Japan’s Olympics has been troubled but quietly glorious, reminding us the world can be fun

Farewell then, Tokyo 2020. On a sweltering night at the Olympic Stadium, Japan said goodbye to its troubled, quietly glorious Games with a closing ceremony that was by turns elegant, sombre and hilariously unbound. Not to mention, in the grand Olympic tradition, crammed full of schmaltz and corporate doublespeak.

At 10pm local time the IOC president, Thomas Bach, emerged on to his lighted plinth to declare Tokyo 2020 closed – and to offer up something else too, to lobby for its place in history.

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