Chinanews Client Beijing March 25th (Wang Yu) is like a thunderstorm on the ground! On the evening of the 24th Beijing time, news that the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games were postponed to 2021 came. From resolutely holding on schedule, to admitting to study different schemes, and then pressing the extension button, what has become the "last straw" that "smashes" the 2020 Tokyo Olympics?
Set the clock back to 24 hours ago. After nearly a month, IOC member Dick Pound spoke again about the prospects of hosting the Tokyo Olympics. "Success" put the IOC and the Tokyo Olympic Committee on the cusp again: "The matter of postponing the Olympics has been decided ... … The Tokyo Olympics will not start on July 24. "
This is not the first time Dick Pound has expressed his opinion on this topic. On February 25, according to the Associated Press, Dick Pound had stated that if the new crown pneumonia epidemic is not controlled in late May, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics may be cancelled instead of postponing or changing the city.
Screenshots from the Associated Press.
From the cancellation to the postponement, whenever the Tokyo Olympics could be held on schedule and was questioned by the outside world, Dick Pound was like a "whistleblower", bringing great shock to public opinion on his own. However, compared with the previous tough response from the International Olympic Committee, the Japanese Government and the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee to the Tokyo Olympics, the tripartite attitude has become very delicate this time.
According to the Xinhua News Agency, the spokesman for the International Olympic Committee, Mark Adams, "did not comment" on Dick Bond's inference. "Any IOC member has the right to make his own interpretation of the public decision of the International Olympic Committee on the 22nd," Adams said.
"Adam's public decision on the 22nd" in the words of Adam Adams refers to a statement issued by the International Olympic Committee at an emergency meeting. The statement pointed out that in the event of a new coronavirus pandemic worldwide, the International Olympic Committee will discuss in detail whether to change the Tokyo Olympic Games originally scheduled to be unveiled on July 24.
On March 23, local time, with the Tokyo Olympic Games originally scheduled to open on July 24, approaching, the Olympic elements can be seen everywhere in Tokyo, Japan. On the same day, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pointed out on the Senate Budget Committee that whether the Tokyo Olympics will be held as scheduled will ultimately be decided by the International Olympic Organizing Committee, saying that the possibility of the Olympics being postponed will not be ruled out.
At the same time, the tone of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also loosened. After insisting that the Olympics will be held as scheduled for many days, he first indicated that the Tokyo Olympics might be postponed. The Tokyo Olympics Organizing Committee Chairman Yoshiro Mori has to admit that although he always believed that the Olympics should proceed as scheduled, "the situation is changing."
In just one month, behind the change in the attitude of the three parties is the growing influence of the new crown pneumonia epidemic on the preparations for the Olympic Games. It is the host ’s various considerations and expectations, and it is also the “game” and pressure on the baht of all parties.
Recently, the Tokyo Olympic Torch toured in Sendai, Japan. According to local media reports, as many as 50,000 local people gathered near the train station to visit. Although the scene covered by the epidemic was worrying, it was also a clear indication of the expectations of the Japanese people for the Tokyo Olympics.
On March 23, local time, with the Tokyo Olympic Games originally scheduled to open on July 24, approaching, the Olympic elements can be seen everywhere in Tokyo, Japan.
Another set of data is also worth watching. According to the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee's budget at the end of 2019, the direct operating expenses of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be 1.35 trillion yen (about 12 billion U.S. dollars). If the related public construction and other matters are added, the total expenditure will reach 3 trillion yen (about 27.2 billion US dollars).
The Japanese government has invested heavily in hosting the Tokyo Olympics, and it has secretly buried the hope of re-engraving the "Olympic Boom" brought by the 1964 Tokyo Olympics by holding another Olympic event in order to boost national morale and stimulate economic growth. Therefore, from this perspective, the Tokyo Olympics will never be easily off track.
Whether it is the public opinion about the prospects for the Tokyo Olympics or the public opposition of athletes from many countries, the IOC has firmly supported the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee from beginning to end. But the IOC is always facing choices, on the one hand, the dream of 11,000 athletes, and on the other hand, their health.
On March 23, local time, with the Tokyo Olympic Games originally scheduled to open on July 24, approaching, the Olympic elements can be seen everywhere in Tokyo, Japan.
