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18 minutes ago, stryker said:

I think the IOC and Tokyo organizers are hoping that with the summer heat that the COVID-19 will go away. If it continues, it's hard to see how the Olympics go on as planned with the prospect of mostly empty venues and possibly even denying entry to teams such as China and South Korea. Much has been made about the cash hit sponsors would take not to mention many of the venues are Olympic-purpose built and either reduced in size or dismantled entirely afterwards. If the Olympics were cancelled for Tokyo this would be even worse than the dreaded white elephants. IMO, I could see the Olympics being postponed, perhaps moved to summer 2021. I know there'd be quite a few logistical headaches to work out not to mention maybe some renegotiations with the likes of NBC, but it would be netter than an outright cancellation or trying to relocate the Olympics last minute.

More than a few logistical hurdles.  I saw tweets from GB's own Robert Livingstone addressing some of the challenges.  Relocation is not the solution.. after all, where in the world isn't affected by the virus at this point.  Postponement?  Might be too difficult to overcome.  Everyone involved would try, but it would likely mean an extremely sized down version of the Olympics to say the very least.

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I'm starting to think that the games will be held but with no spectators. Japan has already shut schools, Italy is in full lock down and most major sports events cancelled or run without spectators i think its they logical chose. 

I'm confident i will get a full refund of my tickets but not so sure im going to be able to get a refund on my non refundable hotel and travel insurance will not cover it.

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SOme of the major fall-out from postponing Tokyo 2020 -- just off the top of my head:

1.  What happens to the Olympic Village and all the post-selling and tenancy contracts that, I imagine, have all been signed up for?  While Japan is NOT as litiginous as the US, those lawsuits -- even though caused by act of God/force majeure -- will clog the Tokyo courts.  Do they only rent it as an Air B&B until Summer 2021 if it's resked for then?

2.  A Tokyo 2021 would kill the 2021 IAAF World Championships in Eugene.  How does the IAAF compensate Eugene?

3.  What about the medals (and their so-called recycled content)?  I guess they would all have to be re-minted?  

A postponement would also cause havoc for the sponsors' ad campaigns.  The Olympic-campaigns and all the subsequent ones would all have to be redone!  I mean, great work for the ad agencies! 

Yikes!  What a headache. 

ADDENDUM:  The Russians stand to benefit the most from a cancellation.  Did they engineer this whole thing? 

Edited by baron-pierreIV
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What about athletes and teams that have already qualified do they keep that qualification or have to re qualify? Some would be close to retirement and might not be suitable to compete in a years time? 

Will my current tickets still be valid? will my non refundable hotel just move my booking? (i already know the answer to this one i have blown $8000 thats for sure)

In 24 hours i have gone from no spectators to full cancellation as my predictions. Bloody China!!!!

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Quote

IOC to follow WHO on whether to cancel Tokyo Games

The head of the International Olympic Committee says it will follow the World Health Organization's recommendation on whether to cancel the 2020 Tokyo Games amid the coronavirus outbreak.

IOC President Thomas Bach made the remark in an interview with German broadcaster ARD on Thursday.

Bach stressed that the IOC will make every effort for the Tokyo Games to open on July 24 as scheduled and for athletes to fully prepare for a successful Olympics.

He said the IOC launched a task force in mid-February with the WHO and other organizations to respond to the outbreak, and that the committee is monitoring the situation around the clock every day.

Meanwhile, the torch relay for the games is underway in Greece. The Olympic flame is expected to arrive in Japan on March 20.

Date:March13,2020

News source:NHK WORLD Japan

Link:https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200313_41/

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On 3/11/2020 at 2:21 AM, Hobart said:

 

I'm confident i will get a full refund of my tickets but not so sure im going to be able to get a refund on my non refundable hotel and travel insurance will not cover it.

why not?

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Well, the curves of infected are going down in Wuhan, epicenter for the pandemic, and in South Korea.  So, the pandemic may be slowing down -- although that doesn't mean it is entirely eliminated.  Pandemics are just like war, pestilence, natural disasters -- natural ways for the planet to purge and cleanse itself at times.  We can't forever be developing vaccines for this or that.  We should start to sacrifice our worthless "leaders" instead, like the ancient Aztecs and Incas -- only this time, start at the top.  ;)  That should appease the gods . . .  for awhile.  

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I think the virus is over before the games. BUT, there are a lot of qualifications event that are cancelled... Many athletes don´t have the normal opportunities to qualify. I think that is the main concern right now. And as other are saying, China is on there way out of it. There are stille 4 months to the games. Is a one og 2 month delay a possibility? All sports in the world are postponed anyway... 

