It's unclear how much Tom Raubeni expected to find himself in this position. Whether he anticipated reaching the final race or even winning an Olympic medal remains uncertain, but from today, Tom Raubeni is an Olympic champion and gold medalist, and "Hatikvah" will resound on French soil.

Just after witnessing Sharon Kantor's silver medal win in the women's category, the sailor, who finished second overall in the qualifiers and had never won a medal in the senior circuit, approached the final race with great determination. He took a risk by breaking away from his Dutch and Australian rivals, a move that paid off as he reached the final buoys and the finish line first.

Perhaps it was fate. The coach of the men's team is Gal Fridman, Israel's first Olympic gold medalist, who won his medal twenty years ago. Now, another sailor joins his side.

This was Tom Raubeni's first race victory in Marseille, and it came just in time. After securing his place in the semi-final race, he stated that, in his view, he had reached fifth place and hadn't expected to sail as he did, but the first place came at just the right moment.

This marks Israel's fifth medal at the Paris Olympics, following the bronze of Peter Paltchik and the silver medals of Inbar Lanir, Raz Hershko, and Kantor.

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Local vs. Universal

The Olympic event embodies a tension between two extremes. On one hand, it is a global event that symbolizes the connection of all nations and continents through sports and competition. The Olympics have a fixed ceremony, drawing strength from the historic games in ancient Greece, uniting the world. The five rings in the Olympic symbol represent the continents and their interconnection, with each ring intertwined with another. The primary colors of the rings represent cultural diversity and the rich anthropological mix present in the competition and intercontinental meeting.

On the other hand, the Olympics are a massive showcase of the host country. Hosting the competition brings international relevance and status. Thus, the host country often seeks to emphasize its presence and values, displaying visual imagery associated with it and local folklore to celebrate and promote its uniqueness. The Olympic logo merges the two, converging into a singular, integrated statement.

The Flame and the Olympic Torch

Fire symbolizes life, and is sacred in many cultures. In ancient Greece, the flame burned throughout the competition. It was reintroduced as a symbol associated with the games at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, where the tradition of the torch relay began. Every Olympic year, the torch is lit in Athens and travels from Greece to the host city. The torch has also appeared several times in competition symbols over the years.

Flags and Buildings

A straightforward way to visually connect the Olympics with its location is through the host country's flag and the prominent symbols of the host city.

Famous buildings, such as Big Ben in London, distinctly link the competition to the city.

The national flag can appear in its entirety or as a hint, with elements woven into the logo. The flag's colors can also blend in and set the tone, painting the entire Olympics in national hues.

Movement

As befitting a global sports competition, the logo should evoke a sense of activity and convey a feeling of movement. One challenge for designers has been making a static and flat logo represent dynamism. Some symbols have used fragmented shapes and angled placement, such as the spiral in the 1972 Munich Olympics logo or the fragmented rectangles of Tokyo 2020.

Some logos have used lines of varying thickness and angles to create a sense of pull. Others have featured a running figure, with or without a torch, achieving an effect of quick movement with a few seemingly free strokes. The designers of the Rio 2016 Olympics logo created a sense of motion through depth.

Star

The star is a graphic element symbolizing prestige and quality, an achievement or distinction. It also marks a significant landmark; some atlases use stars to mark capitals, distinguishing them from other settlements marked with dots. The star can stand out, or appear in a sequence, indicating connection. Since many national flags boast stars, this element can also reference the host country.

Posters

Before the advent of Olympic logos, official posters were created and used extensively. Containing the visual elements mentioned, and presenting many other details through the use of illustration. The 1900 Paris Olympics poster, for example, depicted the Eiffel Tower, the city below it, and a golden coin with a figure above.

Connection to Ancient Greece

Linking the modern event to its historical roots is prestigious to the host country, connecting it to its source in Western culture. The parallel to ancient Greece clarifies that the host nation is another link in the chain of human history, following the light of Greek culture, which venerates the human body and victory.

The laurel wreath has been a symbol of victory since ancient times, adorning the statues of Greek gods and victorious generals. In ancient Olympic Games, the wreaths were a visual element with clear meaning, though laurel leaves were replaced by olive branches.

