The IOC offers the following Video News Release to all news agencies, broadcasters and online news platforms free of charge. STORY SCRIPT: International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach has delivered a message of support to athletes arriving in Japan for Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 after it was confirmed no spectators will be allowed at venues due to the ongoing Covid-19 Pandemic.  President Bach emphasised that athlete safety was the number one priority for these Games, but assured athletes they will still have an Olympic experience to remember. He said: “We all regret this decision for not having spectators - for the spectators, but even more so for the athletes, who will not be able to enjoy life in the Olympic atmosphere. But for the athletes, I think their feeling will be very different, because they will know that billions of people from around the globe are with them in their hearts, that they are supporting them, that they are feeling with them. So, the athletes should also appreciate this feeling, and should feel encouraged by this different and new form of support in unprecedented times.” In order to keep all Games participants and the Japanese population safe, a series of Playbooks have been developed jointly by Tokyo 2020, the IOC and the International Paralympic Committee in close collaboration with the Government of Japan and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. They are based on the extensive work of the All Partners Task Force and collaborations with scientific experts and organisations from across the world.