The light at the end of the tunnel ... Countdown to the Tokyo Olympics April 23, 17:18
Athletes who are expected to play an active role in the Olympics this spring are remarkable.
However, its appearance is about to be drowned out by the wave of infection with the new coronavirus.
Important production events such as the torch relay and test competitions continue to face the gap between ideals and reality in the Corona War.
"I want to make the Tokyo tournament a light at the end of the tunnel."
A message from IOC President Bach in Tokyo last year.
Three months until the opening on July 23.
What we see at the end of the tunnel ...
(Sports News Department Reporter Shohei Matsuyama / Misako Imai / Yuri Numata)
The "power" of shining sports
April.
Impressive scenes continued that were fascinated by the brilliance of the athletes.
One is a revival drama at the Japanese Swimming Championships.
After fighting leukemia, Rikako Ikee achieved four crowns for the first time in three years.
I got a ticket for the Tokyo Olympics in the second relay event.
The other is a feat at the Golf Masters Tournament.
Hideki Matsuyama won the first major overseas tournament, which was a long-cherished wish of Japanese male golfers.
I put my sleeves through my longed-for green jacket and pushed my arms up at the highest.
What they showed again is the "power" of sports.
The joy and excitement that athletes have at the moment when their dreams and accumulated efforts are revealed have special value.
However, at present, this activity is not directly linked to increasing the momentum for the summer Tokyo Olympics.
"Priority measures such as prevention of spread"
"Third emergency declaration"
And the air that "the efforts of athletes and holding the Olympics are separate issues" as if drowned out by the news that tells the number of infected people of the new corona that has become commonplace Spreads.
In an interview after the victory, Matsuyama clearly answered, "I want to do my best to aim for the gold medal" when asked about the Olympics.
However, the word had a preface.
"If it is held safely," he said.
"Light of Hope" relay
The torch relay that the people concerned expected as a detonator to boost the momentum for holding the tournament.
There was an impressive scene at the departure ceremony held in Fukushima Prefecture on March 25th.
These are the words of Satomi Ishihara, the official ambassador.
Satomi Ishihara
"I think there are many different ways of thinking about the torch relay. I think that judgment is correct. However, having a goal is a hope for life. Many people, not just runners, set goals. I want you to have it and survive positively. "
Voices questioning the Olympic Games and the torch relay by the new Corona.
A series of celebrity runners declined.
It tells the current situation of the torch relay, which has to make a start in difficult situations.
Still, the message "The light of the torch is the light of hope" spoken there.
If this is relayed all over the country, the momentum for the tournament may increase.
It was the start of the torch relay that felt such hope and excitement.
The "dilemma" of the torch relay
One week from the start.
Even in that little light of hope, the new Corona was unforgiving.
On April 1, Governor Yoshimura of Osaka Prefecture said, "We should stop relaying in Osaka city."
The Organizing Committee was overwhelmed by the statement of the day, but had to accept the policy.
The guidelines for new corona countermeasures state that the implementation method may be changed if a state of emergency is declared in the prefecture.
In that sense, the response was "within the expected range", but the plan change within a week from the start became a turning point that influenced the aftermath of the torch relay.
Soon after, the relay on public roads was canceled in Matsuyama City, and it was decided to cancel the course running on public roads on the main island in Okinawa Prefecture.
An executive of the Organizing Committee had no choice but to say, "I can't overdo it in a municipality that can't do it.
"The torch can be connected without relaying on public roads."
Behind the emphasis of the Organizing Committee is the "dilemma" of the torch relay.
It is difficult to proceed with two conflicting purposes at the same time: the purpose of attracting people's attention and increasing momentum, and the purpose of preventing congestion by infection control.
There are also voices questioning how the sponsor's vehicle should lead the relay at a loud volume.
The torch relay, which was positioned as a "touchstone" for the actual event, which succeeds the event while taking measures against infection, has not seen any signs of dispelling anxiety and fostering momentum so far.
“What do you think when you see the fire?”
Professor Keiko Kida of Chukyo University, who is familiar with the principles of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, points out.
Professor Kyoko Kida of Chukyo University
"There are people who were looking forward to running with the torch relay connected, so I think there was something for those people, but there is also the idea that it does not have to be a relay. There are people who are planning to get involved in various cities and who have to give up various things in Corona. There is also the idea that if you can symbolically light the fire there, that's fine. "
"Symbolically ignite" rather than a physical "relay".
When asked what that means.
Professor Kyoko Kida, Chukyo University
"I think it is more symbolic of the Olympic Games to remember what you thought when you saw the torch, rather than physically connecting the fires. Some of the difficult people may feel encouraged, and some may think, "This is not the situation right now." That's fine. That's the society. What did you think when you saw the torch? It is important that it creates the future Olympics and its philosophy. "
Faced with unexpected test tournament
Other than the torch relay, there are other things that are facing unexpected situations.
