IOC President Thomas Bach reflected on the pandemic in his speech at the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo Olympic Games, and offered words of hope, saying that the feeling of togetherness at the Olympics "is the light at the end of the dark tunnel."
"Today is a moment of hope," Bach said. "Yes, it is very different from what all of us had imagined. But let us cherish this moment. Finally we are all here together: the athletes from 205 National Olympic Committees and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team, living under one roof together in the Olympic Village.
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"This is the unifying power of sport. This is the message of solidarity, the message of peace and the message of resilience. This gives all of us hope for our further journey together."