A year late, but it’s finally here - Tokyo’s Olympics 2021 is ready to go! Though spectators and foreign visitors will not be allowed to go to Japan for the games, there are plenty of places to see the games at home in Germany. Here’s the lowdown on watching the Olympics in Germany.
The opening ceremony will be held at 8pm Japanese time, thus will be broadcast live in Germany at 1pm CET. The ceremony will last for approximately three hours, and will showcase some of the incredible talent that Japan has to offer.
As one of the most culturally rich countries in the word, you can expect a true spectacle for the ceremony, and it is even expected that the Japanese Emperor Naruhito will officially open the games. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, much of the show is tipped to be pre-recorded, with the theme of “Moving Forward: United by Emotion”, a probable reference to the struggles faced by the world in the past year.
The Olympic games will be available to watch on many platforms, with German broadcasters ARD, Eurosport and ZDF providing extensive coverage. For those without a TV subscription, or those wishing to watch the games on-the-go, there will also be many live streams on the internet on websites like YouTube, and ZDF’s own special Olympic live stream.
Germany’s team boasts 429 competitors across 32 sports. At the opening ceremony, the team’s flag will be carried by beach volleyballer Laura Ludwig, and diver Patrick Hausding. Familiar names on the German Olympic team include some of the Bundesliga’s best footballers, such as RB Leipzig midfielder Benjamin Henrichs, and VfB Stuttgart goalkeeper Florian Müller.
One familiar face that will not be joining the team is the German-born tennis superstar and 2018 Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber, who pulled out of the games earlier in July citing the need for rest and recovery after this year’s Wimbledon tournament.
The bookmakers have Germany as 250/1 to win the most medals, and in reality, it isn’t likely that the Germans will come out on top. Despite this, there is still a stereotypically German trait that could help the country score well: consistency! The German Olympic team consistently performs well in the summer Olympic Games, and there is nothing in the works to say that this year will be any different!
Some of the sports that might see Germany winning big include: Archery, Boxing, Judo, Karate, Canoeing, Rowing, Athletics, and Equestrian.