IOC set for crisis talks over Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
Japanese PM Shinzo Abe says the Olympics will go ahead but there are calls for a postponement
Abe says Games will go ahead - but IOC plan talks
While most sports have been wiped off the calendar because of the coronavirus pandemic the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games remain on the schedule - as things stand.
At the weekend the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged that the Games would be held as planned with the mega-event set to start in Tokyo on 24 July.
Al Jazeera reports that Abe has “no immediate intention to declare a state of emergency over the virus outbreak” and when asked about the Olympics he told reporters: “We will respond by closely coordinating with officials concerned, including the IOC [International Olympic Committee]. There is no change in this.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“We want to hold the Olympics as planned without any trouble by overcoming the spread of infections.”
Despite Abe’s comments the IOC is set to hold crisis talks on Tuesday with member organisations.
A source close to the IOC has told Agence-France Presse (AFP) that the conference call will “keep the international federations informed of the situation, as well as the National Olympic Committees and athletes”.
AFP adds that the IOC “will take stock of the actions taken” and the federations “will have the opportunity to ask questions”.
Coronavirus stops sport: what is cancelled or postponed?
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For analysis of the biggest sport stories - and a concise, balanced take on the week’s news - try The Week magazine. Start your trial today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Learmonth: Olympics need to be postponed
British athlete Guy Learmonth has called for clarity on the situation and believes that the Olympics should be postponed to October or even later.
The 800m runner, who captained Team GB at the 2019 European Indoor Championships, told The Guardian: “We have no idea how bad this is going to get, and what we have seen so far might be the tip of the iceberg.
“Of course the IOC and the whole world wants a successful Olympics. But for that to happen I strongly believe the event needs to be postponed - unless the authorities can guarantee it will be business as usual, which I don’t believe they can.
“Purely from an athlete’s point of view here, we need some clarity, transparency and flexibility. Because the press conference that I saw from the Japanese prime minister didn’t exactly fill me full of confidence that these Games are going to go ahead whatsoever.”
The 27-year-old added: “We have to be realistic. If the British government are saying the peak is going to hit us around May or June there might not even be any Olympic trials. The Australians have already had theirs cancelled and I fear that this is going to be happening a lot throughout Europe as the weeks and months go by.
“I’d be happy if they postponed until at least October - or maybe later to 2021 or 2022. At least that would give the athletes time to now plan, train, and more importantly, time for this virus to settle down.”
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For analysis of the biggest sport stories - and a concise, balanced take on the week’s news - try The Week magazine. Start your trial today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
How safe are cruise ships in storms?
The Explainer The vessels are always prepared
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
What message is Trump sending with his Cabinet picks?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION By nominating high-profile loyalists like Matt Gaetz and RFK Jr., is Trump serious about creating a functioning Cabinet, or does he have a different plan in mind?
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Wyoming judge strikes down abortion, pill bans
Speed Read The judge said the laws — one of which was a first-in-the-nation prohibition on the use of medication to end pregnancy — violated the state's constitution
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Mason Greenwood: footballer arrested on suspicion of rape and assault
Speed Read Man Utd confirm the striker will not train or play until further notice
By The Week Staff Published
-
‘The greatest year of sport ever’: five headline grabbers from 2021
In Depth Highs and lows from both on and off the pitch
By The Week Published
-
Handball: swapping bikini bottoms for tight pants
Speed Read Women competitors will be required to ‘wear short tight pants with a close fit’
By The Week Staff Published
-
Cristiano Ronaldo’s second coming
Speed Read Last week, Manchester United re-signed the forward on a two-year deal thought to be worth more than £400,000 a week
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Timeline: a history of the Paralympics
feature Starting this week in Tokyo, the Paralympic Games has its origins in post-war Britain
By The Week Staff Published
-
Tokyo’s ‘grand human opera’: a tonic for a weary world
In Depth Despite widespread ambivalence and fear, the Olympic Games managed to bring us together and lift our spirits
By The Week Staff Published
-
Tokyo’s ‘grand human opera’: a tonic for a weary world
In Depth Despite widespread ambivalence and fear, the Olympic Games managed to bring us together and lift our spirits
By The Week Staff Published
-
Simone Biles: was she courageous to quit?
Why Everyone’s Talking About US gymnast became the talk of Tokyo for not performing
By The Week Staff Published