“We are fighting an invisible enemy”: the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee did not rule out the cancellation of the Olympics

While the situation with the coronavirus pandemic remains unstable, the resumption and conduct of most major sporting events is in question. Including concerns are the fate of the Tokyo Summer Olympics, previously rescheduled for 2021.

The head of the organizing committee Yoshiro Mori did not rule out the complete cancellation of the competition. According to him, such a scenario is likely if the situation does not stabilize by the summer of 2021.

“When similar problems, such as war, arose in the past, the Olympics were canceled. Now we are fighting an invisible enemy. This is a risk to all of humanity. If the world manages to defeat the virus and we can host the Olympics, our Games will be many times more valuable than any previous ones, ”Mori said in an interview with Nikkan Sports.

Thus, Mori reiterated the words of Tokyo 2020 spokeswoman Masa Takai that Japan “has no plan B” in case the Olympics have to be rescheduled again.

The fears of the organizing committee regarding the Olympics are shared by specialists in the field of medicine. According to their forecasts, the development of a vaccine against coronavirus will take from 12 to 18 months. In addition, even more time will be required to produce a sufficient amount of the drug.

A similar position is maintained in the Japan Medical Association (JMA). The head of the organization, Yoshitake Yokokura, noted that it would be difficult to hold the Olympics even on a new date.

“If an effective vaccine is not developed, it will be difficult to hold the Olympics next year. At this stage, I am not saying that it should not be carried out. But the outbreak is not limited to Japan. This is a global problem, ”Yokokura quoted The Guardian as saying.

Ensuring the safety of competitors in connection with a pandemic is not the only problem that the organizing committee has encountered. According to local media, the transfer of the Games will cost about $ 3 billion, although Japan said that it’s too early to talk about specific numbers. In total, $ 12.6 billion has already been spent on the preparation of the competition.

On this basis, Tokyo-2020 has already had a conflict with the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Representatives of the latter said that the organizers took over the costs associated with the transfer of the Games. Allegedly, Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe gave consent. At the same time, the politician himself denied this information.

Then the IOC press service had to supplement the statement, noting that the issue of financing is still being discussed by both parties.

However, the transfer may result in monetary losses not only for the organizers, but also for the federations, and for the athletes themselves. According to the Minister for Olympics and Paralympics, Seiko Hashimoto, Japan will do everything possible to minimize the negative effects of the crisis.

“The Olympics was postponed for one year, of course, this burden falls primarily on athletes who are accustomed to a four-year cycle. Also a big problem arose with sponsors. There are individual contracts and contracts with sports federations, many of them are designed under the current conditions until the end of the Olympics, ”Hashimoto TASS quoted him as saying.

In turn, the IOC also intends to help sports organizations. It is reported that the amount of payments to the national Olympic committees to prepare for the competition will be increased by $ 25.3 million.

At the moment, athletes in Russia, as well as around the world, continue to prepare for the Games, regardless of whether they are held. So, the president of the Fencing Federation of Russia (FFR) Alexander Mikhailov said that it is premature to make predictions on this subject, as the situation may change at any time. According to him, the official position should be voiced by the head of the IOC, Thomas Bach.

“The IOC will make a decision based on the epidemiological situation. If the Games take place in 2021, then almost everyone who has selected there will be able to participate in them. But if in two years? There are many age athletes in the world, and for them it will truly be a collapse of hopes. It all depends on how we deal with the pandemic, and making forecasts is completely pointless now, ”Mikhailov said.

In turn, the head of the Russian Wrestling Federation Mikhail Mamiashvili emphasized that athletes should not lose hope that the Olympics will take place.

“Fighters have no right to give up and despair. Now we need to support each other and live in the hope that we will still be able to prove ourselves on the Olympic carpet, thereby glorifying our great country, our parents, our coaches, ”Mamiashvili emphasized.

On March 24, the International Olympic Committee (OCD) and the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee agreed on the need to postpone the competition in connection with the coronavirus pandemic. The last time the Games were completely canceled in 1944 due to World War II.