Your Say on Toyko 2020 (2021)

[olympikfan]

This is a simple question to all who follow the Olympic movement. Taken is the current state of the world of sports. International travel, No vaccine. the possible second wave later this year which could last into 2021. Thousand of Athletes in the Olympic Village.  Could Tokyo be the first Olympic Games to be cancel this century? Yes or No. Please just a yes or no.

[olympikfan]

343 days to go!

And not one person has yet to put Yes or No.

 

[Sir Rols]

Well, what do you expect people to say?

yes, of course it’s possible it could be cancelled, but that depends on so many factors that no-one can really predict at the moment. Probably a vaccine is the number one factor. But that alone is impossible to forecast. Russia says it already has one, other countries give various estimates between later this year or into next year before they have one. We’ll just have to see what happens and how effective it is if one does get developed.

I’d guess that most of the members here would hope Tokyo goes ahead next year if it’s possible, are really wishing it does so, but would understand if it doesn’t happen. What else is there to say? None of us, nor the IOC or the Tokyo Organising committee, are in a position to know what’s possible three, six or eight or 12 months from now. It’s even beyond educated guesswork - it’s in the hands of the fates.

Edited August 14, 2020 by Sir Rols

[Quaker2001]

On 7/18/2020 at 4:02 PM, olympikfan said:

This is a simple question to all who follow the Olympic movement. Taken is the current state of the world of sports. International travel, No vaccine. the possible second wave later this year which could last into 2021. Thousand of Athletes in the Olympic Village.  Could Tokyo be the first Olympic Games to be cancel this century? Yes or No. Please just a yes or no.

Maybe

[StefanMUC]

Nobody has a crystal ball. The dubious Russian vaccine is another PR move, we don't know how much politicised the virus will still be (Trump/China will at least drag on until November, and if the worst happens - i.e. another term for Nero burning down Rome - even longer), and whether the second wave will come and how it will hit.

If today was not 14 August 2020 (BTW, 100 years today since opening of the Antwerp Olympics), but let's say 14 May 2021, my answer would be Yes, it's cancelled.

But we simply cannot tell now, it's all just fluid.

[paul]

Russia has no vaccine.

Tokyo can be something next year I guess, but it's probably not time to cancel yet..they just don't know yet. It does feel like they are sort of screwed no matter what........cant imagine the disappointment they are dealing with.

 

[Quaker2001]

14 hours ago, paul said:

Russia has no vaccine.

Tokyo can be something next year I guess, but it's probably not time to cancel yet..they just don't know yet. It does feel like they are sort of screwed no matter what........cant imagine the disappointment they are dealing with.

 

This is what Russia has.  It starts with the letter V, probably will make you feel better and does kill certain cells in the body, but I doubt it'll do much against a virus.. 

[baron-pierreIV]

/\/\ Actually, I think Stolich is made in Lithuania or somewhere OUTSIDE Russia.  

 

[olympikfan]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-54052669

 

The world has now 27 million cases and 880 thousand deaths.

Travel restrictions are still in place.

318 days to go.

Lets see how the NFL will do. they are a big show too.

[olympikfan]

Over 32 million confirm cases.

Over 980,000 deaths

No vaccine.

Japan has a new Prime Minister.

38 days until Election Day,

International Travel restrictions are still in place.

Europe is now going through a second wave.

300 days to go.

[Hightowerio86]

20 hours ago, olympikfan said:

Over 32 million confirm cases.

 

Over 980,000 deaths

 

No vaccine.

 

Japan has a new Prime Minister.

 

38 days until Election Day,

 

International Travel restrictions are still in place.

 

Europe is now going through a second wave.

 

300 days to go.

 

What else can go wrong?

[olympikfan]

Over 42 Millions cases of Covid

Over 1.1 million deaths World wide.

Over 200.000 in Th US.

Europe in a second wave with some countries going into lock down. A friend in Italy  email me and told me its very bad situation.

