Scenarios and challenges
The marathon, which had been moved to Sapporo due to the summer heat in Tokyo, is slated to remain in Sapporo, according to Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee president Mori.
“The basic framework of the Games will not change – it should not change. We do not believe it will happen,” Mori said when asked about the possibility.
All remaining Ready Steady Tokyo test events this year will be cancelled, said Tokyo 2020 CEO Muto Toshiro.
“There is no way for anyone to predict when the coronavirus pandemic will end. Not even the experts,” Muto said when asked about alternative scenarios.
“But at the root of our decision is the consensus that this will not be over in three, four months. Postponing it for three months or so to the fall would not have been a solution. When you take into account that the torch relay starts four months before the Games, holding it at a later date in the year was not a realistic option.
“2022 is far away from 2020 and could have created a different set of problems like what you do with the athletes who have already qualified, et cetera. While it will not be easy, a one-year postponement makes sense from several perspectives.
“President Mori asked me if the pandemic would be over in a year. I couldn’t guarantee that but if it’s not then we will have a massive global problem on our hands that will be much bigger than hosting the Games in Japan. People’s lives will have been destroyed.”
The postponement to 2021 also brings about new challenges for organisers, such as the availability of venues.
“In principle, we have to ask so that we can use the venues next year,” Muto said.
“It might not be possible to secure them all but this is an important issue that we need to give it much thought. We will – we must – work through it somehow.”
Existing ticket-holders and volunteers who have already been recruited “will be given every consideration available”, Muto said. “What we do with the tickets that have already been sold and the volunteers who have been chosen are crucial issues we need to discuss. We obviously do not have the answer yet.”
Another issue will be the need of the 33 Olympic sports to adapt their calendars for 2021, a problem addressed by IOC President Bach.
“This takes some time. The IOC Coordination Commission has already started the work. We are confident that they will come up with a good result to make these Games the success we all want it to be.
“And I’m sure that also the international federations have, together with their athletes, the highest interest to be able to compete in Olympic Games.”
AloJapan.com