Since the games in ancient Greece, the olive branch has become a symbol of victory and connection to Olympic history, occasionally appearing in the logos over the years. The most prominent use the laurel crown was in the 2004 Athens Olympics logo.

The Olympic Rings

The Olympic logo itself appears within the competition symbols, blending with other elements. In recent years, it has remained unaltered in color, rather than being recolored to match the logo's graphic language, appearing in its original colors.

The Victory Emblem

Designing the Olympic emblem allows the host country to communicate with the thousands of athletes visitors coming to the event, and with millions of viewers worldwide. The emblem is a visual tool that can highlight the values of the host city and country, securing a place in the history of the Olympic Games.

This journey through the Olympic symbols over the years reveals the tension between nationalism and internationalism, between belonging and uniqueness. It lets us examine how each country chose to present its values, how they wished to be seen, and what they wanted to be seen in them. Even after 124 years, Olympic symbols continue to radiate power and, above all, victory.

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Aerostats − lighter-than-air aircraft bouyed by gas − made by an Israeli company are in use by Tokyo Police to help secure the Olympic Games, the manufacturer of the systems, RT, announced Thursday.

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RT's SkyStar 180 tactical aerostats are being used by law enforcement for public safety, event traffic and crowd control.

The systems "were integrated into the command and control center of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police," RT said in a statement, and "are positioned at several different locations, about 150 meters [492 feet] above the ground. These spots were identified by the end-user as sites where many of the events are taking place.

The high-quality video from the aerostat is transmitted in real time to the command center, which is controlled by the Tokyo Police.

According to RT, SkyStar Aerostats deliver persistent surveillance of an area and full digital recordings of mission video and data. The systems can stay airborne for up to 72 hours and operate in a wind velocity of up to 40 knots.

It only takes 20 minutes to refill them with helium, said the company.

"We are proud of the selection of the SkyStar 180 tactical aerostat system by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police for a mission that is so important in safeguarding the 11,091 participants in the 2020 Olympic Games," RT CEO Rami Shmueli said. "We look forward to continuing our cooperation with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police on further security missions in the future as well."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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US gymnast Simone Biles, who amazed the world on Tuesday when she decided to pull out of the team all-around competition on Tuesday due to mental strain, costing the US team a gold medal, has decided to forgo the final individual all-around event, she announced Wednesday.

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USA Gymnastics published a message on Twitter explaining that "After further medical evaluation, Simon Biles has withdrawn from the final individual all-around competition. We wholeheartedly support Simone's decision and applaud her bravery in prioritizing her well-being."

Biles will be replaced by Jade Carey, who placed ninth in the qualifications.

International Olympic Committee spokesperson Mark Adams had said earlier on Wednesday the IOC has "huge respect and support" for Biles.

Adams said mental health remained a big issue and that it was a matter the organization had been working on for some time.

IOC President Thomas Bach was seen in deep conversation with Biles on the floor of the Ariake Gymnastics Centre on Tuesday before handing out medals.

Biles was to appear in all six gymnastics event finals and a sweep of the gold medals would have given her 10, making her the most accomplished woman Olympian in any sport.

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Sunday's taekwondo match between Kimia Alizadeh and Iran's Nahid Kiyanichandeh at the Tokyo Olympic Games is not one viewers will likely forget soon.

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Alizadeh is a former Iranian taekwondoin, who won a bronze medal for the Islamist Republic at the Rio Olympics back in 2016, the only woman to do so in her homeland's history. She has since fled to Germany, after having had enough of the regime that used her as a propaganda tool, she said.

Iran has a long history of using its athletes for its political agendas. It has repeatedly withdrawn athletes from international competitions that would match them up against Israeli athletes and in 2020 executed 27-year-old judoka Navid Afkari who dared criticize the regime.

Competing under the white flag of the Refugee Olympic team, 23-year old Alizadeh beat former compatriot Kiyanichandeh in the women's 57 kilograms (125 pounds) elimination round.

