Questions

massive, we assume.” Contract language in the Host City Contract strongly favors the IOC, so expect the Japanese taxpayers to foot most of the bill.

Local organizers and Japanese government bodies say they are officially spending $12.6 billion to put on the Olympics. However, a national government audit report in December put costs at twice that much. When Tokyo won the Olympic bid in 2013, it said the games would cost $7.3 billion. Private-sector money makes up $5.6 billion of today’s total budget. The rest — whatever the grand total — is public money.

The Switzerland-based IOC has contributed $1.3 billion to finance the Tokyo

Olympics, a small fraction of the total cost. The IOC had income of $5.7 billion for the last four-year Olympic cycle (2013-2016). Almost three-quarters of the income is from selling broadcasting rights, with another 18% from sponsors. The IOC also has a reserve fund of about $2 billion, and insurance to cover losses. Q Where is the Olympic flame that arrived from Greece on March 12? A It’s in Fukushima prefecture, the northeastern region of Japan that was devastated by the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and the meltdown of three nuclear reactors. The flame is being stored in a small lantern. The last public display was Wednesday in that prefecture. The original torch

relay was to have begun from there this week. It’s unclear how long the flame will stay there. It could remain for a year and be the focal point for games next year. Or it could move to Tokyo. Wherever it is, it will be the center of a public-relations campaign linked to the Olympics, Japan’s rescheduling, and a hopedfor victory over the coronavirus. Q What will next year’s Olympics in 2021 be called? A It will still be the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The logo and all the merchandise are expected to remain unchanged. Any switch would have required replacing enormous amounts of advertising and products. A change would have also created a massive market for Tokyo 2020 material — the

Olympics that didn’t happen. The medals will also stay the same. These are the first games postponed in the modern era, dating from 1896. Olympics were canceled during wartime in 1916, 1940 and 1944. The 1940 Olympics were to have been in Tokyo.

Q What will happen to the Athletes Village?

A The sprawling site on Tokyo Bay — 5,632 apartments — will be sold off after the Olympics. Reports say about one-quarter of the units have already been sold. Some units will cost more than $1 million. One of the developers, Mitsui Fudosan Co., said it has suspended sales at the complex, which will include 23 buildings. It’s not clear how this will be worked out. But officials say they plan to use the village and not shift to

hotels. Q Did the postponement damage the IOC’s image? A Yes and no. The IOC has survived numerous scandals, and nearly went under because of the 1980 Moscow boycott. And few recall that Tokyo and 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics were both soiled by voting-buying scandals that forced the resignations of their delegation leaders and IOC members: Tsunekazu Takeda in Japan and Carlos Nuzman in Brazil.

Bach’s flip-flop was there for all to see. At an IOC executive board meeting earlier this month, Bach said neither the word “cancellation” nor “postponement” were ever mentioned. Bach was accused of being “tone deaf” at best.