sports

Tokyo Olympic organizers unveil scaled-back Games plan

46 Comments
By Natsuko Fukue

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© 2020 AFP

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

46 Comments
Login to comment

That's better Mori now please never take the mask off again.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

"Maybe it will end up a bit more modest and simple, but I hope it will be something that gives joy," he added.

So... we get Marie Kondo to go out in the middle of the stadium, look around and say "Does this spark joy?"... and promptly shut down the Olympic flame and throw out the entire idea.

26 ( +28 / -2 )

@David Varnes

That's poetry man! Greatest post in the history of Japan Today comments!

9 ( +12 / -3 )

OMG ! Is it Japan's fate ?

1 ( +4 / -3 )

How about the audiance?

The question of hundreds of thousands of foreign spectators coming into the country appears to be unmentioned in their new "plan", but its the 30 ton elephant in the room.

18 ( +19 / -1 )

The IOC and Tokyo Olympic organizers are in a complete state of denial.

How much longer until they finally come to their senses and just call it a loss, cancel the 2021 Olympics and move on?

17 ( +19 / -2 )

What they don't seem to realize is that the vast majority of the world's population normally find most of the sports really boring and aren't interested in them. Normally, shot put, archery, wrestling, etc. as sports get nearly zero TV interest. The Olympics needs the spectacle, hype and razzle-dazzle to hold public interest. And they dont care about athletes from Latvia or Malaysia.

These could be the most boring and neglected Games in modern history.

17 ( +18 / -1 )

"Maybe it will end up a bit more modest and simple, but I hope it will be something that gives joy," he added.

"Joy?" Please, stop, just stop! "Joy?!?!" How can there be any joy when there will be the underlying fear from all participants that maybe, just maybe, they could potentially get seriously ill from just coming here?

No Olympics should be held until there is a viable vaccine available worldwide, and one that has been tested to be both safe and effective as well!

1 ( +6 / -5 )

The IOC and its management are really fighting to stay relevant. Mori and others just don’t want to lose face (they really don’t care about your tax money already spent), so are going along. As another poster said, what about the spectators attending and what about the TV audience - will they come or watch? Or maybe the better question these days is, do they care?

10 ( +10 / -0 )

No Olympics should be held until there is a viable vaccine available worldwide, and one that has been tested to be both safe and effective as well!

I highly doubt that this can be achieved safely and properly within the time frame we have. It's time to take the red bill and cancel the Olympics and move on.

P.S. Bach and Coates are the epitome of what is wrong with our world leaders. Let them eat money.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

They just keep forcing Olympic news on us to try to force us to get used to the idea that they might still hold them. BS

13 ( +13 / -0 )

It would make better sense to just cut the Paralympics completely. I know the bidding cities are forced to hold them as part of the bid. But covid-19 gave Tokyo a perfect chance to get out of having to hold this expensive event that generates little to no interest.

-6 ( +4 / -10 )

When are they going to refund the money we paid for tickets?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Tokyo Olympic organizers unveil scaled-back Games plan

This should at minimum include a 10% reduction in bribes.

11 ( +11 / -0 )

Now that the NBA schedule has changed dramatically, I am glad that I didn't pursue the semi-final and Final tickets for Men's Basketball.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Back in the news:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/sep/25/diacks-55m-of-suspicious-bank-transfers-linked-to-tokyo-olympic-bid

This ain't gonna go away.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

It seems like the Tokyo Olympic organizers don’t know when to give up. But then if they successfully pull off a scaled-back Games next year, it could be a start of a new, less costly, less extravagant and less insane Olympics.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

The Rio Carnival has just been cancelled. That's normally the end of February.

US doctors are also saying they've seen signs of Covid-19 mutating. Apparently 100 cases in Iceland have been linked to two French tourists who did not isolate. The report about it referred to it as being identifiable as a "French strain".

A lot can happen in the coming months, but the current signs are not looking good.

12 ( +12 / -0 )

kohakuebisuToday  10:18 am JST

The Rio Carnival has just been cancelled. That's normally the end of February.

