Over the last 24 hours, both the Canadian Olympic Committee and Australian Olympic Committee stating that they would not be fielding national teams should the 2020 Olympic Games stay on course for July.
Against this backdrop, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in Parliament today, March 23rd, that the world isn’t in the right position to hold the Games.
“If asked whether the Games can be held, I don’t think the world is in such a situation,” Abe said. “I want the Tokyo Games to be held in a complete form where all the countries can attend. If we cannot hold it in a complete way, I think I have no choice but to have to decide to postpone it, giving top priority on athletes.” (U.S. News)
“When it comes to hosting the 2020 Games, I don’t believe the world is in any condition to do so at this time,” Abe said.
As a testament to how quickly things change in terms of the coronavirus (COVID-19) impact, it was only March 13th when Abe stated, “We will overcome the spread of the infection and host the Olympics without problem, as planned.”
About time don’t you think? Postponement is the best case scenario. Why wait any longer? The majority of athletes have no place to train, and their mental health is getting affected as well as their physical well-being.
Just stop thinking about the money aspect and put people first.
No athletes = no games = no spectators = no revenue.
This is one attorney’s explanation for “why wait any longer?” – https://staging2.swimswam.com/uk-attorney-lays-out-game-of-chicken-for-ioc-and-japan-in-olympic-decision/
I get it. The one who makes the decision first will pay the price- literally. This confirms what everyone has always thought- it’s about the cash.
I don’t live in a world where every decision can have a singular focus.
I recognize that many do, especially in the world of social media, but for me, there can be multiple considerations in decision making. Doesn’t have to “just be” about the money, or “just be” about the athletes. It can be about multiple things.
Without any of these things, the Olympics aren’t the Olympics, and so to me, they all matter:
1) Athletes
2) Money
3) Host cities
4) Volunteers
5) Organizers/bureaucrats
6) Fans
Make the call. According an article on a CBS affiliate website, the IOC has $2 BILLION in reserve and insurance against cancellation and postponement. No reason for 2020. The sooner people stay home and practice responsible behavior, the sooner this horrible mess will get better.