The Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which will be held this year, feels different as it will take place without spectators. One study noted that the absence of sports supporters who provide support to athletes directly from the audience affects athlete performance.
Like many things, COVID-19 changes everything. The Prime Minister of Japan decided to ban spectators, even family members of athletes, from giving direct support.
This difficult decision should be taken in response to the surge of COVID-19 cases, especially the spread of Delta variants. While in previous shows, the competition venue may be filled to 50% capacity by local spectators.
According to Scientific American, from the point of view of sports psychology, the spectatorless Olympics are real science experiments that help researchers and doctors uncover the real impact of spectators on their players, as well as spectators at home.
Uncomfortable and uncomfortable match conditions without spectators can put unexpected stress on some athletes. One example is US gymnast Simone Biles. The superstar’s mentality faltered and she decided to withdraw from the women’s team gymnastics event.
"The Olympics are really stressful and overall, there are no spectators. There are a lot of influencing variables," he told the Washington Post.
Louise Byrne, a sports psychology practitioner at Optimize Potential from the UK, says that Biles ’struggles are likely to be widespread among Olympic athletes this year. How not, this is one of the big stories of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
"On the field, no matter what their competition is, players face this uncertainty. They face a situation they've never faced before," Byrne said.
Part of this ambiguity, he added, was also due to the sudden decision to ban spectators, weeks before the competition began.
Organizers of sports competitions are required to find creative solutions to hold competitions without spectators. The English Premier League and Spanish La Liga, for example, both complete match broadcasts with crowd voices from the FIFA 20 football video game, combined with real-time audio.
As another example, Taiwanese baseball teams and German soccer teams fill the venue with cardboard pieces containing words of encouragement from their fans, and this trend is gaining popularity internationally, especially for U.S. baseball and basketball games.
The cardboard pieces are meant to soothe the sadness of seeing an empty spot, and even to entertain the audience watching from home.
"There's a reason why camera angles from televised sports competitions often cover the seating area. Pandemics highlight the role spectators play in sports culture and spirit," said Daniel Wann, a psychology professor at Murray State University who studies sports psychology and behavioral enthusiasts.
The acoustics of a field or stadium without fans have unintended consequences for both players and spectators. Without the roar of the crowd, the match felt more stressful as the silence made snoring more audible, discussions between referees, and perhaps unintentional rough discussions could be heard and could beat the mental athlete who was struggling.
Wann says he often observes sports fans in slow -moving matches. And during the outbreak, seeing reactions from some of the fans allowed to attend the match and the players themselves, Wann saw a lot of pressure.
"You'll see some people who are really upset. The view of the field, their eyes wide open during run-up. They hear things they don't normally hear."
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