Potential for cancellation of Tokyo 2020

[Skate Talker]

Here is the point of view of a multiple Olympic athlete -
Wickenheiser calls out IOC's 'insensitive and irresponsible' approach
https://www.cbc.ca/sports/wickenhei...ensitive-and-irresponsible-approach-1.5504032

 

[bardtoob]

I think the Olympics are going to be cancelled but the IOC is not willing to accept it yet, although it was probably the necessary outcome when national and international qualifying events for key sports were cancelled.

 

[starrynight]

I wonder if something like this will have a flow on effect of encouraging Olympic events to be more cost effective and economically sustainable? The bloated and financially ruinous nature of hosting the Olympics will eventually be its downfall.

 

[Vagabond]

I think the Olympics are going to be cancelled but the IOC is not willing to accept it yet, although it was probably the necessary outcome when national and international qualifying events for key sports were cancelled.

The 5 Stages of Grief & Loss

The 5 stages of grief and loss are: 1. Denial and isolation; 2. Anger; 3. Bargaining; 4. Depression; 5. Acceptance. People who are grieving do not necessarily go through the stages in the same order or experience all of them.

They'll get to acceptance eventually, just not yet.

 

[starrynight]

It sure would give the athletes some security knowing sooner rather than later. There's a reason so many athletes get surgeries etc after the Olympics - because they've pushed their bodies past breaking for the Olympics. I imagine the athletes needing things like shoulder surgeries, knee surgery etc who are training through pain would rather know now so they can get treatment early and start to heal to be ready for either the postponement or the next round of competition.

 

[Vagabond]

Elective surgeries are being cut back or eliminated in many places during the pandemic, so those too will have to be postponed.

 

[starrynight]

So whoever gets the least out of shape wins? Not very satisfying.

Yeah this would be a throw back to the seriously amateur days of the early Olympics when everyone worked in offices and shops all day and did a bit of training after work.

The technical variances between the old days and current times speak for themselves.

It might work ok in racing sports like running or swimming (everyone would just be slow) but it would cause a mess in technical sports like gymnastics. It's would be like if Lombardia Trophy was displayed at the Olympics.

 

[Deleted member 221]

Athletes deserve to know how to pace their training; they can't stay in peak form indefinitely.

I wish the Olympics could go on in some form. I'm not sure why "behind closed doors" was ruled out so quickly. The world is in such a depressing state that the Olympics could have a tremendous, uplifting effect like never before - and, maybe naively, I think countries could work together to make it happen in a highly controlled manner. But that's probably me still being in the "bargaining" stage.

As for turning off the news.... it's really not an option in these crazy times, with restrictions changing daily or even hourly.

 

[starrynight]

As for turning off the news.... it's really not an option in these crazy times, with restrictions changing daily or even hourly.

The news would be worthwhile if was reporting useful facts. At the moment, it is just frothing at the mouth to produce extremely hyperbolic fear mongering for clicks and eyeballs. I just check the news quickly once in the morning and once in the evening for updates on any government statements. That's more than enough for me.

 

[MacMadame]

The news would be worthwhile if was reporting useful facts. At the moment, it is just frothing at the mouth to produce extremely hyperbolic fear mongering for clicks and eyeballs. I just check the news quickly once in the morning and once in the evening for updates on any government statements. That's more than enough for me.

The local news that we listen to isn't like that.

The worst part of having it on all the time is that it gets repetitive. Though watching the weatherman give his reports from his house is amusing.

It's actually completely possible not to watch the news at all though. And the articles seem less "oh my god, we're all going to die!" than some of the broadcast news shows. You can pick and choose how often you read them too. I mostly look here because I know if it's important, it will show up here.

 

[BaileyCatts]

Would simply postponing it to the "2021 Summer Olympics" be such a hassle though? All the buildings and facilities are still there, and gives even more time to finish things since I'm guessing any finishing construction work that is needed is halted right now. All contracts are still intact for broadcasting and sponsorships, just push it a year out. The athletes would know to taper down their training for now (if they can train at all at this point) and work with their coaches to come up with a plan to peak at the right time next year. It would suck for some since this might be the one 'peak year' for them and they will miss their shot, but what else can they do at this point? But I'm not an athlete so I don't know.

 

[Aceon6]

@BaileyCatts That would be hard to do without impacting 2022. That would mean two huge events in 8 months.

 

[aka_gerbil]

@BaileyCatts That would be hard to do without impacting 2022. That would mean two huge events in 8 months.

Up through 1992, the winter and summer Olympics were both in the same year, months apart. These are special circumstances.

 

[missing]

USA Swimming, one of the most important national governing bodies within the U.S. Olympic community, has called for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games to be postponed for one year, USA TODAY Sports has learned.

 

[alexikeguchi]

@BaileyCatts That would be hard to do without impacting 2022. That would mean two huge events in 8 months.

Winter and Summer Olympics used to be in the same year...

 

[starrynight]

The UK has just shut all gyms and leisure centres so that’s training over for a lot of athletes.

One of my favourite UK athletes is Tom Daley and I expect this means that the training for the UK diving team has been seriously impacted.

 

[mjb52]

I think in the end they will probably have to have them in 2022, like in the olden times.