10 Days until US election.

No vaccine yet.

Travel restrictions still in place.

270 Days to go until Tokyo.

[ScoBit]

I guess it is still now a little tricky question to have an answer towards to. Everybody hope to be able to say yes of course, since nobody likes to live their life in an uncertain way and want the normality to be back soon. However i guess we have to be okey with the so-called new normality. According to the numbers which we all can see, the tendency of the games to take place is still kind of low, however you never know.  

[Speedsk8er]

Postpone again this year. It should be 2022 or bust for Tokyo. 

[Quaker2001]

2 hours ago, Speedsk8er said:

Postpone again this year. It should be 2022 or bust for Tokyo. 

That's going to be really costly and a logistical nightmare to have 2 Olympics in the same calendar year.  2022 may not be an option.  At this point, it may still need to be 2021 or bust

[Ikarus360]

At this point I don't know anymore if Japan is really doing this out of their own will or if they're kidnapped by the IOC to go on with this stupid charade. No one with a brain buys or believes these games are going to be held, specially with the bureaucratic crap they threw recently regarding when will the vaccinations begin in Japan, not mentioning said bureaucracy is also affecting many other countries with their respective vaccination processes as well.

Goddamn stupid. Olympism just loves to shoot itself in the foot ever since Sochi.

[GoNutz]

In my opinion it's a coin toss whether it goes forward or not, I've seen it reported that when surveyed 70% of Japanese people are now against going forward with the event. Doesn't the resulting bad pr from an event that goes forward outweigh the costs? Is the IOC really thinking that even a single athlete death or permanent disability that comes as a result from attending the event won't be a bolded direct line of blame that points right back at them?

[AustralianFan]

IOC 'not considering' coronavirus vaccine as it pushes ahead with Tokyo Olympics planning

By Tracey Holmes for The Ticket and ABC Sport

Posted 28 January 2021

Credit:  ABC News Australia

 

One of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) most senior officials says the Tokyo Olympic Games will go ahead even if athletes cannot be vaccinated beforehand.

IOC's head of media operations Lucia Montanarella is heavily involved in planning all the operational aspects of the Games with her counterparts from the Tokyo Organising Committee.

She briefed around 280 journalists from the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) on Wednesday morning (AEDT) and was asked whether strict reporting conditions at the Games would be relaxed if athletes, journalists and officials had been vaccinated beforehand.

"The reality is that we made a decision with Tokyo 2020 that we will go ahead and plan these Games without taking into consideration the vaccine and this is what we are doing," Ms Montanarella said.

"At this moment the vaccine doesn't come into play in any of our planning and that's the way we are going ahead.

"We would need another crystal ball to tell you something different but for the moment this is what we are doing — we are not considering the vaccine at all."

Tokyo's contingency plans are referred to as 'Project Crystal' because — according to Ms Montanarella — when the Games were postponed last March the IOC "needed a crystal ball to try and understand how the world will be in 15 months time".

With under six months to go the situation is still no clearer.

"One thing I want to tell you is that from the 24th of March [2020], the day of postponement, within the IOC there has never been a moment that we've been looking at the Tokyo Games as if it will happen, it's always been how we will make it happen," Ms Montanarella said.

"As (IOC) President Thomas Bach keeps saying, 'there is no plan B'."

Speaking from Switzerland on Wednesday evening (local time) Mr Bach reaffirmed that the Games would go ahead.

"The International Olympic Committee is fully concentrated and committed to the successful organisation of the Tokyo summer Olympics this year despite the COVID-19 pandemic," Mr Bach said.

Japan has not yet approved a vaccine inside the host nation, although plans are being drawn up to roll out a vaccination program once the go-ahead is given.

There is no confirmation that all 206 nations expected to send a team to Tokyo will have access to a vaccine and those that have are unlikely to add Olympic athletes to prioritised groups such as the elderly and health care workers.

