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International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said the Tokyo Olympic Games would send a powerful message of “peace and solidarity” on Tuesday, praising medical workers and volunteers for their tireless efforts to allow the games to happen.
But also, the chief of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee Toshiro Muto won’t rule out a cancellation of the games if the pandemic situation gets worse in Japan.
“We will continue discussions if there is a spike in cases,” Muto said in Reuters report.
The Olympics will begin Friday in Tokyo, but will not have any spectators, either foreign or domestic, after a rise in COVID-19 cases in the city caused Japanese officials to again declare a state of emergency amidst the pandemic, which originally postponed the Olympic Games from 2020 to 2021.
Many in Japan still did not want the games to happen this year.
“When Japan set out 10 years ago to bring the Olympic spirit back to Tokyo… none of us could have ever imagined the unprecedented challenges we would face,” Thomas Bach said. “We can only be together today because of the heroic efforts of all the doctors, nurses, healthcare workers and the many volunteers around the world. We could only overcome all these challenges for the Olympic Games because throughout the past eight years we were enjoying a trustful partnership (with Japan). We could always rely on you.”
But public concern continues to grow as cases rise as tens of thousands of overseas athletes, coaches, officials and journalists arrive in Tokyo.
Japan has recorded more than 838,000 cases of COVID-19 and around 15,000 deaths. Tokyo confirmed 727 cases on Monday.
According to reports, there have also been 58 cases of Olympics-related positive cases that have been recorded since athletes and officials started arriving in Japan.
According to the report, days before the opening ceremony in Tokyo, 68% of respondents in an Asahi newspaper poll this week expressed doubt about the ability of Olympic organizers to control outbreaks.
I think the Olympics should come into the 21st century HOW DARE YOU NOT ALLOW WOMEN TO WEAR SHORTS IN BEACH SPORTS
I don’t see men wearing speedos and tank tops or no tops you need to get your act together ALL athletes should have the right to decide on what they wear get with the program