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After IOC bends, Japan finally starts to plan for Olympics postponement Tokyo Games postponement appears inevitable as countries grow impatient with IOC
(32 minutes later)
TOKYO — Japanese authorities finally bowed to the inevitable on Monday and said they would start planning for a possible postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, with a decision expected within four weeks. Postponement of the Tokyo Olympics appeared increasingly inevitable Monday, as a growing number of countries signaled their athletes would not participate if the Games were held as scheduled this summer.
Yoshiro Mori, president of the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, said on Monday the decision to consider a postponement, but not a cancellation, of the Games had been agreed to with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach on Sunday. Bach wrote to athletes Sunday to break the news to them. A whirlwind 24-hour period started Sunday with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach issuing a letter to Olympic athletes, saying for the first time that the IOC was considering delaying the Summer Games because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. He said canceling the Olympics altogether had been ruled out and said the IOC would consider different scenarios and make a final decision within the next four weeks.
“What we are going to do before anything else is to start by simulating about whether we postpone one month, three months, five months, one year,” Mori said. “We need to make a simulation about the various scenarios.” That long timetable led Canada to call for a postponement Sunday night and say it would not send any athletes to Tokyo this summer. Australia and Germany followed with similar announcements Monday, and other countries, such as Brazil, Norway and Slovenia, have either urged a postponement or said conditions must improve if they're to send athletes to Tokyo this summer.
Later Monday, Dick Pound, the longest-serving IOC board member, told USA Today "postponement has been decided," though the IOC gave no indication Monday that a delay was certain. In a request to comment on Pound's assertion, an IOC spokesman said, "It is the right of every IOC Member to interpret the decision of the IOC [executive board] which was announced yesterday."
Pound did not immediately return messages Monday. He did speak to the Canadian Press, striking a less-definitive tone.
"You're looking at a postponement," Pound said. "I think that's out there now.
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"We're all reading the tea leaves and so on, but the Japanese themselves are talking about postponing. A lot of National Olympic Committees and countries are calling for a postponement."
For the first time Monday, Japanese authorities acknowledged that postponement was a real possibility.
“What we are going to do before anything else is to start by simulating about whether we postpone one month, three months, five months, one year,” said Yoshiro Mori, president of the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee. “We need to make a simulation about the various scenarios.”
Japan had insisted until now that the Games must go ahead, although Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said last week the priority must be to hold the Olympics in a “complete manner.”Japan had insisted until now that the Games must go ahead, although Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said last week the priority must be to hold the Olympics in a “complete manner.”
Olympic officials concede Tokyo Games may be postponed; Canada won’t send athletes in 2020Olympic officials concede Tokyo Games may be postponed; Canada won’t send athletes in 2020
On Monday, he told parliament this might mean the dates would have to change.On Monday, he told parliament this might mean the dates would have to change.
“If that is difficult, we would have no choice but to decide to postpone, with athletes as the first priority,” Abe said, underlining that an outright cancellation is not an option.“If that is difficult, we would have no choice but to decide to postpone, with athletes as the first priority,” Abe said, underlining that an outright cancellation is not an option.
Olympics Minister Seiko Hashimoto said she was “glad to hear” that the IOC did not believe cancellation is an option.Olympics Minister Seiko Hashimoto said she was “glad to hear” that the IOC did not believe cancellation is an option.
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Mori said the IOC and Japan would like to “closely examine” the various scenarios open to them over the next four weeks, adding that they would not start with the assumption the Games would definitely have to be postponed but couldn’t avoid discussing that possibility.Mori said the IOC and Japan would like to “closely examine” the various scenarios open to them over the next four weeks, adding that they would not start with the assumption the Games would definitely have to be postponed but couldn’t avoid discussing that possibility.
For each scenario, organizers would have to work out whether they could still secure the Olympic venues for all 33 sports, as well as for the Paralympics, and what the costs would be.For each scenario, organizers would have to work out whether they could still secure the Olympic venues for all 33 sports, as well as for the Paralympics, and what the costs would be.
“We have to go through each of them one by one,” Mori said. “Considering just these things alone would take an enormous time.”“We have to go through each of them one by one,” Mori said. “Considering just these things alone would take an enormous time.”
What you need to know about the novel coronavirus
Mori hinted that organizers would prefer to keep the Olympics within this calendar year when he said: “We are 2020, so that is the direction for now.”Mori hinted that organizers would prefer to keep the Olympics within this calendar year when he said: “We are 2020, so that is the direction for now.”
But Mori and Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto stressed that the cancellation was not in the cards, and they were happy to have heard the same message from the IOC.But Mori and Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto stressed that the cancellation was not in the cards, and they were happy to have heard the same message from the IOC.
“Probably, the IOC was thinking that cancellation would not be desirable for athletes and all the stakeholders,” Muto said. “And this is what we have been saying all along. We totally agree with that.”“Probably, the IOC was thinking that cancellation would not be desirable for athletes and all the stakeholders,” Muto said. “And this is what we have been saying all along. We totally agree with that.”
Japan’s official budget for the Games is around $12.6 billion, but some estimates suggest the total cost could be twice that amount.Japan’s official budget for the Games is around $12.6 billion, but some estimates suggest the total cost could be twice that amount.
In recent days, athletes and sporting organizations around the world have joined a growing chorus for the Games to be postponed on the grounds of health concerns but also because of the problems involved in training and the uncertainty generated by the pandemic. What you need to know about the novel coronavirus
It has also become increasingly clear that bringing together millions of people from all over the world to watch the Games could have a disastrous impact on efforts to combat the virus.
