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Delayed Olympics face massive organizational, health challenges

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On Thursday the reset Olympic countdown clock will show there are 365 days to go until the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Games.

And hopefully the clock and everything else related to the Olympics will be shelved permanently for Tokyo!

Pouring money into an event that has a slim chance of actually occurring is criminal, in my opinion! These "organizers" should be fired! They are stealing our tax money!

22 ( +25 / -3 )

Still, the Japan Triathlon Union recommends that runners and cyclists stay 2 meters apart during the race, and try to stagger their positions rather than running or riding directly alongside or behind each other to avoid inhaling droplets or having them land on their bodies.

If we all wear portable oxygen tanks then there would not be a need for these rules.

Such a simple solution...

11 ( +11 / -0 )

but with the coronavirus' spread going largely unchecked in some countries

Such as japan?

21 ( +23 / -2 )

Still, the Japan Triathlon Union recommends that runners and cyclists stay 2 meters apart during the race, and try to stagger their positions rather than running or riding directly alongside or behind each other to avoid inhaling droplets or having them land on their bodies.

idiots they do know these events are races? Just can't see this colossal waist of money going ahead. And if they do with all the rules they are talking about these will be the most miserable Games ever held.

20 ( +20 / -0 )

And what about all the heat related medical emergencies that crop up every year in Japan? They're going to experience an increase from foreign visitors who have not acclimated to the heat, humidity and masks, and no doubt many will require hospitalization. I'm also assuming that the definition of a successful Olympics would mean to recover costs and to make a profit so someone should put that super computer to use and run the probability that this will be a successful Olympics. I wouldn't bet my house and horse but I would be my dog house that this will not turn a profit. Cut your losses now and get out of it, there are more important matters at hand.

13 ( +13 / -0 )

Construction works for the Olympics are finished. They are the only winners.

16 ( +16 / -0 )

who cares about the olympics what a waste of money

9 ( +13 / -4 )

And hopefully the clock and everything else related to the Olympics will be shelved permanently for Tokyo!

Pouring money into an event that has a slim chance of actually occurring is criminal, in my opinion! These "organizers" should be fired! They are stealing our tax money!

couldn't have said it better myself.

but with the coronavirus' spread going largely unchecked in some countries

Such as japan?

exactly

who cares about the olympics what a waste of money

that's 3 in a row!

15 ( +15 / -0 )

Tokyo 2024 Olympics

Paris to 2028.

Everyone who has tickets already - guarantee their tickets will still be valid.

Athletes who've already qualified guaranteed a spot.

Give the world a chance to recover and time to put together proper teams.

Move the time of the Olympics to Sep or Oct or May.

4 ( +10 / -6 )

while fans will be making their share of sacrifices to allow the events to be held amid a pandemic.

In my opinion the statement here, all by itself, sounds asinine at best?

All in an effort to give Mario a "legacy"?

10 ( +10 / -0 )

"...the government is considering easing travel restrictions for foreign athletes..." 

While long-term foreign residents who work for Japanese companies, pay Japanese taxes and mortgages, send their kids to public schools, have Japanese spouses and other family relations are barred from entering Japan. Yeah, that's fair.

24 ( +24 / -0 )

The Olympics is toast next year. Ditto Beijing in 2022. Now move on.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

The big question is will the US be ready for the Olympics. I doubt the US will be ready. Can the Olympics take place without the US? The US would spend a fortune to make sure they didn't. If the Olympics were to take while coronavirus is still rampant, how many other countries would withdraw?

6 ( +6 / -0 )

With all the financial hardship being endured by the public here as a result of covid19 The government is flushing billions of yen down the toilet while they delay the inevitable cancellation of the Olympics.

Its criminal.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Can the Olympics take place without the US? 

The summer games took place without the US in 1980.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

@Speed that is very unlikely. They can't postpone the next games as well.

Let's face it, there is 0% chance the Games will be held next year. Even in the best case scenario or a vaccine being available and the pandemic to have seriously slowed down, it will not have completely disappeared.

