Where, when and how to watch
Sarah Oconnor 
The Tokyo Olympics are nearly upon us, finally, after a year-long delay thanks to Covid-19.
The pandemic is still raging, but organisers remain intent on holding the event, given the immense amount of money and time Japan has poured into it.
The opening ceremony takes place on July 23 , at around 11pm New Zealand time, and the Games will run until August 8 .
Around 11,000 athletes from 205 nations will compete in the 339 events on offer, across 33 sports .
New Zealand are taking a record number of athletes to this year's Games. The biggest contingents are the football and field hockey teams, followed by rowing, cycling and rugby sevens.
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Limited local crowds will be able to attend events, as Japan continues to battle Covid-19. Organisers have set a limit of 50 per cent capacity up to a maximum of 10,000 fans for all venues.
Tokyo has held the Olympics once before, in 1964. Middle-distance runner Peter Snell was the hero for New Zealand on that occasion, claiming gold medals in both the 800m and 1500m races.
HOW TO WATCH
Sky TV will have Olympics coverage across 12 channels and streaming platforms, while TVNZ will feature 12 hours of free-to-air action each afternoon and evening, with breaks for 1 NEWS at 6pm and Seven Sharp.
Coverage on TVNZ1 will run daily from lunchtime to 2am hosted by Toni Street, Scotty Stevenson and former Olympian Sarah Cowley Ross.
There will be live, delayed and replayed curated coverage with a focus on New Zealand athletes.
TVNZ1 will show every New Zealand athlete competing. Most of the coverage will be live, but where there is a schedule clash with two or more Kiwi athletes competing at the same time, TVNZ1 will follow one event live and the others delayed ensuring all Kiwi athletes are featured.
During periods where there are no New Zealand athletes competing, TVNZ1 will turn to delayed coverage of international events of note. Replayed and highlights coverage will also feature where relevant.
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Well-known Kiwi athletes from a wide range of sporting disciplines will join TVNZ's presenters to provide analysis for viewers at home, as well as a chance to tell their personal stories.
The 1 NEWS team on the ground in Tokyo will offer a first-hand account of how the New Zealand Team are performing on the world stage and how the Games are progressing through challenging Covid times.
The studio set up will also feature augmented reality graphics to offer viewers detailed information profiling our athletes and dissecting their performance for an immersive storytelling edge.
1 NEWS COVERAGE
1 NEWS will send a small team to report live from Tokyo. Travelling to Japan are Kimberlee Downs, Chris Chang, Guy Heveldt and Rapaera Tawhai alongside three camera operators.
A substantial health and safety plan is in place to ensure our reporters will be able to undertake their duties securely without impacting the Japanese people and athletes from around the world. This plan has been made in conjunction with the International Olympic Committee much like other international broadcasters.
MORE TOKYO OLYMPICS:
Medal contenders
Ones to watch
International stars
