It had been argued that Tokyo Olympic stadiums largely devoid of cheering spectators would negatively influence athletes' performances at these pandemic-impacted games.

But host nation athletes not only seemed unfazed by it effectively being a TV-only sporting event, they excelled wildly beyond expectations and accumulated the country's largest-ever medal haul, including 27 gold, to surpass their previous high of 16 from Tokyo in 1964 and Athens in 2004.

Staff members ask people to refrain from watching the Tokyo Olympic men's 20-kilometer race walk event in Sapporo, northern Japan, on Aug. 5, 2021, as the Tokyo Games are held without spectators amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Under the circumstances and with the coronavirus still raging strong, pulling off the 17-day event after a one-year delay was something of a miracle, with athletes drawing inspiration from within and hearing cheers only from their teammates, team officials and volunteers sitting in mostly empty stands.

Although the venues lacked the high-voltage energy provided by large, expectant crowds, the Tokyo organizer offered athletes other ways to soak up the vibes -- notably, a new digital experience that gave virtual access to fans and connected athletes with their friends and families back home so they could celebrate their success.

Screenshot shows people watching and cheering for Japan's football team on a special website prepared by Ibaraki Prefecture during a match at Kashima Stadium in the eastern Japan prefecture on July 31, 2021. (Kyodo)

The organizing committee and Olympic Broadcasting Services, which delivers pictures and sound to billions of people worldwide, tried to add excitement.

Broadcast rights holders collected videos of athletes' families and friends, which were shown on the large screens at some venues. They also allowed competitors to remotely communicate with those close to them, but physically distant, to stay motivated.

Having this connection "is a hugely motivational factor, a very important psychological factor for the athletes," said Yiannis Exarchos, CEO of Olympic Broadcasting Services.

Although he admitted digital human interactions have their limitations, Exarchos said it was important to "highlight that the world is here, engaged and supporting the efforts of the athletes."

OBS said it collected more than 83 million video messages of fan support via social media just about one week into the games.

Many of the athletes reluctantly had to acclimate to the strange new reality of the Tokyo Games.

For example, Novak Djokovic, the Serbian 20-time Grand Slam champion, said one of the biggest deciding factors for him was whether he wanted to play in front of desolate stands.

"I didn't know if I wanted to come to play in front of an empty stadium," he said, but added that "representing my country in the most important event in the history of sport" prevailed in the end.

A volunteer wipes down seats in the empty stands at Fukushima Azuma stadium in Fukushima, northeastern Japan, on July 21, 2021, the venue of the Tokyo Olympic softball tournament's opening game between Japan and Australia. The game was played behind closed doors amid the coronavirus pandemic ahead of the July 23 opening ceremony of the Olympics. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Japanese skateboarder Yuto Horigome, who won a gold medal in the inaugural men's street event, admitted to being crestfallen because of the lack of spectators who usually crank up the volume whenever he hits the course.

"Having no spectators is disappointing for sure, but it still helped out that I knew my friends and so many people were rooting for me as they watched on TV."

Even American gymnastics superstar Simone Biles, who withdrew from all of her signature events citing mental health issues, spoke about the empty venue being a factor in the enormous stress weighing on her.

"It's been really stressful, this Olympic Games. Just as a whole. Not having an audience, there are a lot of different variables going into it," Biles said.

And while Japan's Mai Murakami, who won bronze in the women's floor exercise, said it lifted her spirits to hear teammates cheer her on from the stands, she added, "I have to be honest, it was difficult to perform with the oddness I felt of not having spectators or my mother and others who are close to me at the arena to cheer."

Asked in a questionnaire their thoughts on the hosting of the Tokyo Games, several National Olympic Committees called them "very impressive," with some complaining about the regimented atmosphere due to COVID-19 protocols and most of them disheartened by their athletes having to compete in front of empty seats rather than spectators.

But scaling down arguably had its benefits for the organizer. Because nearly all of the venues had no spectators, it drastically alleviated the burden of engaging in crisis management. Without the fans streaming into stadiums, organizers were able to greatly cut back on staff usually needed for security checks.

Countermeasures planned to combat heatstroke among spectators, which had been a major concern for the organizers, could be avoided.

Even so, thoroughly enforcing COVID-19 protocols became a particularly thorny issue as evidenced, for instance, by team officials and athletes from various nations sitting in stands and removing their masks to cheer.

Coming at a time when Japan's virus cases were seeing record surges around the nation, images of the team officials or athletes flouting rules struck a nerve with Japanese fans who were given no choice but to watch the games from home.

At the men's synchronized diving 10-meter platform final, some athletes and team officials sat in the stands and clapped or whistled in support of their compatriots.

At a taekwondo event in Chiba, east of Tokyo, dozens of staff removed their masks to gather on the mats at the venue for group photos between bouts. These were only two examples of a slackening of rule adherence as the games progressed.

During the games, the International Olympic Committee also announced a sudden change of COVID-19 protocols, allowing medalists to remove their masks for as long as 30 seconds while widening the space between them on the podium to take photos.

Bakhodir Jalolov of Uzbekistan poses with his gold medal for the men's super heavyweight boxing at the Tokyo Olympics on Aug. 8, 2021, at Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
Athletes of the Bulgarian rhythmic gymnastics team pose with their gold medals after winning the group all-around final at the Tokyo Olympics on Aug. 8, 2021, at Ariake Gymnastics Centre in Tokyo. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
 

The change only made the job harder for the Tokyo organizing committee, which later said it would double its commitment to the COVID-19 "playbook" by calling attention to any violations by athletes.

But in the end, most athletes were just thankful that the games could happen at all during a seemingly unrelenting pandemic.

"I love a crowd, I love getting a clap...but I'm just so thankful the Olympics went ahead because I think the world needed to have some sort of an inspiration at this moment," said Australia's Nicola McDermott, who won a silver medal in the women's high jump.

(Ayano Shimizu contributed reporting to this story)