There has been widespread condemnation any time it has been suggested.

Vaccination not 'obligatory' for athletes

Mr Bach has encouraged all member nations to engage with their own government authorities in the next few weeks to determine the likelihood of vaccinations for athletes and officials but it would not be mandatory in order to take part in the Games, which begin on July 23.

"Vaccination priority should be given to vulnerable groups, nurses, medical doctors and everyone who is keeping our societies safe," Mr Bach said.

"We encourage all the Olympic and Paralympic participants who are offered vaccination to accept it, also as an act of solidarity with the Japanese hosts and their fellow participants."

But Mr Bach added: "Vaccination will not be obligatory."

Federal Sport Minister Richard Colbeck said the Government would speak with the Australian Olympic Committee about the vaccine rollout, but vulnerable groups would be given priority ahead of athletes.

"The rollout of the national COVID-19 vaccine roadmap is an important measure to protect lives and livelihoods," he said in a statement. 

"The roadmap prioritises vulnerable groups including older Australians, frontline workers and those with underlying medical conditions. Other segments of Australia's population will be able to access the vaccine following these vulnerable groups.

"The Government will be consulting with the representatives of the Australian Olympic Committee and national sports bodies on the rollout of the vaccine over coming months and understand their needs in the lead-up to the Olympics."

According to the IOC, a 'tool box' of other COVID-19 countermeasures has been developed, including immigration procedures, quarantine measures, testing, personal protective equipment and contact tracing, as well as vaccination where possible.

The IOC and Tokyo organisers have been watching closely as other events have been staged around the world with the use of COVID-19 bubbles, reduced crowds and limited media access.

Ms Montanarella said there were some good lessons that have been learned but the operational nature of the Olympic Games was a much bigger challenge than any one single sporting event.

"While we are doing everything we can to have the widest media coverage we can at this Games, there will be some restrictions and some of them will be frustrating and there will be days when maybe people will not be able to go where they want," she said.

"The only thing I can say is that Tokyo 2020 and IOC media operations are really trying to do our best to allow for the widest number of people, the widest number of accreditations but … be prepared, it's going to be challenging.

"I don't want it to be a negative message, I want it to be a message conveying that despite all of our work it is not easy to deliver a safe environment if we don't stick with the numbers we have."

The Tokyo Olympic Games will be unlike any held previously, with the exception of the early editions in 1896 and 1900, with limited competitors, few spectators and reduced media coverage.

[AustralianFan]

‘Not losing our time’: IOC insists Olympic Games will go ahead in Tokyo

Credit:  The Age newspaper

By Latika Bourke  January 28, 2021 — 5.21am

 

London: The President of the International Olympic Committee insists the already-postponed Tokyo Games will go ahead in July.

But he could not guarantee there would be spectators and denied that pushing ahead with the tournament as the world faces lethal third-waves of the coronavirus pandemic was “irresponsible”.

Speaking to the media after a 4½-hour executive board meeting IOC President Thomas Bach said the body had committed to the Games going ahead.

He said speculation the event would be cancelled or postponed again as the coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage much of the world was hurting the athletes and was not helpful.

 

“We are not losing our time and energy on the speculations but we are fully concentrating on the opening ceremony on the 23rd of July this year,” he said.

“We are not speculating on whether the Games are taking place, we are working on how the Games will take place.

“We are working on the basis of having all athletes there, in Tokyo, for all events,” he said.

Bach said the Games would require COVID countermeasures for every scenario but said it was too soon to specify what they would be and pleaded for patience.

 

He said discussions were ongoing and included the World Health Organisation and the makers of vaccines.

Much of Japan is under a state of emergency and hundreds of countries have imposed strict travel bans grinding international travel to a near halt. Recent polls suggest up to 80 per cent of the Japanese population want the Games cancelled or delayed because they fear the event will drive up infections.