She was a clear favorite in the arena, and was received with applause by members of the media and the few spectators present in the venue. No general public viewers are allowed this year inside the Olympic arenas due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Cheers erupted again when Alizadeh finished the match against Kiyanichandeh with an 18-9 win. She is one of three taekwondoins and 29 athletes competing for the refugee team at Tokyo.

After qualifying in the elimination round, Alizadeh went up against Britain's Jade Jones, stripping the British athlete of her dream of becoming a three-time consecutive gold medalist.

She went on to defeat China's Zhou Lijun in the quarterfinals, and came within striking distance of winning a bronze medal, but lost in the semi-finals against Turkey's Hatice Kubra Ilgun.

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Originally, the Olympic Games were supposed to promote Japan's standing in various fields. In light of its many problems exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, however, the standing of both the country and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party could find themselves damaged. Still, the world is poised to once again be exposed to the Japanese modernity of the Land of the Rising Sun, which was and remains a very modern state.

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The first time the world was exposed to Japan was the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, the first Olympics to ever be held on Asian soil, and as such a huge achievement for Japan. The world saw the country as super modern, whose organization stood out from afar. Japan was proud when, for the first time since World War II, it transformed its national image from one of an almost backward Asian state to global power. The Olympics gave Japan a huge economic boost.

Over two decades earlier, the 1940 Olympics were supposed to have been held in Tokyo, just four years after the 1936 Berlin Olympics and their repercussions for Nazi propaganda, and were to have been of not just athletic but political significance for the country. However, the Japanese invasion of China in 1937 put a hamper on those plans: Japan's status declined in global opinion, and the Japanese themselves rescinded their candidacy in 1939 due to sharp domestic criticism of the country hosting the games while the Japanese were being killed in China.

Ahead of this year's Olympics, the government invested large sums of money for Japan to be selected by the International Olympic Committee, in the belief that this would pull the country out of its economic crisis and renew its global status, as it did in 1964. The move was also aimed at improving morale by overcoming a recession largely the result of Japanese citizens having ceased to buy industrial products and decreased Japanese exports due to competition from South Korea and China.

Even before the pandemic struck, the Japanese public did not believe the Olympics would create a new psychological-economic reality. When COVID-19 entered the scene, it delivered a serious blow to the Japanese government's aspirations of using the Olympics as one great economic springboard both within the country and overseas. From an international perspective, many feared that if the Olympics proved to be a failure they could wind up doing the country damage.

Yet the government hoped the Japanese sense of efficiency and diligence would prevail, benefiting the state on a domestic societal level. The fact that the country does not have enough coronavirus vaccines to inoculate a majority of the public certainly has not helped instill a sense of calm in the atmosphere in the weeks and months leading up to the opening of the multi-disciplinary athletic competition.

From an international perspective, the Olympics are unlikely to promote Japan's standing compared to its direct rivals South Korea and China. From a different perspective, if we look for an upside, we can find one at the baseline: If Japan nevertheless succeeds in overcoming the coronavirus, vaccinating its population alongside the Games and presenting Japanese modernity to the world, they could be remembered as the kind of positive turning point Japan has been hoping for.

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A defector from Iran who competes in taekwondo for the refugee team at the Tokyo Olympics was drawn on Thursday to face an Iranian opponent in the qualifying round.

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Kimia Alizadeh, who left Iran citing institutional sexism, will face Nahid Kiyani Chandeh in the 57-kilogram class on Sunday.

Alizadeh was the first Iranian women to win an Olympic medal when she took bronze at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games when she was 18. She later criticized wearing the mandatory hijab headscarf, which she had to wear in Rio, and left Iran to live in Germany.

"I have a great feeling to have made a decision for my life that would definitely change my future," she said last year in Germany.

Alizadeh was selected for the 29-athlete Refugee Olympic Team last month.

The two-time world championship medalist and 2014 Youth Olympics champion needed an invitation to join the 16 athletes who qualified for the 57kg featherweight category at the Tokyo Games.

The extra entry made an odd-numbered lineup, requiring a qualifying round to advance to the main bracket. The draw landed Alizadeh against an opponent from her former country.

