Clock stops as Japan awakes to reality of Tokyo 2021
JAPAN awoke yesterday to the deflating reality that the Olympics they had hoped to host in Tokyo this summer were now probably 16 months away after the coronavirus crisis forced organisers into an unprecedented postponement.
Japan Olympic Committee (JOC) President Yasuhiro Yamashita said the decision had come earlier than he thought it would, but he was determined the host nation’s athletes would be ready to compete in 2021.
“Now that the decisions have been made, let’s take this positively, reset our mindset,” he told a news conference.
“With fresh mind, not giving up, I want to go through this challenge heading into next year.”
Tuesday’s decision came 122 days before the planned opening ceremony at Japan’s newly built National Stadium, which was to usher in the 16-day event featuring 11,000 athletes from 206 nations and territories.
The countdown clock in front of Tokyo Station which had been displaying the number of days until the Games halted and reverted to yesterday’s date and time.
Athletes around the world expressed disappointment but largely welcomed the decision.
The rapidity of the move from the position that the Games would go ahead as planned to postponement meant it came out of the blue for some, however.
“When I learned the Olympics were being postponed, I was honestly surprised,” Japanese sport climber Tomoa Narasaki said in an Instagram post.
“However, no matter when the Olympics are held there is no change in the things I’m aiming for.”
Many other questions remain about the re-arranged Games, not least when they will happen after the IOC announcement stated only that they would take place “not before the end of summer 2021”.
The Olympic flame, already lit at Olympia in Greece and taken to Japan for a nowcancelled torch relay, will stay in the host nation as a symbol of hope and the Games will retain the title Tokyo 2020.
“This Olympic flame will be the light at the end of this tunnel,” IOC chief Bach said on Tuesday. – Reuters