ‘mission’ to find out how to bring an Olympics to life for fans when a health emergency keeps spectators away

Ahead of the opening of the Olympics, Ishikawa created a Facebook page in English for fans to communicate and watch games together

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Olympic superfan Kyoko Ishikawa, who has attended every Summer Olympics in the past 30 years, and her husband John Sledge at their home in Tokyo. Photo: AFP

Published: 7:32am, 2 Aug 2021Updated: 7:32am, 2 Aug 2021

The Tokyo Olympics may have none of the cosmopolitan excitement usually brought to a games by people from all over the world cheering in different languages and waving colourful flags, but superfan Kyoko Ishikawa has made plans to build the buzz regardless.

With the coronavirus pandemic raging for over a year and no end yet in sight, overseas as well as domestic spectators are barred in principle from the Tokyo Olympics, which formally opened July 23.

Still, Ishikawa, who has travelled to every summer games since the 1990s, has not given up on her usual flag-waving fervour – in fact, with an eye on the future, she has set herself a “mission” to find out how to bring an Olympics to life for fans when a health emergency such as the current pandemic keeps spectators away.

Kyoko Ishikawa and her husband John Sledge in the spectator stands of the Fuji International Speedway in Shizuoka, Japan. Photo: AFP

“I decided to turn my home into the ultimate Olympic venue,” said Ishikawa, wearing the costume with which she has cheered on Olympics athletes ever since travelling to Barcelona in 1992 – a Japanese traditional festival costume and a headband with “victory” written in Kanji characters.

Her eyes glued to a large television screen, Ishikawa, 51, blows a whistle and waves a Japanese traditional foldable fan to cheer on athletes who themselves have had to overcome numerous obstacles stemming from the pandemic to participate in the games. Two other smaller screens, meanwhile, also show events.