The winner at the Makuhari Messe near Tokyo will advance to the round of 16 and face defending champion Jade Jones of Britain less than two hours later.

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Fans will be banned from Tokyo-area stadiums and arenas when the Olympics begin in two weeks, the city's governor said Thursday after meeting with organizers of the pandemic-postponed games.

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That means the Olympics will be a largely TV-only event, after the Japanese government put the capital under a COVID-19 state of emergency because of rising new infections and the highly contagious delta variant.

The declaration was made by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, and the spectator ban was agreed to by Japanese Olympic organizers, the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee, and the metropolitan government of Tokyo.

It was a serious blow for Japanese taxpayers and local organizers of the games, which already had been postponed from 2020 by the coronavirus. Hundreds of millions of dollars in ticket revenue will be lost, and that must be made up by the government. Fans also have endured months of uncertainty about whether the Olympics will go ahead.

"Many people were looking forward to watching the games at the venues, but I would like everyone to fully enjoy watching the games on TV at home," Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said after the meeting. "It's gut-wrenching because many people looked forward to watching at the venues."

Fans from abroad were banned months ago, and the new measures will mean no spectators in stadiums and arenas around Tokyo – both indoor and outdoor venues.

The ban covers Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures – Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba. A smattering of events in outlying areas, like baseball in the northeastern prefecture of Fukushima, will allow a limited number of fans.

The state of emergency begins July 12 and runs through Aug. 22. The Olympics, which open July 23 and run through Aug. 8, fall entirely under the emergency period, while the Paralympics open Aug. 24.

"Taking into consideration the impact of the delta strain, and in order to prevent the resurgence of infections from spreading across the country, we need to step up virus prevention measures," Suga said.

In principle, the July 23 opening ceremony at the new $1.4 billion National Stadium will be without paying fans, although some dignitaries, sponsors, IOC officials and others will be allowed to attend.

"We will have to review the situation about the dignitaries and stakeholders," organizing committee President Seiko Hashimoto said of the opening ceremony.

"No fans was a very difficult decision," she added.

Hashimoto acknowledged some regrets, particularly about the decision coming so late.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach delivered a message of encouragement to the athletes, saying, "It was a decision which was necessary to ensure safe Olympic Games and this is why the IOC and the IPC both supported this decision. I hope we all agree that the most important thing is that these Olympic Games are happening – that you can make your Olympic dream come true.

"You need not feel alone in these stadia. Billions of people around the entire globe will be glued to their screens, and they will be with you in their hearts," he added. "I hope that you can feel this support from all these people, who are your true fans, who are your family, your friends and your supporters."

On Saturday, two more prefectures outside the immediate Tokyo area have decided to bar fans from attending Olympic events because of rising coronavirus infections.

Fukushima prefecture in northeastern Japan has decided to hold its baseball and softball events without spectators. It has been joined by the northern prefecture of Hokkaido, which will hold soccer games without fans at the Sapporo Dome.

"Many people including children have been looking forward to the games, and I'm very sorry to take away their chance of watching baseball and softball at the stadium," Fukushima Governor Masao Uchibori said Saturday. "It was a very tough decision to make."

Fukushima was the early focus of the Olympics, trying to shine a light on recovery efforts in an area devastated in 2011 by an earthquake, tsunami, and the subsequent meltdown of three nuclear reactors.

Uchibori said the move by Hokkaido on Friday encouraged him to follow suit. He said it was important to have consistency among prefectures.

A few other events being held in the outlying prefectures of Miyagi, Shizuoka and Ibaraki will go ahead with limited spectators, organizers said Saturday.

Also on Saturday, about 40 people staged a small anti-Olympic protest outside the five-star hotel where he is self-isolating after arriving in Tokyo on Thursday.

"He [Bach] seems not to have thought anything about our critical situation and suffering, which makes me more angry," protester Ayako Yoshida said.

Polls have shown between 50%-80% of Japanese oppose holding the Olympics, depending on how the question is phrased. But opponents have failed to martial large turnouts in the streets.

Protesters carried a sign in English that read "Cancel the Tokyo Olympics" and one that had a red line drawn through the face of Bach and was captioned: "You Are Not Welcome."

Tokyo registered 950 new infections on Saturday, the 21st straight day that infections were higher than a week previous. It was the highest since 1,010 were reported on May 13.

Japan has attributed about 15,000 deaths to COVID-19 with 16.8% of the population fully vaccinated. The pandemic has not been as severe in Japan as other places, but the country has not performed as well as some of its Asian neighbors.

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In March 2020, the global coronavirus pandemic made history of a different kind: it became the first non-conflict-related reason for suspending the Olympic Games, which were slated to be held in Tokyo from July 24 to Aug. 9, 2020.

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The last time the Olympic Games were canceled was during World War II. The 1940 Games were scheduled to be held in Japan, but it forfeited its rights in 1937 when it went to war with China. The Summer Olympics were initially relocated to Helsinki, Finland, with the Winter Games set to take place in the German town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, but both were canceled following Hitler's invasion of Poland in 1939.

Japan eventually hosted that 1964 Summer Olympics and on Sept. 7, 2013, Tokyo won its bid in the 125th IOC Session in Buenos Aires to again host the games.

Japan was all in, investing some $15.4 billion in staging the games.

And then came COVID-19.

Countries began informing the International Olympic Committee that they would not be sending their athletes to Japan in the midst of a pandemic, and the virus forced preparation to grind to a near-halt.

On March 24, 2020, the IOC, following consultations with the World Health Organization and the Japanese government, announced that it was postponing the games, now set to be held between July 23 and Aug. 8, 2021.

The move was essential "to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community," a joint statement by the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee and the IOC said.

While 2020 had come and gone, the global pandemic is very much still here: 2021 kicked off with a range of highly transmissible coronavirus mutations, prompting a fresh wave of lockdowns and travel restrictions. The future of the Games was one again clouded with uncertainty.

Moreover, public opinion polls held in Japan over the past few months show growing opposition to holding the Olympic Games, with as many at 80% of Japanese saying the world's biggest multi-sport event should be postponed again or canceled altogether.

The Games' fickle fortune has prompted some in Japan to think they are cursed.

Believers even include Japan's Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso, who said that the Tokyo Olympics appear to be blighted by world events every four decades.

"It's a problem that happens every 40 years – it's the cursed Olympics, and that's a fact," Aso told parliament after the Games were first postponed.

The IOC currently, however, insists that the Olympics will go ahead as planned, for the mere fact that "there is no Plan B."

IOC President Thomas Bach stated last month that the state of emergency declared in Tokyo over COVID-19 will not hinder the events, saying, "We have, at this moment, no reason whatsoever to believe that the Olympic Games in Tokyo will not open on July 23. …This is why there is no 'Plan B' and this is why we are fully committed to make these Games safe and successful."

'Final decision must be made by March'

Last year, International Olympic Committee delegate in Israel Alex Gilady was optimistic – certain, even – that events will take place as scheduled. This time around, he is very cautious when predicting the future of the Tokyo Games.

"I still have heartburn from the hat I ate last year," Gilady told Israel Hayom. "I hope this year I will be able to taste victory vis-à-vis all those who doubt that the Olympic Games can be held."

Gilady, 78, is a former journalist, TV sports commentator, and the former senior vice-president of NBC Sports. He is also the founder and president of Keshet Broadcasting, which operates Channel 12, Israel's largest commercial television outlet. He joined the IOC in 1994.

Q: IOC Chair Thomas Bach recently admitted that "there is no 'Plan B' for the Games. Hasn't the IOC learned its lesson?

"He's right – there is no Plan B. the games will either be held or canceled altogether, which means the next Olympics will be held in Paris in 2024.

"I keep hearing and reading about esoteric plans to hold the games elsewhere, but that's not going to happen. As for the theory that the Games [if canceled] will return to Tokyo down the line – who knows?"

Q: The Times reports that public opinion in Japan has turned against the Olympic Games, and that low national morale could bring about their cancelation.