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7 hours ago, Hansfromdenmark said:

I think the virus is over before the games. BUT, there are a lot of qualifications event that are cancelled... Many athletes don´t have the normal opportunities to qualify. I think that is the main concern right now. And as other are saying, China is on there way out of it. There are stille 4 months to the games. Is a one og 2 month delay a possibility? All sports in the world are postponed anyway... 

I think it gets pushed back a year.

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I'm believing the yearlong postponement will take place too. For one thing, the NBA is thinking at potentially resume their season play--in closed arenas, at least at first--around mid-or-late June and this includes the NBA playoffs. Maybe under a truncated format and try to satisfy its TV partners. Definitely this will spill into the upcoming men's FIBA WOQTs set for play in Victoria, Belgrade, Kaunas, and Zagreb on June 23-28 with NBA stars from many nations involved expected to compete to qualify for the four remaining spots as the group winners. No NBA international stars playing in them like Luka Doncic, Domantas Sabonis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, these tournaments definitely will lose some star power appeal. Could they all be rescheduled? Basketball no doubt is a very popular Olympic sport worldwide, and the IOC and FIBA deeply knows all about the NBA's global weight and currency. Look for all that to be a major factor whether or not Tokyo 2020 will start on time, delayed a few months, or for a year.

23 hours ago, Hansfromdenmark said:

I think the virus is over before the games. BUT, there are a lot of qualifications event that are cancelled... Many athletes don´t have the normal opportunities to qualify. I think that is the main concern right now. And as other are saying, China is on there way out of it. There are stille 4 months to the games. Is a one og 2 month delay a possibility? All sports in the world are postponed anyway... 

NRL and AFL in Australia are still competing having just started their seasons, although there's serious pressure nationally down there to suspended the leagues. Liga MX, Ascenso MX, and Liga MX Femenil just indefinitely suspended all their clausura seasons by FMF. Russian Premier League and Russia's FNL are still playing.

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Is this the first sign of internal IOC dissent against the business as usual mantra?

Coronavirus: Tokyo Olympic Games plans 'irresponsible', says IOC member

In one way, the determination of the IOC hierarchy and the Japanese authorities to proceed as planned is admirable. But, whether they like it or not, they are not in control of events. The virus is and we simply do not know how much worse this crisis is going to get over the coming weeks and months. 

At this moment, it is inconceivable to me that the Olympics can go ahead as planned. World sport has shut down to an extent unprecedented in peacetime and we have no idea when anything resembling normality is likely to be restored. Surely it would be more sensible to take a pragmatic view now, as so many other organisations have done than to carry on regardless.

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3 hours ago, arwebb said:

Is this the first sign of internal IOC dissent against the business as usual mantra?

Coronavirus: Tokyo Olympic Games plans 'irresponsible', says IOC member

In one way, the determination of the IOC hierarchy and the Japanese authorities to proceed as planned is admirable. But, whether they like it or not, they are not in control of events. The virus is and we simply do not know how much worse this crisis is going to get over the coming weeks and months. 

At this moment, it is inconceivable to me that the Olympics can go ahead as planned. World sport has shut down to an extent unprecedented in peacetime and we have no idea when anything resembling normality is likely to be restored. Surely it would be more sensible to take a pragmatic view now, as so many other organisations have done than to carry on regardless.

Some athletes are starting to speak out and I have a feeling it's going to snowball.  I'm okay with proceeding in hopes of Tokyo 2020 going off as scheduled, but at some point soon, I think the IOC and the OCOG need to address the possibility that the Olympics may not be able to go off as scheduled this summer and that they're working on a contingency plan

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On 3/15/2020 at 11:45 PM, Texas said:

I think it gets pushed back a year.

What baron said.  The logistical challenges in moving the Olympics back a year are enormous.  That's why they're pushing back against any notion of a postponement.  But it's something they need to consider

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10 minutes ago, Quaker2001 said:

What baron said.  The logistical challenges in moving the Olympics back a year are enormous.  That's why they're pushing back against any notion of a postponement.  But it's something they need to consider

Personally, I think they need to be working on contingency plans now and I would be alarmed if they are not. Would November give enough breathing space?

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2 minutes ago, arwebb said:

Personally, I think they need to be working on contingency plans now and I would be alarmed if they are not. Would November give enough breathing space?

Who knows.  That's the problem is that no one can be sure when this pandemic would let up.  And yes, they *should* be working on a contingency plan.  But I'm not so confident they're actually doing that.  It's one thing to tell the world the Olympics will happen as scheduled.  The sense I've had though is they are not even discussing it.  That's a dangerous move right now

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Welp. Euro 2020 and Copa America 2020 have just been delayed until 2021. I don't think there is a bigger reality check than this.

I think it's time for IOC to stop with their lies. It is very obvious this crisis will extend beyond summer. As much as I love the Olympics, there are bigger priorities right now than holding this circus. 

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