Olympic medalist Apolo Ohno: Coronavirus can 'drastically change' how sports are experienced
The world's greatest minds are figuring out ways through augmented reality, virtual reality, livestreaming events with headsets to limit density
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Apolo Ohno, one of the most celebrated athletes in history, said the coronavirus could drastically change how sports are experienced in the future. The 2020 Olympics in Tokyo have been put off an entire year as a result of the pandemic.
“Right now, it's a very difficult time,” the eight-time Olympic medalist told FOX Business' Neil Cavuto.
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Even so, the former USA speed skater doesn’t believe sports or the Olympic Games are going away “anytime soon.”
“We look to sports as an inspiration. We look to the Olympic Games as an inspiration to show what a human being as possible of achieving and I don't think that's going away anytime soon,” he said.
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Luis Rivera, left, sanitizes seats in Bridgestone Arena after the remaining NCAA college basketball games in the Southeastern Conference tournament were canceled Thursday, March 12, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
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He is confident that the world’s greatest minds will find ways for enthusiasts to experience sports through augmented reality, virtual reality, and livestreaming to ease nerves while watching events in large numbers.
“Imagine instead of selling 50 front row seats to a fight or to … one of the biggest events in Olympic Games you've got 10 million people now who are in front row who are behind Usain Bolt, behind the Michael Phelps or behind me with helmet headsets, etc.,” he explained.