Bach said it was not possible to move the Games to another city and said proceeding with them was “clearly not irresponsible.”

“Our task is to organise Olympic Games and not to cancel Olympic Games and our task is to make the dreams of Olympic athletes to come true.”

“If we would think it would be irresponsible and if we would think that the Games could not be safe, we would not go for it. Okay. Principle number one: safe organisation,” he said.

As speculation has raged about the future of the Tokyo Games, so too has debate about whether athletes should be fast-tracked for vaccinations.

While some countries, including Israel which is leading the race to inoculate its population, say their sportsmen and women will be vaccinated in time, others with slower or delayed rollouts are pondering the question.

Australian swimmer and two-time gold medallist Cate Campbell has said athletes should be prioritised if it saves the Games from cancellation.

Asked if athletes should be prioritised for vaccinations, Bach said: “We are not in favour of athletes jumping the queue.” He said it was a question for each government and their Olympic Committees.

The Tokyo Games were to have been held last year, but were delayed for the first time in Olympic history as the pandemic unfolded.

 

[Trylon]

The fact that the Tokyo games could very well be cancelled before their 2121 start is a true tragedy.  For many athletes these games are their one and only Olympic shot.  For Japan, which has invested billions in spectacular venues, it’s a tragedy beyond measure.  And for the world community, such a cancellation deprives us of the inevitable joy and the stories of magnificent personal achievement true athletes, whether they medal or just give us their best efforts, can provide.  Tokyo has gone above and beyond to host these games and should covid put an end to that dream, the only fair, equitable and honorable solution would be to instantly and joyfully offer Tokyo the opportunity to host the 2032 Olympic summer games.  

[StefanMUC]

In a poll among (potential) German Olympic participants, more than 70% are against jumping the queue for vaccination.

Athletes are more responsible than officials.

[paul]

Cancel Beijing and do it in summer 22

[Quaker2001]

12 hours ago, Trylon said:

The fact that the Tokyo games could very well be cancelled before their 2121 start is a true tragedy.  For many athletes these games are their one and only Olympic shot.  For Japan, which has invested billions in spectacular venues, it’s a tragedy beyond measure.  And for the world community, such a cancellation deprives us of the inevitable joy and the stories of magnificent personal achievement true athletes, whether they medal or just give us their best efforts, can provide.  Tokyo has gone above and beyond to host these games and should covid put an end to that dream, the only fair, equitable and honorable solution would be to instantly and joyfully offer Tokyo the opportunity to host the 2032 Olympic summer games.  

2 million people have died, so as much as we want the Olympics, maybe let's put into perspective when we're being deprive of if there's no Olympics.

Yes, for the people of Tokyo and the rest of Japan, this is a terrible situation.  I agree they should be offered the 2032 Summer Olympics, but they'll need some time to make that determination.  That's over a decade away, so they'll need to reset all of their plans to make sure it all still works, which it might not.  And if they do decide to say yes to hosting in 2032, the IOC better give them all sorts of assurances to help cover costs so that it doesn't become even more of a money pit than it already will have been, let alone that all of the facilities will be a decade older.

[Ikarus360]

11 hours ago, paul said:

Cancel Beijing and do it in summer 22

As much as I would love to, IOC is just another of the hundreds of puppets of Uncle Winnie the Pooh right now, sadly. The whole Olympic movement is a farce as it laughts at the hundreds of Uyghur girls getting raped.

[krow]

if the IOC is really going to insist on holding the games come hell or high water, as these news stories suggest, then it is the responsibility of NOCs to vaccinate their athletes and send them, given every precaution is taken.

i think spectators are a non-starter -- thank heavens the US isn't hosting. journalists and volunteers should also be vaccinated. 

if NOCs or martyr athletes decline vaccinations, the games will still go ahead, just with a big asterisk a la 1984 so i don't see the point of holding back.

honestly, the world could use the distraction and with 3+ vaccines available i don't really get the drama.