The festivities of the Opening Ceremony took a brief pause, as athletes and officials observed a moment of silence in remembrance of both the lives lost to the COVID-19 pandemic, and those killed during the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.
The families of the 11 members of the Israeli delegation killed at the Munich Games had long lobbied for a moment of silence on their behalf. It was granted for the first time at this Opening Ceremony.
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"We, the Olympic community, also remember all the Olympians and members of our community who have so sadly left us, in particular we remember those who lost their lives during the Olympic Games," said an announcer during the Opening Ceremony.