Update on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics: Are they still happening?
As you must know, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics have been postponed to 2021 due the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, they are still being called the 2020 Olympics.
The International Olympics Committee (IOC) has officially announced that the Tokyo Olympics will start on July 23rd, 2021 and conclude on August 8th, 2021. Although the process of distributing the COVID-19 vaccines is still unclear in Japan, and around the world, Japan's Olympic Minister has ardently communicated that the 2021 Olympics games in Tokyo must be held "at any cost" regardless of the situation of the pandemic.
The Japanese government and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Committee are using all of their power to push at least 126 million vaccines out before the Olympics begin, to create a safer and more comfortable environment for those that are planning on attending the Olympic games as well as, of course, the athletes. The ideal situation would be that by the time of the games there would be no travel restrictions and no quarantine regulations. HOWEVER, that all just depends on the numbers of infected people in Japan, as well as the progress of the vaccine distribution around the world.
If you're planning to attend the Olympic games and are wondering if you're going to be able to have a full Olympic experience, the best answer is “maybe”. There are several ideas floating around on how the games are going to be conducted and what the experience for the fans will be. The games organizers may come to the conclusion of limiting the number of fans for each venue to maintain and follow the guidelines of social distancing, as seen in American Football games or major sports played in Japan. Another solution that the IOC is looking into is to perhaps not have any fans in attendance at all, and to follow the examples of the NBA and NHL; to move the fan experience online.
It is inevitable that the Olympic games will look different to any previously hosted games. With the potential of having no fans and placing the athletes in an uncomfortable bubble, it is also a possibility that IOC will postpone the Olympic games again to 2022. Although the president of the IOC has claimed that it is nearly impossible to do so with the upcoming Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, nothing is certain as the global pandemic continues to prove that circumstances are unpredictable. Thus, cancellation of these games is a possibility as well, even with the potential billions that the Japanese government would lose as a result.
Although these unprecedented times are stressful for everyone and those who were excited about attending the Olympics in Tokyo, all we can do now is to continue to do our best to contain the COVID-19 virus as well as hope that the effects of the vaccine have a positive impact on the situation.
Here's hoping!
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