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Elevators taped shut, 'airplane food' and no cheering. Divers get peek at how Tokyo Olympics may look

While people in Japan and around the world debate whether there should be a Tokyo Olympics during a pandemic, athletes predictably have a different view.

“At some point, you’d rather have an event take place than not have the opportunity,” said Michael Hixon, an Indiana University graduate.

He was among divers competing in last week’s World Cup, a pre-Olympics event in Tokyo. It was Hixon’s first competition in more than 14 months — since he won a bronze medal Feb. 29, 2020, in an international meet at Montreal.

With no spectators permitted, the World Cup was a blip in Tokyo, a city of 9 million.