Clean, repeat: At Tokyo Games, virus is Olympians' chief foeHolding each other tighter than lovers, the wrestlers smear each other with sweat, spittle and - when they inadvertently cut each other - sometimes blood. Lungs heaving, mouths agape, they huff and puff into each others' flushed faces. On their glistening bodies, it's impossible to tell their opponents' fluids and theirs apart. Underscoring the health risks of such proximity: They are the only people in the cavernous hall not wearing face masks. A germophobe's nightmare, it's a messy spectacle best observed from the stands where volunteers hold signs reading "keep physical distance" for non-existent crowds, barred from the Tokyo Games because of surging coronavirus infections in the Olympic host country where less than one-third of the population is vaccinated. In Tokyo, Olympians can't not think about that. They are sealed off in a giant sanitary bubble built with daily tests, oceans of sanitizer and strict restrictions on their movements. They are instructed not to mix with people outside their teams. They are told to avoid hugs, high-fives and handshakes - all deemed "unnecessary" by Games organizers - advice they often ignore in the heat and joy of competition. They cannot watch sports other than their own or wander around the city. Photos by AP