Tokyo Games Postponed Again?: A year after the 2020 Games were postponed, prospects are still bleak.
Despite the recent surge in coronavirus cases across Japan and several other countries, Japanese and Olympic officials have insisted they will hold the Games in July. Hopes for the Games have risen, as several major sporting events across the world occurred without problems. However, most events pale in comparison to the more than 20,000 competitors and personnel attending the Olympics. According to people briefed on a proposed strategy, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Tokyo organizers are not factoring the vaccines into their plans for the Games. Currently, organizers are toiling over audience attendance and whether holding the Games will be palatable to the Japanese public.
If vaccine distribution for athletes and coaches traveling from 206 countries is not feasible in the amid growing COVID cases, holding a safe Olympics may not be possible.
According to Bach, postponing the Games again is not an option, and that if the event cannot take place this summer, it will not happen at all. Muto reaffirmed that position this week as the committee has already awarded the 2024 Summer Games to Paris and the 2028 Summer Games to Los Angeles. This cancellation would mark the first time the IOC canceled the Olympics since World War II.
Although Japan and the IOC are attempting to recoup some of the $12 billion lost on building stadiums and delaying the event, they must address the growing implausibility of a safe Olympics. That would be a huge financial blow to both the Olympic organization and Japan, which has already spent billions to delay the event from June 2020 to July 2021 in addition to infrastructure and repairs to buildings: holding the Games without attendance would cost Japan over $20 billion. Moreover, the IOC obtains 73% of its income from TV rights and another 18% from sponsors.
Unfortunately, the vaccine rollout has been slower than expected, and Japan does not plan to begin vaccinating citizens until February.
Respondents of a survey conducted this month by Japanese broadcaster NHK were overwhelmingly opposed to holding the Games in July 2021, an already postponed date: nearly 80 percent of respondents believed the Games should be postponed again or canceled entirely. With Japan in a state of emergency, continuing this two-week long event with thousands of personnel would create chaos. While there are the looming concerns of infrastructure investments and TV rights, holding the Games would tarnish a celebration of excellence and unity in sports.
