When Henry Irizawa leaves Comox this week for Tokyo, heB次元官网网址檒l be off to cover his 12th Olympic Games.
ItB次元官网网址檒l be different because of the COVID-19 situation in Japan, which has prompted the Japanese government, with the support of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee, Japanese Olympic organizers and local government officials in Tokyo, to restrict fans from the venues.
B次元官网网址淔ans are such a big part of it,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淭hey create the atmosphere.B次元官网网址�
HeB次元官网网址檚 had some experience before with Olympiads and viruses, as he worked the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016, when there were concerns because of the Zika virus outbreak.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 always something,B次元官网网址� he says.
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The situation in 2021 is unique though. He says broadcasters will be undergoing a B次元官网网址渟oftB次元官网网址� quarantine for three days upon arrival, and there are strict guidelines, including mask-wearing.
B次元官网网址淩epeat every day. ItB次元官网网址檚 Groundhog Day. Absolutely no sightseeing,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e staying within the compound. Masks on all the time. The COVID protocols that they arranged are really strict. ThereB次元官网网址檒l be no exceptions made.B次元官网网址�
Basically, the crews will be shuttled between their hotel and the venue, with no chance to diverge from the routes. ItB次元官网网址檚 strictly business and strict health guidelines for the thousands of TV crew members, media members and athletes.
A veteran of sports broadcasting, Irizawa started in TV at a local station in Kelowna, where he grew up. He moved to CBC early in his career, going into sports before long, which included Hockey Night in Canada, a program he grew up watching that helped foster his career choice.
He followed this with other jobs, such as working with BCTV, and has been freelancing since 1998, picking up a lot of work covering West Coast games for the NHL, especially for the Edmonton Oilers. He started with a Canucks-Kings game back in 1972 and ended with a CanucksB次元官网网址� home stand.
B次元官网网址淚 finished my last season of NHL hockey for Sportsnet this year,B次元官网网址� he says.
As heB次元官网网址檚 said before, directing coverage of Canadian icon Terry FoxB次元官网网址檚 funeral was perhaps the most special event heB次元官网网址檚 worked on during his many years. Among countless sports memories, he was working the game in 1994 when Wayne Gretzky scored his 802nd career goal to break Gordie HoweB次元官网网址檚 all-time record. B次元官网网址淜irk McLean,B次元官网网址� he says, answering a trivia question that doesnB次元官网网址檛 even need to be asked. (The Canuck goalie on whom Gretzky scored, in case youB次元官网网址檙e wondering.)
As a freelancer, he works directly for the Olympic Broadcast Services (OBS), which provides comprehensive, unbiased coverage of the events.
B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e the television arm of IOC,B次元官网网址� he says.
For these games, Irizawa will be covering volleyball. HeB次元官网网址檚 also done hockey and curling at Winter Olympics in the past. His work before was in directing, but more recently, heB次元官网网址檚 stepped out of the broadcast truck to work as production manager, which includes a lot of liaison work. With pandemic restrictions in place, heB次元官网网址檚 not sure exactly how that aspect of the job will play out.
B次元官网网址淥ur job is to make it look flawless to the viewer,B次元官网网址� he says.
With as much as heB次元官网网址檚 covered already, heB次元官网网址檚 still planning on working at future Olympiads in 2022 and 2024, and his wife Judie is already making plans to attend some of the events when they head to Europe.
B次元官网网址淒onB次元官网网址檛 forget to tell him you are going to do Paris,B次元官网网址� she laughs, as she tells him from inside the house.
mike.chouinard@comoxvalleyrecord.com
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