Just about everybody, especially the organizers in Japan and Switzerland, want the Tokyo Olympics to open on July 23 – as scheduled.
And yet, 2021 is …
Just about everybody, especially the organizers in Japan and Switzerland, want the Tokyo Olympics to open on July 23 – as scheduled. And yet,2021 is starting on a similar path that led to the decision last March to postpone the games for a year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Japanese authorities and the International Olympic Committee moved quickly Friday to dismiss a report by The Times of London that quoted an anonymous government official claiming it has been concluded the games will be canceled. “Categorically untrue,” Japan’s government said in a statement endorsed by the IOC. The same unidentified government official said Tokyo could instead host in 2032, after Paris and Los Angeles take their turns in 2024 and 2028, respectively. It follows surveys suggesting Japanese people feel less and less enthusiastic about an Olympics already costing the host nation about $25 billion of mostly public money. When will the Tokyo Olympics be held, if at all? CANCELLATION? Speculation was fueled this month when Japan’s government put Tokyo under a state of emergency order to curb a surge of COVID-19 cases. The virus is resistant to being brought under control worldwide. Its future path is uncertain as more transmissible mutant strains emerge. Vaccination programs have been slower than hoped for in some wealthier countries that secured significant numbers of doses. If an unwanted cancellation decision must be made, it should be led by Japanese authorities. The United Nations could be asked to help, a veteran IOC official suggested this month. If clarity is needed soon, with more than 15,000 Olympic and Paralympic athletes due to compete in Tokyo, March has key dates in the Olympic calendar.