Given that the Japanese government has proven to the world that they are incapable of dealing with a small outbreak (no nearly enough testing, and more than 50% or infection routes unknown = no proper tracing), I don't think any country will take the risk to send their athletes or officials.

If Japan wants to be serious about the Olympics, they must first completely contain the spread here. And that implies a form of lockdown and 10 times more testing.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Does it depend on vaccines to be able to hold the Tokyo Olympic ?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

It’ll be interesting to how they arrange training for athletes during a two week quarantine. Of course runners can train in their hotel rooms. However, other sports like, javelin, discus, hammer throw, kayaking, shooting, swimming and many others must train in specialized facilities.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The best way to predict is to create it. Peter Drucker

The Organizers should be encouraged by all the people in the World.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Japan Triathlon Union recommends that runners and cyclists stay 2 meters apart during the race

From the official Tokyo2020 Olympic Triathlon page(!)

The technique of 'drafting' is also a key aspect of the sport. In the cycling segment, athletes follow closely behind one another, taking advantage of the reduced wind resistance created by the rider ahead of them while waiting for a chance to pull ahead.

https://tokyo2020.org/en/sports/triathlon/

1 ( +1 / -0 )

These Olympics have been jinxed due to the government using the Tohoku disaster to get the games to begin with.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Should have been cancelled months ago

2 ( +2 / -0 )

If Japan wants to be serious about the Olympics, they must first completely contain the spread here. And that implies a form of lockdown and 10 times more testing.

10 times more testing, it is never gonna happen, we can never allow the low number and the look-good image we have meticulously created be tarnished.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

@vanityofvanities

Construction works for the Olympics are finished. They are the only winners.

No they're not. The preparation work, construction work, etc etc is still going on, and there are thousands of people working hard for the Tokyo Olympic Committee and IOC. Thousands of people in Tokyo are also depending on the games to get their livelihood from the games.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I can't see the rule of quarantining for two weeks not working, most people only get a short time of Holliday entitlements from there company, some have non, so going to support your nations team in Japan will require you sitting in a hotel for up to two weeks, well thats most of you entitlement gone! plus the extra cost to do this IE, the cost of hiring that room for two weeks plus the extra food, and then some more time to stay and go and watch your team, and wow betide any one who gets a bit of a high temp, you could spend all of that time and money only to be rejected from the venue. here in the UK at this point in time you have to self isolate when you get back for two weeks! at this rate I think most people will say, s*d it I wont bother going.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The other thing I've just thought about is, normal spectators will turn at a hotel stay for 3-4-5 days to watch there team, do some sight seeing then go home, how is this going to work if spectators have to stay in a hotel for 18 days? it stops other travellers from using that room, this could stop potentially 4 other spectators/visitors I cant see that there is enough hotels etc to support the needs of all of the spectators, the turn around time will be very slow.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The decision to chain themselves to the summer of 2021 rather than giving themselves a 2 year window seems more and more foolish with each day. Basically there is zero chance of a full Olympics happenning next summer, at best they might be able to manage a heavily truncated version which will have so much stuff removed that it is hard to see the point. If they had postponed it to 2022 they probably could have salvaged an event that at least looked like an Olympics out of it. Probably there were a lot of contractual problems arising out of the need to tie up so much valuable real estate for so long that made them insist on 2021, which is understandable but has also led to this no win situation they are in.

What a disaster. The only positive I can think is that this will hopefully serve as a cautionary tale about the extreme risk associated with hosting an Olympic games and discourage more cities from bidding for them in the first place. The case against hosting was already strong to begin with, now it is undeniable.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

"Japan's Olympic minister Seiko Hashimoto recently said the government is considering easing travel restrictions for foreign athletes who are due to compete at the Olympics and Paralympics."

Because clearly it's all about safety. Can't have the foreign spouse, with permanent resident status and who lives and works here, re-enter the country from a funeral while his/her spouse is okay (because Japanese) as it is a danger, but a foreign athlete? Sure! because it is not at all about racism. Not one bit.

As usual, the "wait and pray" approach to things in Japan. As things get worse and worse, they reaffirm having NO plans, but insisting it'll be better by the time the Games roll around.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

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