US doctors are also saying they've seen signs of Covid-19 mutating. Apparently 100 cases in Iceland have been linked to two French tourists who did not isolate. The report about it referred to it as being identifiable as a "French strain".

A lot can happen in the coming months, but the current signs are not looking good.

Rio is near the equator if I recall. Brazil is suffering from the pandemic badly and their president is also a dirtbag.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

But then if they successfully pull off a scaled-back Games next year, it could be a start of a new, less costly, less extravagant and less insane Olympics.

That's a good point. The other thing is that so long as Olympics is not cancelled, there will be pressure to ease border restrictions for non-Japanese at Japanese immigration. Japan cannot host the Olympics without admitting people from countries where it is currently impossible to get a PCR test in the indicated timeframe.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

This sounds pathetic, WHERE is this 50pt plan, I searched I cant find anything, anyone else have any luck...

The tidbits mentioned above DONT amount to anything significant, this seems that they are trying to pacify certain people, I say they are just making this worse......

Cant wait till countries start pulling the plug, sooner the better otherwise this is going to look STUPID again like it was in March!!! I saw it is already that stupid.....

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Just wait and see how many countries will simply not send any athletes. We're gonna laugh !

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Definitely opening July 23, 2021? Well, one thing is for sure, no-one will die of cold then.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

They should've postponed it to 2024 earlier though..

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The official compensation of these guys are pretty low, so you KNOW there’s a reason they are so eager to hold this. After all, they are only protecting the goose that laid the golden egg.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

When are they going to refund the money we paid for tickets?

Call it an unintentional donation to the IOC embezzlement fund. You'll never see it again.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

It is not for the International Olympic Committee vice president John Coates to deem what is possible or not!

The Pandemic has or will decided the fate of the Japan’s 2020/21 Olympics?

Don’t cancel arbitrarily, though, hold the IOC's feet close to the fire, so to speak.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

If the IOC and Tokyo really cared about the athletes, fans and the local people of Japan, they'd just push the Olympics back to 2024. I can't understand why "that can't be a part of the equation."

3 ( +3 / -0 )

David, you win the internet.

And the guy who suggested canceling the para-olympics is particularly vile. Yeah, let’s cut games for the disabled to save money. That won’t make them more marginalized than they already are.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Scaled back Olymipcs...And there is the starters gun! Mori has taken an early lead with Coats close behind as they reach halfway here comes Muto, Mori is stumbling now running the wrong way, he is on the grass face down, Coats is having trouble....clutching his chest, his down his down! Muto has been distracted by an errant ¥1,000 yen note, his left the stadium. Koki has accidentally crossed the line followed by Sugu who managed to do the whole 10m race doing sit-ups, seems to be a ruckus over the gold in the medal they all seem to want a piece.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Muto and Mori. We could call them the M&M's, coz they will melt in the heat.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

I can guarantee you 99% that Olympics will be canceled also next year

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Absolutely NOBODY that I know is excited about the games anymore. Let’s cut our losses and move on.

And we really should boycott the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Just accept the Tokyo Olympics will never happen.

Cut your losses and walk away.

Hopefully Paris 2024 will be a great celebration of humanity after we overcome this pandemic.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

In the past, I would always look forward to the Olympics. However now, this is just dragging and dragging, with tons of money wasted. Just cancel and move on. Use the money wisely on the health and welfare of the people. Hopefully, the JOC will learn from this, but doubtful. They are just thinking about their pockets, saving face, and their own self interest.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

E-Olympics, any fat slob can join...

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Scale it back to zero and start again with 2024.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Same problem no matter the location. No one has had time to practice or play pre matches. Testing is wholly substandard in Japan and other nations are in various stages so it's not going to be a linear recovery either. Olympics are over in Japan and that means other nations too. Health remains more important than corporations, although they will protest. But corporations are not actual people

1 ( +1 / -0 )

They can cancel the whole as long as they keep women's volleyball

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I would be willing to buy any ticket that you may have for any event of the 2020 (2021) Olympics. Kindly let me know.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites