No spectators are allowed at the Games, so family members and friends across the city are tuning in however, and whenever, they can.
Several American athletes became Olympians by training in New York City’s parks and clubs. Many still live or have family in the metropolitan area. With the pandemic bearing down on Tokyo, spectators are not allowed in the stands at the Olympics this year, not even parents. This means that family members and friends have been on their own to watch and commemorate the Games, especially with the 13-hour time difference. Some are having viewing parties, while others are watching in their pajamas. Here are their stories. Where did you watch the first match? I flew into Orlando, Fla., hours before my son was up. The U.S. Olympic Committee sponsored a trip for the family and friends of athletes to attend watch parties there. They covered everything from airfare to dinner every night with an open bar. They’ve created a festive atmosphere, like the Olympics but on a smaller scale. This has never been done before; parents usually have to pay for themselves to get to the Olympics. Who did you bring? I brought my 72-year-old mom. Believe it or not, we did all the water rides at Universal Studios today. My daughter lives in Harlem. She was supposed to come, but instead she did a watch party at her place with her and Daryl’s mutual friends. How did Daryl get into fencing? When he was 8 he saw the word “fencing” in a dictionary and asked if he could do it. I thought it would be too expensive, so I waited until he asked about it again, a year later, after seeing it on television. I looked up places in the yellow pages, and walked into the Fencers Club in New York. They told me about the Peter Westbrook Foundation that organizes fencer opportunities for inner-city kids. We signed him up, and he blossomed from there. Now he has sponsors that help pay for the sport. When did you know he would go to the Olympics? I would say it was when he won the Junior World Championships. My daughter remembers me running through the club yelling, “He won, he won!” I was like, “OK, this is possible.” What do you do before a bout? I text Daryl and tell him I love him no matter the outcome. I also might close my eyes and say a prayer for myself. That’s the only quiet moment. Anyone who has ever watched with me says I am very vocal. I have been told the TV doesn’t talk back. Where did you watch the first match? The first match was at 4:30 in the morning. My wife and I woke up to watch; you don’t wake up that early on a weekday unless you have some skin in the game. I set my clothes out the night before because I knew it would be so early.
