Unsurprising to nobody, the beginning of 2021 has carried on how 2020 finished… in confusion and bewilderment. The sporting industry as a whole has been forced to completely shift all their customs… maybe permanently. The Olympics last year were forced to suspend the biggest global sporting competition and shift hope to the following year, which is now the current year!
Yet, on queue there are already problems rising for the Olympic Games to proceed in July 2021. The initial issue is whether Japan will be deemed safe enough for thousands of athletes to travel to. This week, Japan could be on the verge of declaring a state of emergency with cases reaching over 6’000 Covid cases for the first time since the outbreak earlier in 2020. With a serious case for concern it begs the question, will the Olympics have to be cancelled again
If outbreaks continue to be sporadic and cases rise and fall continuing into the summer season, will it be too difficult to manage and safely regulate this enormous, historical competition that involves many thousands of athletes never mind staff and personal staff? The current International Olympic Committee (IOC) certainly think so, with a recent quote from longest standing IOC member, Dick Pound, advocating for athletes to be shortlisted to receive vaccines early, if possible. Mr Pound noted:
“It’s a decision for each country to make and there will be people saying they are jumping the queue but I think that is the most realistic way of it going ahead.”
https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-olympics-official-says-prioritise-athletes-for-coronavirus-jab-so-games-can-go-ahead-in-the-summer-12180275
Furthermore, the Japanese Prime Minister, Yoshihide Suga, tried to calm down the public outcry suggesting the Olympic Games will be held this year, in solidarity with the opinions and feelings of the International Olympic Committee. Realistically, Japan can’t afford to just cancel the games once again. Recent reports from multiple sporting sites denoted that the delay of the Olympics and Covid measurements have cost up to $1.9 billion dollars, and frankly it would be costly to tamper with the current commercial and advertisement contracts.
Yet, the pessimist in me and probably inside most general fans of athletics and the Olympics should know that it is very realistic the Olympics could be cancelled if things don’t get better quickly. The Olympic Games are walking a thin, tight-rope, but that’s okay. Life is tricky as of right now and nothing is certain so only time will tell!
While you’re here, why not check out some older posts?!
The Unorthodox Athlete 