Athletes from more than 200 nations partake in Olympic parade at Japan’s empty national stadium

TOKYO (AP) —The parade of athletes at the opening ceremony for the Tokyo Olympics has taken place.

Organizers said about 5,700 athletes took part in the parade. Some will skip it because of early competitions on Saturday or to avoid risk of exposure to the coronavirus. And this parade differs from most others in the past because the nations are being spaced out — a nod to social distancing.

Hundreds of volunteers were on the stadium floor as well to greet the athletes as they walked through. Many athletes were waving; others were capturing their entrance on their phone cameras.

Moments before the parade, a wooden set of Olympic rings was displayed at the center of the stadium in a nod to the 1964 Tokyo Games. There, athletes from around the world were asked to bring seeds that could be planted and become trees.

Wood from 160 pines and spruces, seeds that came from Canada, Ireland and Northern Europe, were used to build the set of Olympic rings displayed Friday.