About 700 students from the Kanto region took part in the "Rising Star" meet on Saturday, the first athletics event at the new National Stadium in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, since the venue was completed in November last year.
The collection of and sixth-grade elementary school students and third-year junior high school students competed at the stadium that will serve as the main venue for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics in the summer of 2021.
The event was put on to provide students in the final year at their respective schools with the opportunity to display their athletic prowess amid the stoppage of national sports because of the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Hosted by the Japan Association of Athletics Federations, the meet took place with no spectators other than parents and event staff.
The elementary school students competed in three events, which included the 100 meters and the long jump for boys and girls, while junior high school contestants took part in four events for both boys and girls, including the 100 and 1,500.
"I was glad I could run at the Olympic venue," said Seiga Fujii, a Kimitsu Junior High School student who won the boys' 100. "I felt comfortable running here."
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