 

[aka_gerbil]

I think in the end they will probably have to have them in 2022, like in the olden times.

That is what I’ve been thinking too. I could see sports resuming on a national or regional level next year, depending on how things are in individual places or areas. I do think it would be irresponsible to bring fans and athletes from all corners of the world together until there is a vaccine for this. Realistically, that puts us at 2022 for both games. They can get summer back on schedule in 2024. My other thought was move 2020 summer games to 2022 and 2022 winter games to 2024 if they really don’t want to go old school and do both in the same year. That puts both games at 6 year gaps from the last time they were held. Certainly an impact on results dependent upon who would peak when, but that’s life at this point.

 

[manhn]

Having a summer and winter games in 22 could be quite the unifying force and give both events more attention than normal. But I would be very sad for those athletes who qualified this year but won’t in 22. Two years is a lifetime for an athlete.

 

[MacMadame]

The IOC moved them apart because they both got too big to do in the same year. I can't see the IOC putting them in the same year again because they are even bigger now.

I expect 2021 is doable but 2022 would be difficult for a number of reasons.

 

[Aceon6]

But I would be very sad for those athletes who qualified this year but won’t in 22. Two years is a lifetime for an athlete.

Even one can mean a big difference. What’s saddest is that many athletes can not afford to continue and rack up deep debts trying. As an eye witness to two Moscow 1980 team members who could not compete due to Carter’s boycott, it isn’t pretty.

 

[clairecloutier]

I saw on Twitter that the U.S. Track & Field federation is also now calling for the Tokyo Games to be canceled (or postponed—can’t remember which). ?

 

[Finnice]

I follow closely an athlete who is supposed to compete in Tokyo. In two years he would be 38. For his sake I wish they would just postpone for some months, but for the whole world the situation is different.

 

[Lorac]

The IOC moved them apart because they both got too big to do in the same year. I can't see the IOC putting them in the same year again because they are even bigger now.

I expect 2021 is doable but 2022 would be difficult for a number of reasons.

One reason being that the Commonwealth Games are scheduled for 2022!!

 

[nimi]

The writer who wrote an op-ed for NYT calling for the Tokyo Games to be cancelled is tweeting these lists of people/orgs calling for postponement

Jules Boykoff on Twitter

“Crescendo to postpone #Tokyo2020 #Olympics • @USASwimming CEO Tim Hinchey • Kaori Yamaguchi of Japanese Olympic Committee • Spain Olympic Committee prez Alejandro Blanco • Irish Olympian Sonia O'Sullivan • India badminton coach Pullela Gopichand • Wash Post editorial board”

twitter.com

Jules Boykoff on Twitter

“Calls to postpone #Tokyo2020 #Olympics growing: • John Treacy, 4x Olympian & CEO of Sport Ireland • Norway’s National Olympic & Paralympic Committee • USA Track & Field • Laurie Hernandez, US Olympian in gymnastics • Brazil Olympic Committee • Slovenian Olympic Committee”

twitter.com

Also, this was an interesting read...

JOC board member calls for postponement of Tokyo Games : The Asahi Shimbun

She suggested that a reluctance to speak out against holding the Olympics as planned reflects the public’s mindset during the final stages of World War II.

“In Japan, there was an atmosphere in which many people felt they could not voice their opposition even though they knew that the country would lose,” she said. “I am afraid that many JOC members and athletes feel discouraged from saying that a postponement would be better.”

Yamaguchi’s comment drew fire from her boss, Yasuhiro Yamashita, president of the JOC, on March 20.

“It is understandable that people have various opinions,” Yamashita said when reporters asked him about Yamaguchi’s call for a postponement. “But it is extremely regrettable that someone within the JOC would make such a comment.”

 

[MacMadame]

So Yamashita proved Yamaguchi's point. I wonder if he realizes that?

 

[Vash01]

At this point I see postponement (rather than cancellation) but things are changing. The crisis may remain much longer. In that case cancellation may be the only option.

Just a thought - could they hold the 2020 summer Olympics in 2022? In 1994 they did have the Winter Olympics after a two year gap. If the summer Olympics are held in 2022 and 2024 it could be a similar situation, and more palatable to the athletes.

 

[allezfred]

One reason being that the Commonwealth Games are scheduled for 2022!!

Those in the Commonwealth can go to that and the rest of us can go to the Olympics.

 

[Deleted member 40371]

Those in the Commonwealth can go to that and the rest of us can go to the Olympics.

There is already Asian games in 2022, countries like India, Malaysia, Singapore, etc compete for both Commonwealth Games and Asian games. I am sure athletes can compete in more than one big event. If need be, athletes can prioritise which event to compete, I am sure Olympics and Asian games will not be too much for these athletes .

 

[starrynight]

With lots of countries closing facilities, it's not a fair competition anymore. And I don't think it's fair for Japan to be some kind of experimental petri dish and require it to open its borders to everyone from around the world.

I think that many organisations are going to need to re-assess what is possible. There's lots of things people did not think were possible a couple of weeks ago that are now being put in place.

The first step will be getting in place some agreement to deal with the money side of things - void cancellation fees etc.