The host nation were deservedly ecstatic after their win against the US. But how much value can be placed on an event when the best athletes do not show up?
As Japan cheered its first and perhaps last title it was time to bid farewell to an existential crisis dressed up as an Olympic sport. Why are we here? Will we ever see each other again? If a Fan Cam scans the stands for people dancing to Uptown Funk, in a stadium without any fans, did anyone really bust some moves?
Officially introduced at Barcelona 1992 (softball followed four years later), baseball was axed from London 2012, though nearly 120,000 people were interested enough to attend a two-game series between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox in the capital’s former Olympic Stadium seven years later.
Related: Climbing is a hit at the Tokyo Olympics – but does it reward the best athletes?
