The Fate of the Summer 2020 Olympic Games: What Does their Future Hold?

The Fate of the Summer Olympics: What Does The Future Hold?
by Camila Lopez, Senior, iPreparatory Academy

A man pulls up the anchor on a pleasure boat moored next to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Rings on March 25, 2020, in Tokyo.(Carl Court / Getty Images) https://www.latimes.com/sports/olympics/story/2021-02-04/column-summer-olympics-in-tokyo-should-be-canceled

The first day of the 2020 Olympics was set to take place on June 24, 2020. The athletes and host country, Japan, were ready for a new worldwide recognized athletic event that tested both of their abilities and granted them an immense sense of pride over what they were doing. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic became too dangerous for the games to continue, their future was unclear.

Eventually, in March of 2020, the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach both agreed that it posed too great a danger to the athletes, staff, and country to continue. The Olympic Games were postponed for at least a year, something that had, historically, never been done before.

As the pandemic continues to pose a risk, it was still unclear whether the Games would be canceled all together. Despite this, they are scheduled to take place from July 23, 2021 to August 8, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.

A page from the Athlete’s Playbook, published by the IOC on February 3rd. https://tokyo2020.org/en/games/emblem/.

Recently, the IOC and Tokyo released a “playbook” outlining all of the rules they were going to put in place for the health and safety of all of their staff and athletes. ESPN has analyzed some of their most important rules, detailing for example, that all travelers have to provide a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of their departure and a negative test after they land in Tokyo. Additionally, they are not quarantining when they arrive, but they cannot go to any non-authorized locations or attend sports events they are not competing in. They must also submit detailed itineraries of who they will come into contact with. This is all going to be implemented to protect the athletes and staff.

This decision does not exist without criticism however. As reported in the Los Angeles Times, a poll conducted by public broadcaster NHK, Nippon Hoso Kyokai (Japan Broadcasting Corporation), revealed that 80% of the Japanese residents surveyed believe that the “Olympics should be canceled or postponed again.” Additionally, according to the Los Angeles Times sports columnist, Dylan Hernandez, there are also concerns that too much of this decision is based on the economic, monetary, and publicity aspects of hosting an Olympic Games in Japan. Hernandez explains, “Tokyo has reportedly invested $25 billion in these Olympics. Broadcast rights account for 73% of the International Olympic Committee’s revenue, some of which will find its way back to Tokyo...The International Olympic Committee also has its future to consider. A cancellation could make already-skeptical cities even more reluctant to bid for future Games.”

Other large sporting events hosted around the world during the pandemic pose some interesting questions as well. The 2021 Australian Tennis Open, a much smaller event than the Olympic Games, presented a lot of problems that the IOC has to take into consideration. At the Australian Tennis Open, over 1,200 “players, support staffers and family members” were flown into the event on private, chartered flights. The LA Times reports that even though all of these people were tested before boarding their flights, “subsequent tests turned up positive cases on two flights. The 47 players on the flights couldn’t practice for two weeks because they were forced to quarantine.” They also had to quarantine around 600 players and staff when a hotel worker tested positive. This example, along with data about the virus itself, presents an uncertain outcome for the games.

Argentinian boxer Yamil Peralta bench lifts a weight made of cement in the backyard of his home on the outskirts of Buenos Aires in July (Marcos Brindicci/AP) https://time.com/5928901/tokyo-olympics-athletes/

When the first version of the Games were postponed, athletes were also left unsure about their futures in the competition and how they would adapt their training. Time Magazine interviewed a diverse set of athletes in January of 2021, asking them about their process after their individual countries went into quarantine. For example, Argentinian boxer Yamil Peralta created his own makeshift gym in his backyard when the gyms in his city closed down. Kara Winger, a three-time Olympian and the U.S. national record holder in the javelin, created a javelin throwing space with her husband so she could keep up with her training schedule. However, the athletes hold onto hope. With the Games still on the calendar, they are excited to finally get their chance to compete for a medal.

Even now, the future of the games is not secure. The IOC and Tokyo officials will continue to monitor the virus in all areas of the world in order to decide whether the games will be a safe experience for the athletes and staff. Make sure to tune in this summer and watch your favorite sport and the amazing athletes that compete in them. If it is broadcasted, it will definitely be a year to remember.

Works Cited

Cohen, Kelly. “Tokyo 2020 Olympics Officially Postponed until 2021.” ESPN, 24 Mar. 2020, www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/28946033/tokyo-olympics-officially-postponed-2021.

Gregory, Sean. “How Athletes Are Preparing for the Postponed Tokyo Olympics.” Time, 12 Jan. 2021, time.com/5928901/tokyo-olympics- athletes/.

Hernandez, Dylan. “Hernández: In Interest of Safety, Summer Olympics in Tokyo Should Be Canceled.” Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2021, www.latimes.com/sports/olympics/story/2021-02-04/column-summer-olympics-in-tokyo-should-be-canceled.

Maine, D'Arcy. “Are the Tokyo Olympics Really Going to Happen?” ESPN, 17 Feb. 2021, www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/30861660/are- tokyo-olympics-really-going-happen.