It is a "test tournament" held at the production venue to identify operational issues.
It was supposed to be an important rehearsal place with an eye on the actual performance, but on April 16th, when "priority measures such as spread prevention" were expanded to 4 prefectures such as Saitama and Chiba, the postponement of the bicycle BMX freestyle test tournament was announced. It was.
This is the fourth postponement of the test tournament.
It was planned to resume at each competition from March, but it is an abnormal situation that even the event cannot be held.
Behind the scenes of the postponement-Dive test tournament-
What makes it difficult to hold a tournament?
A behind-the-scenes look at the postponed dive test tournament revealed the difficulty of coordinating measures against corona for foreigners entering the country.
It's not that there aren't enough measures.
The focus was on "too much countermeasures."
The diving test tournament is sponsored by FINA, which also serves as the final qualifying for the Olympic Games in each country and region around the world, and is held in Tokyo from April 18 to 23 with the participation of approximately 600 athletes and related parties from Japan and overseas. It was supposed to be done.
However, because the government's border measures did not allow foreigners to enter Japan, strict epidemic prevention measures were required instead of allowing entry as a special case.
One of them is the isolation of "canned state" in which people other than athletes and coaches cannot take a step from their accommodation for three days after entering Japan.
It was FINA that strongly opposed this.
"If the competition officials cannot go to the venue, we cannot proceed with the preparations for the tournament," FINA temporarily canceled the tournament and demanded relaxation of the restrictions.
The organizing committee in between worked hard to coordinate with the government and others.
As a result, the parties managed to come to terms with each other on the condition that they could go back and forth between the hotel and the competition venue if they secured a so-called "bubble" state that would prevent them from coming into contact with the outside, and the tournament was postponed. ..
With "+ hospitality" pride
In this way, the diving test tournament will be held from May 1st.
The hotel, which just opened last year in Koto-ku, Tokyo, accepts about 70 people from overseas, including referees from 30 countries and regions.
While being swayed by the mess around the event, he has been meticulously preparing for acceptance from the standpoint of carrying the "bubble" that is the heart of corona countermeasures.
The most troublesome thing was how to separate the flow line from other guests.
Therefore, we decided to use the back door for staff, which is not accessible to the general public, to enter and exit the hotel for those involved in the tournament.
It is the first time to secure one elevator exclusively and set it so that only the floor where the people concerned are staying will stop.
I haven't forgotten the consideration to make people feel comfortable even in an isolated environment.
It is the "hospitality" that Japan is proud of in the world.
One of them was the meal at the hotel.
It is a take-out format that you can eat in your own room in a "bubble" environment, but we have prepared a container that does not allow the food to cool down.
The preparation of bento boxes according to various values such as vegan and halal is also indispensable.
Keiichi Tada, Sales Manager, Tokyo East Side Hotel Kaie
"It is very difficult to provide hospitality while giving top priority to safety, but I would like to do what I can as a test case for the actual tournament, how to accept customers from overseas."
The spirit of hospitality will surely resonate with the visitors even during the tournament.
Achieving both "safety and security" and "meeting management"
"The diving test tournament was a good test for the production," said the
Organizing Committee executives, who take it positively, including the twists and turns.
On the other hand, he expressed a strict recognition that "the tournament must be held safely, but the business must also be carried out.
Another source points out that "differences in thinking about corona" also make it difficult to adjust in different cultures and values.
Tournament officials
"Europe and the United States are supremacy of tests. Before leaving Japan, at the time of entry, and during the quarantine period, if the test is negative several times, it will be argued that the quarantine needs to be so strict. "
In order to ensure safety and security, corona measures must be strict.
However, the stricter it becomes, the more it becomes a barrier to the operation of the tournament.
This reality, which was highlighted at the test tournament, reminded us of the difficulty of achieving both safety and security and tournament management in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which is an order of magnitude larger than the test tournament.
What awaits you at the end of the tunnel
The unpredictable corona infection situation and operational issues such as infection control and the number of spectators.
There are a lot of things to clear in the next three months.
And each one is a difficult task that is not straightforward.
Believe that the Tokyo tournament is "the light beyond the tunnel" and proceed.
It is pointed out that the end of the dark tunnel called Corona cannot be seen.
Both are correct, and with pros and cons, it is no longer possible to avoid three months from now.
Still,
“having a goal is a hope to live”
Even if it is difficult to have a goal or hope due to the corona, we should move forward step by step in this dark tunnel.
Believe that the light of hope lies ahead.
Sports News Department Reporter
Shohei Matsuyama
Sports News Department Reporter
Misako Imai
Sports News Department Reporter
Yuri Numata