Covid-19: "For now, the Tokyo Olympics will take place", assures Tony Estanguet

Faced with a new wave of Covid-19 cases, a state of emergency has been declared in Tokyo.

Worrisome three months before the Olympics.

Guest from Europe 1 on Sunday morning, Tony Estanguet, president of the organizing committee for the 2024 Olympics, assured that the competition would take place.

He also announced that all athletes who so wished would be vaccinated.

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Three months before the Olympic Games (July 23-August 8), the Japanese government declared a new state of emergency in Tokyo on Friday, in effect until May 11. The Japanese capital is indeed facing a sharp increase in Covid-19 contaminations. What to feed concerns while Japan will become the center of the world this summer, and pose the threat of a new postponement or a cancellation.

"For now, the position of the Japanese authorities is to say that there is no influence and impact on the Games. So, for the moment, there is no change of program. and the Games will take place, "said Sunday on Europe 1 Tony Estanguet, president of the organizing committee for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games." We trust the Japanese authorities who, for a year, have been constantly trying to s 'adapt and find solutions, "he added.

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"We do not yet know which spectator gauge will be accepted", then adds Tony Estanguet.

The Japanese authorities, however, announced at the end of March that foreign spectators could not enter the country.

All Olympic athletes can be vaccinated

But what about the vaccination of athletes?

"The IOC has offered to provide one or two doses of the vaccine to all the athletes who want it," said Tony Estanguet.

"All athletes participating in the Tokyo Games have the opportunity to be vaccinated if they wish," he said.

The choice will be left to the athletes.

But the Olympic canoe champion believes that in the French delegation "a good part wants to be vaccinated and will be vaccinated in the coming weeks".

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Tony Estanguet nevertheless specifies that the choice of athletes to be vaccinated or not will not influence their participation in the Olympics. "They will be tested every day, like the others. Whether you are vaccinated or not, there will be the same device to guarantee real safety for all participants," he concluded.