TOKYO – IOC President Thomas Bach and local organizers backtrack on reports of cancellation of Tokyo Olympic postponements.
Now inaugurated on July 23, the Tokyo Games were postponed ten months ago when the coronavirus pandemic broke out and now the event appears threatened again.
The Times of London reported on Thursday that the games will have to be canceled. An unidentified senior member of the ruling ruling coalition was cited.
“No one wants to be the first to say that, but the consensus is that it’s too difficult,” the source said. “Personally, I don’t think it’s going to happen.”
In a statement, the local organizing committee did not directly address the history of the Times, but said the Olympics were moving forward and had the support of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.
“All our delivery partners, including the national government, the Tokyo metropolitan government, the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee, the IOC and the CPI [International Paralympic Committee] they are fully focused on organizing the games this summer, “the statement said.
“We hope that daily life can return to normal as soon as possible and we will continue to make every effort to prepare for safe play.”
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee said in a statement that no change in the state of the event this summer has been reported.
“Any official communication on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games will come from the IOC, the Tokyo Organizing Committee and the Japanese government,” the USOPC said. “We have not received any information suggesting that the Games will not go as planned, and our focus remains on the health and preparation of Team USA athletes for this summer’s Games.”
The Times of London said Japan was hoping to get to the 203 Olympics. The IOC has already granted the 2024 Olympics in Paris and the 2028 version in Los Angeles.
The idea that Tokyo has been waiting for a decade seems unlikely, given the cost of maintaining the premises, negotiating new leases, and so on. Tokyo has already spent about $ 25 billion organizing these Olympics, most of which is public money.
Several cancellation reports began to appear this month when the Japanese government put Tokyo and other prefectures under a state of emergency order to counter the rise in COVID-19 cases.
“At the moment we have no reason to believe that the Tokyo Olympics will not open on July 23 at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium,” Bach told Japan’s Kyodo news agency on Thursday. He also said there is “no plan B.”
Senior member of the International Olympic Committee, Richard Pound, said earlier in the week that the Olympics could be held largely without fans, making it a mostly televised event.
The Swiss-based IOC earns 73% of its proceeds from the sale of emission rights and has halted its main source of revenue for the Olympic postponement. A television-only event will suit the IOC better than a cancellation.
Unlike other sports companies that offer hundreds of games, the IOC has only two main events to sell: the Summer and Winter Olympics.
Bach hinted that radical changes could be needed to move the Tokyo Olympics forward, involving 11,000 athletes and tens of thousands of coaches, officials, judges, VIPs, media and broadcasters.
Around 4,400 athletes will attend the Paralympic Games, which will premiere on August 24th.
“You may not like it but sacrifices will be needed,” Bach said. “That’s why I say safety first and no taboo in the discussion to ensure safety.”
Japan has reported fewer than 5,000 coronavirus deaths and has treated the virus better than most countries. But the increase is not declining in Tokyo, a 35 million metropolitan area.
Japanese public opinion has also been opposed to the games, with 80% in several polls saying they should be postponed or canceled.
Bach said organizers are in a better position to hold the Olympics now than ten months ago when the games were postponed.
“First of all, let me make it clear that you can’t compare March 2021 with March 2020 because there is great progress in science, medicine, vaccination and [virus] evidence, “Bach told Kyodo.” All of this was not available in March last year. Nobody knew yet how to really deal with the pandemic and now we know a lot more. “
Japan is experiencing a slow deployment of vaccines. However, the IOC has said its anti-virus measures will focus on testing, quarantine, social distancing and keeping athletes isolated.
He has encouraged athletes to get vaccinated, but will not require it.
The information from The Associated Press was used in this report.