Despite Covid-19, first-time Singapore Olympians in Tokyo soak up excitement, hold their own, spot celebrities

• Covid-19 changed the way the Games have had to be organised
• Crowds have been banned at the games, and athletes have to stay within the bubble of the Olympic village
• These changes have not fazed the first-time Olympians TODAY spoke to, who have held their own at the Games

SINGAPORE — Singaporean shuttler Yeo Jia Min had hoped that her family could have shared the excitement as she competed in her maiden Olympic Games in Tokyo.

“My family and extended relatives were supposed to be at the games,” the 22-year-old said during a phone interview with TODAY from Tokyo. “They bought tickets and everything… I was thinking maybe I could see them at the venue.”

However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this was not to be as the organisers barred spectators after Japan declared a state of emergency early in July. The Games had already been postponed by one year.

Yeo arrived in Japan at the start of the month to train at Kochi, 612km south-west of Tokyo. She entered the Olympic village on July 20.

She said that the village atmosphere was bustling, with athletes allowed to interact with anyone as long as everyone stayed within the village “bubble” and wore a mask except when eating.

“It’s actually more interaction than I thought would have happened. I thought that maybe we had to stay in the room most of the time.”

Other first-time Olympians who spoke to TODAY gave a glimpse of life at the Olympic village. Despite crashing out of their events, they vowed to come back stronger.

STAYING AWAY FROM CROWDS

Yeo said that a popular meeting point is the 24-hour village dining hall, which serves up a variety of international cuisines. Athletes can take off their masks during meals and talk to each other behind transparent panels dividing each seat.

However, making friends was not her priority — at least not until her matches were over.

She opted to eat at a smaller dining hall that served only Japanese cuisine, so that she could stay away from the crowds before the competition to reduce the risk of a coronavirus infection.

Athletes have to take a Covid-19 saliva test every morning. If positive, they will be kicked out of the competition and put in isolation.

Yeo, who did some extra last-minute training in Tokyo, said that she had grown increasingly “excited and nervous” as she watched matches that had taken place before hers.

In her first match on Tuesday (July 27), Yeo, ranked 30th in the world, defeated her Mexican opponent Haramara Gaitan in straight sets.

Then, on Wednesday she was up against South Korea’s Kim Ga-eun. Yeo put up a valiant fight but lost 21-13, 21-14 to the 18th ranked player, thus crashing out of the competition.

Yeo is using her first Olympics outing to gain valuable lessons. In her second match, she allowed her opponent too many chances to counter-attack, she said.

Her goal? Two more Olympics, in Paris in 2024 and Los Angeles in 2028, where she will be 25 and 29 years old respectively.

NOTHING TO LOSE

Singapore fencer Kiria Tikanah Abdul Rahman said that the atmosphere at the Olympic village was “festive” when she arrived on July 18.

The 21-year-old said that athletes were allowed to mingle, but with masks on at all times and staying 1m apart.

Like the other Team Singapore athletes, she stayed in apartments that can house up to eight people, all fellow Singaporeans.

She also debunked the rumours that the athletes sleep on hard, flimsy beds designed to discourage sex.

“It’s been one of the major talking points, but (the bed) is more comfortable and sturdier than I expected,” she said.

Kiria recounted her experiences over the phone from a hotel in Singapore, where she is serving her 14-day stay-home-notice after returning on Monday.

For her first match, Kiria, who is ranked 207th in the world, faced Hong Kong’s Coco Lin, who is 90th.

“The first match I was really very nervous… I was new to the atmosphere and didn’t know how I would adapt,” she said. However, after winning the first few points, Kiria managed to calm her nerves and romped to a 15-11 upset victory.

She said that she felt calmer for her second match in the round of 32, although she was up against world number one Ana Maria Popescu from Romania.

“I think the confidence came from knowing I had nothing to lose,” she said. “(Popescu) is the top seed in the competition, so it was more of her match to lose and not mine to win.”

Her performance wowed viewers at home, who were hungry for an upset, when she went within one point of the clear favourite as the match neared its end.

Kiria said that the moment got her “excited”, but her adversary’s vast experience, competing in her fifth Olympics, sealed the deal and Kiria eventually lost 15-10. Propescu went on to take the silver medal.

“Everyone was very supportive. They were telling me they were very proud of me. I was so close to beating the world champion and giving her a lot of stress,” she said.

“But I felt that I could have done a lot better towards the end, so I am a bit disappointed.”

Her family had long mused about watching her compete if she qualified.

“I'm sure they were really looking forward to seeing me compete in Tokyo, but unfortunately, the current situation did not allow for it to happen,” Kiria said.

‘POSITIVITY AND CONFIDENCE’ FROM DEFEAT

Like Kiria, Singapore paddler Clarence Chew entered the Olympics with nothing to lose, being ranked 186th in the world.

“My opponents are all higher-ranked, so I went into each match having no pressure and tried to just play aggressively,” the 25-year-old said. This approach paid dividends in the first match against Senegal’s Ibrahima Diaw, 71st in the world. Chew beat him 4-2.

In the second round, he was again the heavy underdog, facing world number 44 Daniel Habersohn from Austria. It did not take long for his more experienced opponent to take the first three games of the match.

Although Chew comfortably took the fourth game and led by 6-3 in the fifth, Habersohn came back to take that game and win the match with a scoreline of 4-1.

Chew said: “I could also see what I was lacking compared to the higher-ranked opponents, and I take a lot of positivity and confidence from this Olympics outing.” 

With his matches completed, Chew may now soak up the atmosphere at the Olympic village and perhaps interact with more of his competitors-turned-friends.

He has also spotted international sports stars such as 20-time tennis grand slam champion Novak Djokovic and Slovenian basketball star Luka Doncic.

Chew said that there are facilities such as a merchandise stall, convenience store and even a recreational centre with games such as darts and table tennis.

He said that the athletes did not receive any free condoms, which had been a common practice at previous Olympics.

“Maybe the idea will be to distribute it to us when we leave the village to prevent it from being used beforehand,” he said with a chuckle.

OVER AT THE SAILING VILLAGE

Competition is still ahead for Singapore’s four sailors, who are staying at the sailing village at Enoshima beside the Sagamai Bay, 70km outside Tokyo.

They are allowed to mingle with the athletes within the building, but with masks on at all times except when dining.

For national sailor Kimberly Lim, 25, the atmosphere at the village was just as she expected.

“Everyone is together, but it is not very hyped-up,” she said.

The athletes need to take saliva samples every morning and monitor their health status daily, and the regulations are “very strict”, Lim added.

She has partnered with Cecilia Low, 29, to compete in the Women's 49er FX.

They are ranked 16th of 21 after six races, and will be heading into their six remaining races over the next few days, with the final race scheduled for Saturday.

For the duo, the lack of crowds is already a given in their sport, which takes place on the open sea.

“It's no difference for us, as sailors usually don't get spectators,” Low said. “We are just glad that the Olympic Games are happening.”