As other major sports events and leagues have suspended operations and canceled play, Olympic officials had resisted the call to alter its schedule. They spent the past several weeks weighing options, as athletes and sports federations began voicing their concerns. The chorus only grew after Bach sent a letter to Olympic athletes Sunday, acknowledging for the first time that postponement was a possibility but refusing to make a decision for the next four weeks.
Later in the day, the Canadian Olympic Committee said it would not send its athletes to compete in Tokyo this summer. Australia’s national committee also urged its athletes to begin preparing for an Olympics in 2021, and Sebastian Coe, the influential head of World Athletics, the international governing body for track and field, called on the IOC to delay the Summer Games by a year.
“While we recognize the inherent complexities around a postponement, nothing is more important than the health and safety of our athletes and the world community,” the Canadian committee wrote in its letter to Bach, echoing concerns that had been voiced in recent days by organizations such as USA Swimming and USA Track & Field.
Germany became the latest country on Monday to announce that it would not send athletes to Tokyo this summer. Alfons Hörmann, head of German’s Olympic committee, made the determination Monday, said Michael Schirp, a spokesman for the German team.Germany became the latest country on Monday to announce that it would not send athletes to Tokyo this summer. Alfons Hörmann, head of German’s Olympic committee, made the determination Monday, said Michael Schirp, a spokesman for the German team.
Schrip said about 200 German athletes participated in teleconference Saturday evening with the country’s top Olympic officials to voice their concerns. They were given a survey to complete, gauging their willingness to compete this summer. Their feelings were supposed to guide the German response, Schrip said, but after the IOC said Sunday it could take another four weeks before a decision on postponing the Tokyo Games is made, Hörmann decided he had to act sooner.Schrip said about 200 German athletes participated in teleconference Saturday evening with the country’s top Olympic officials to voice their concerns. They were given a survey to complete, gauging their willingness to compete this summer. Their feelings were supposed to guide the German response, Schrip said, but after the IOC said Sunday it could take another four weeks before a decision on postponing the Tokyo Games is made, Hörmann decided he had to act sooner.
Hörmann has indicated to the IOC that he hopes a new date in 2021 could be identified and intends to send a more formal notice to Bach after the athletes have all submitted their surveys later this week.Hörmann has indicated to the IOC that he hopes a new date in 2021 could be identified and intends to send a more formal notice to Bach after the athletes have all submitted their surveys later this week.
Other countries, such as Brazil, Norway and Slovenia, have either urged a postponement or said conditions must improve if they’re to send athletes to Tokyo this summer.
Postponement would be an enormously complicated undertaking, involving serious residual effects on the global sporting calendar and forcing broadcasters to renegotiate with advertisers.Postponement would be an enormously complicated undertaking, involving serious residual effects on the global sporting calendar and forcing broadcasters to renegotiate with advertisers.
There are also doubts about the availability of some venues, including the Olympic Village, where hundreds of apartments have been sold by a consortium of real estate developers for occupancy after the Games, as well as the need to secure the planned media headquarters at the Tokyo Big Sight, a tightly booked conference center.There are also doubts about the availability of some venues, including the Olympic Village, where hundreds of apartments have been sold by a consortium of real estate developers for occupancy after the Games, as well as the need to secure the planned media headquarters at the Tokyo Big Sight, a tightly booked conference center.
For now, organizers say they will push ahead with the torch relay, which is due to start on Thursday in Fukushima in northeastern Japan and is meant to symbolize Japan’s recovery from a 2011 tsunami and nuclear accident in the area. Mori said the prime minister was unsure if he would attend the start of the relay, as the government wanted to discourage crowds forming, although Mori said he himself would attend.For now, organizers say they will push ahead with the torch relay, which is due to start on Thursday in Fukushima in northeastern Japan and is meant to symbolize Japan’s recovery from a 2011 tsunami and nuclear accident in the area. Mori said the prime minister was unsure if he would attend the start of the relay, as the government wanted to discourage crowds forming, although Mori said he himself would attend.
Mori acknowledged the relay route may need to be modified and said organizers were studying how it should be held given the fast-changing situation with the virus.Mori acknowledged the relay route may need to be modified and said organizers were studying how it should be held given the fast-changing situation with the virus.
Tens of thousands of people flocked to a stadium in Sendai north of Tokyo to see the Olympic flame burning in a cauldron over the weekend after it arrived from Greece.Tens of thousands of people flocked to a stadium in Sendai north of Tokyo to see the Olympic flame burning in a cauldron over the weekend after it arrived from Greece.
“We had a turnout nearly 10 times that we had estimated,” Muto said.“We had a turnout nearly 10 times that we had estimated,” Muto said.
Muto said organizers should be happy with the turnout “in and of itself” but had placed risk as their top priority and has changed arrangements so people simply passed by the flame without a crowd forming.Muto said organizers should be happy with the turnout “in and of itself” but had placed risk as their top priority and has changed arrangements so people simply passed by the flame without a crowd forming.
Denyer and Akiko Kashiwagi reported from Tokyo.
Shut the Olympic Games down, and do it nowShut the Olympic Games down, and do it now
Cancel the Olympics? Postpone them? Every alternative has problems.Cancel the Olympics? Postpone them? Every alternative has problems.
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