As the highest-level sporting event in the world, the Olympic Games hold immense significance for all athletes. Earning glory at the Olympics is the ultimate validation of an athlete's years of grueling training. Whether securing a medal or merely participating, every moment is an affirmation of their hard work.
The bulk of the National Table Tennis Team arrived in Tokyo a week before the opening ceremony, but they were immediately met with a series of troubles right off the plane.
First came the barrage of epidemic prevention checks. While this was standard procedure, the Tokyo Organizing Committee was woefully unprepared. There was a severe shortage of testing equipment and staff, and the process was agonizingly slow, leading to massive queues. After waiting for a grueling five hours, the twenty-odd members of the Chinese delegation finally cleared quarantine.
Chapter 112