Photos: No avoiding COVID-19 pandemic reminders at Tokyo Olympics

Tokyo: Like any other Olympics, the Tokyo Games created its share of indelible moments _ runners lunging across the finish line, swimmers reaching for the wall, athletes standing on podiums with medals around their necks. The most lasting images from the 2020 Games _ held in 2021, of course _ will be those that underline the once unimagineable circumstances surrounding them. A staff member cleans the table during table tennis mixed doubles round of 16 matches.

Reminders are everywhere that these will forever be remembered as the Pandemic Olympics. A sign designating a closed seating area is taped to a seat. |

A last-minute rule change allowed athletes to remove their masks for a podium photo-op with their medals, but the face coverings had to be quickly restored. Liam Heath, of Great Britain, kisses his bronze medal in the men's kayak single 200m final.

Thus the awkwardness as American dressage riders Adrienne Lyle, Steffen Peters and Sabine Schut-Kery fiddled to get their masks back in place.

Masks, of course, are everywhere. Gymnastics judges eyed competitors carefully over top of them. Judges evaluate Asia D'Amato, of Italy, performing her floor exercise during the women's artistic gymnastic qualifications.

British archer Bryony Pitman attached one to the arrows in her quiver.

Volunteers at every Olympic venue have offered friendly assistance without being able to show guests their smile.

Disinfection has become an around-the-clock effort. Workers clean seats in-between softball games.

Officials in gloves sanitize the volleyballs, wipe down the table tennis surface and spray down the corners of the boxing rings.

A man, wearing a protective face mask, sits inside an empty Ariake Arena, just before the start of a women's volleyball preliminary round pool A match between Japan and South Korea.

A spectator with a mask bearing the flag of Japan watches during the men's cycling road race.

A woker cleans the table on the podium for the media conference during a rehearsal before the start for Taekwondo at Makuhari Hall Messe.

Workers clean the handball court at the Yoyogi National Stadium.

An olympic volunteer wears a mask as he stands at a media bus stop.