"All I can say is that it's a shame that such a serious newspaper quoted unnamed sources [as making the claim] so we can't confront them and respond properly.

"The Japanese government wants to hold the Tokyo Games as scheduled and it is sparing no effort to make sure that the summer games are held – in accordance with coronavirus restrictions.

Q: The IOC said it will make its final decision in March. There is no way to know where this is going before that?

"We are working on protocols related to the preparations for the Olympics. We take into account that a decision has to happen in March because if you want to travel with your child to Tokyo to see the Games, you can't wait until the last minute to plan the trip," he explained.

"Will spectators even be allowed to attend? I can't give you a definite answer at this time.  I doubt anyone in the world can."

Q: What about the athletes traveling to the Games? This is shaping out to be a very different Olympics.

"Yes, it is. The Olympic village will be smaller, athletes won't be able to move freely and most will stay at the Olympic village for a very short time. They will arrive shortly before their competitions and won't stay long after that. They will also undergo extensive [COVID] testing before, during and after their stay in Tokyo."

Gilady rejected the notion that Western media outlets are not exactly rushing to send crews to cover the Games in Asia.

"The number journalists on the waiting list for approval to cover the games is enormous – it exceeds that number [of press passes] we can provide," he asserts.

"There is a sense in the global media that this event will mark humanity's triumph over the virus, and everyone wants to be there when that happens because they believe it's about to happen, despite some media reports to the contrary."

Q: Will this be your last summer Olympics?

"The members of the International Olympic Committee retire from office at the age of 80 – that's another two years for me. At the same time, this week I had a meeting about Paris 2024 and I continue to work as usual.

"Is this the end for me on the International Olympic Committee? There are many options to continue, as an honorary member, voluntarily – if they want me, of course. But I'm certainly working on Paris Games, and there are more winter games in Beijing before that."

Q: Any thoughts about your successor? Guaranteeing one seems like a difficult task.

"It is a very difficult task indeed, but I think it's an important matter. It has been proven throughout the years that representing our interests in all various [international] institutions is extremely important, especially in view of the challenges we are facing on the international level in the post-Corona years.

"It's also important to me to know that someone will be able to represent us faithfully even after it's time for me to retire."

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In an open letter to International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, which AJC is urging the public to sign, the organization writes: "Iran's record of abuse against its own athletes is abysmal."

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The letter details Iran's repeated and ongoing violations of the Olympic Charter, of the Olympic ethos, and of basic human rights. "Iran's record of abuse in sports is just one area of an elaborate tapestry of wholesale violations of basic human rights carried out by the Islamic Republic against its own citizens," states the AJC letter to Bach.

According to AJC, the abuse of Iranian athletes by their own government includes the following:

The arrest, torture, and execution of Iranian national wrestling champion Navid Afkari, whose killing two weeks ago drew an international outcry. His only crime was that he dared to protest the oppressive regime that ultimately killed him.

Political and religious persecution that has driven multiple Iranian athletes – including including Kimia Alizadeh, Iran's only female Olympic medalist – to flee their own country.

Prohibitions on women's participation in many sports and the imposition of draconian restrictions on women permitted to compete in others.

Prohibitions on competing against Israelis that have forced Iranian athletes to forfeit matches in order to ensure they never face Israeli opponents. Saeid Mollaei, an Iranian judo fighter, fled Iran for Germany after Iranian officials forced him to lose a match so he would not compete against an Israeli athlete.

The Olympic Charter defines the IOC's mission and role as opposing "any political or commercial abuse of sport and athletes." Similarly, the Charter states the obligation "to promote safe sport and the protection of athletes from all forms of harassment and abuse."

"To allow Iran to participate in the Tokyo Games would be to signal approval of the country's gross and systematic violations of human rights," AJC letter to Bach reads.

"Barring Iran would send a powerful message: that athletes are to be protected, that sport is to be practiced freely, and that discrimination and abuse by any country that is part of the Olympic family will not be tolerated. Only thus will the Olympic spirit, a spirit of peace, freedom, and coexistence, truly be upheld."

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