Last week, the International Olympic Committee clearly stated that it will evaluate the prospects of the Tokyo Olympics in accordance with two principles: one is to protect everyone's health and fully support epidemic prevention and control; the other is to ensure that the interests of athletes and the interests of the Olympic Games are not Damaged. But with today's results in reverse, in fact, the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics has long been tracked.
And all this, we have to start from March 20.
This day is undoubtedly a time node worth remembering in the preparation process of the Tokyo Olympics for nearly seven years. Faced with the spread of the new crown pneumonia epidemic in Europe, the Tokyo Olympic flame has been successfully collected after several twists and turns, and finally successfully arrived in Japan, which also means that the 2020 Olympic flame relay truly enters "Tokyo time".
However, in the hope of countless people, the Tokyo Olympic flame was unexpectedly extinguished. Just as the outside world was so impressed by this, a more shocking news came from across the ocean. In an interview, International Olympic Committee President Bach said in an interview that the Tokyo Olympics could not be held as scheduled: "Of course, we are also exploring different options."
On March 19th local time, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics flame transfer ceremony took place at the Panasinaiko Stadium in Athens.
Waves have set in, while people are still "digesting" Bach's words in an attempt to find clues about the prospects of the Tokyo Olympics, the Norwegian Olympic Committee submitted a petition to the President of the International Olympic Committee Bach, thoroughly It has broken the delicate situation maintained by many parties "cautiously".
On the 23rd Beijing time, the Canadian Olympic Organizing Committee announced on the website that it will not participate in the Tokyo Olympics in the summer of 2020.
The Norwegian Olympic Committee stated in its petition that "the Tokyo Olympics should not be held until the new crown pneumonia epidemic has been strictly controlled worldwide." On the same day, the Slovenian Olympic Committee also petitioned the International Olympic Committee to express a similar view.
Two official statements calling for the extension of the Tokyo Olympics were like the first dominoes to fall, prompting a series of chain reactions. On the 23rd, the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Australian Olympic Committee successively announced that they would not send teams to participate in the Tokyo Olympics in the summer of 2020, and demanded that the Tokyo Olympics be postponed for one year.
On March 24, Beijing time, the US Olympic Committee also stood up. The organization said that considering the safety of athletes is the first priority. After hearing the opinions of American delegation athletes on the Tokyo Olympics and the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the US Olympic Committee understands that athletes face different challenges.
Screenshot of US Olympic Committee statement
As a result, the US Olympic Committee concluded that even in the summer, the severe epidemic situation could be alleviated, but the current training environment, doping test, and the impact of the Olympic Qualification Tournament could not find a suitable solution. Therefore, the US Olympic Committee believes that the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics is the best decision.
Prior to this, the US gold medalists, the American Track and Field Association and the American Swimming Association, had also stated that they hoped that the Tokyo Olympics would be postponed. Some media pointed out that the two associations have "strong influence" on the International Olympic Committee through sponsorship and television broadcasting rights.
As a result, New Zealand, Iran, Germany, Britain, Switzerland, Brazil ... more and more organizations are moving from the sidelines to the front. As the list grows, the pressure on the International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo Olympic Committee is increasing. The demands of many parties are also quite consistent: If the Tokyo Olympic Games is held on schedule, it may affect the health of athletes, and at the same time, fairness cannot be guaranteed.
The IAAF issues a statement on its website and works with the International Olympic Committee at other times.
Also supporting the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics are international sports organizations such as the IAAF and the International Gymnastics Federation. In a statement, the IAAF stated that it was willing to discuss the issue with the International Olympic Committee about the extension, and was always ready to work with the International Olympic Committee and the global sports community to determine the time for the extension of the Tokyo Olympic Games.
When all the "swords" are pointing at themselves, the IOC and the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee, which "are suffering from the enemy", no longer have any reason to hold the Tokyo Olympic Games as scheduled. However, the postponement seems to be a compelling compromise made by the multinational Olympic committee and individual organizations, but the camel that has crushed the camel has not only been the last straw to be noticed.
The epidemic has continued to spread, with four-digit confirmed cases of new crown pneumonia in Japan, and the situation in Europe and the United States is not optimistic. It can be said that the impact of this epidemic on the international sports scene changes every minute and continues to deepen. As a biennial sports event that radiates the world, the Olympics naturally cannot stand alone.
The first postponed Olympic Games in the history of modern Olympics was born on a seemingly ordinary night. It's just that in this historical moment that will always be remembered, no one can smile, because no one is the real winner. (Finish)