Olympic organisers tell fans to 'stay away'
Olympic fans defied a ban on spectators at the Games on Monday, as they tried to try to get a glimpse of the men's triathlon on day three of Tokyo 2020.
Hundreds of people lined the route of the course which saw Norway's Kristian Blummenfelt win Gold.
Fans said they did not want to miss a chance to see the athletes compete:
"We're outdoors so it won't get overcrowded. I think the risk of getting infected is extremely low, almost equal to zero. It's an event only held once every four years and the Tokyo Games are very special, so I can't miss this chance. That's why I came here."
But the crowd prompted the Olympic Organising Committee to issue a direct plea for people to stay at home to watch the Games.
"Of course it breaks everyone's hearts there are no spectators, but health and safety are the number one priority."
Tokyo remains under a state of emergency due to the pandemic.
On Monday, there were 16 new reported cases related to the Games, bringing the total number this month to 148.
Support for Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has slid nine points to 34%, its lowest since he took office, a survey on Monday showed.
Worries about COVID-19 have clouded his hopes the Games would improve his ratings ahead of an election this year.
Still - in a boost for the host nation - Japan has won six gold medals so far, including a skate boarding double with Yuto Horigome coming out top in the men's street event and Momiji Nishiya winning the womens.
At 13, Nishiya is Japan's youngest-ever gold medal winner.
