도쿄올림픽 결국 취소되나 IOC chief declares 'there is no plan B' and that Tokyo Olympics will go ahead

IOC chief declares 'there is no plan B' and that Tokyo Olympics will go ahead

Thomas Bach says no reason Games will not start in July

Spectators numbers could be reduced for safety reasons

Thu 21 Jan 2021 15.50 GMT

The International Olympic Committee president, Thomas Bach, has said the Olympic Games will go ahead in July despite a state of emergency being declared in Tokyo due to increasing Covid-19 cases.

 A member of staff outside the Olympic Museum in Tokyo. Photograph: Philip Fong/AFP/Getty Images

“日 정부, 도쿄 올림픽 취소하기로 내부 결론 내렸다”

   일본 정부가 올해 7월로 예정된 도쿄올림픽을 취소하기로 내부 결론을 내렸다는 보도가 나왔다.

영국 ‘더 타임스’는 21일(현지시간) 익명의 일본 여당 고위 관계자의 발언을 인용해 “일본 정부는 코로나19 바이러스로 인해 도쿄 올림픽을 취소하기로 내부 결론을 내렸고, 2032년 올림픽 유치에 초점을 맞추고 있다”고 보도했다.

보도에 따르면 이 관계자는 “누구도 먼저 말하고 싶어하지는 않지만 (정상 개최가) 너무 어려울 것이라는 공감대가 있다”고 “나중에 개최국 자격을 확보할 가능성을 열어두며 취소 선언을 하는 게 체면치레할 방법을 찾는 것”이라 말했다.

당초 지난해 7월 열릴 예정이던 도쿄 올림픽은 전 세계를 덮친 코로나19로 인해 1년 연기됐다. 올림픽 124년 역사상 전쟁으로 대회가 취소된 사례는 있었지만 대회 연기는 처음 있는 일이다. 실제로 도쿄 올림픽이 취소된다면 전쟁 외의 이유로는 최초 사례다.

고노 다로 행정개혁 담당상은 지난 14일 일본 각료로는 처음으로 “올림픽 준비에 최선을 다할 필요가 있지만, 어느 쪽으로 돌아설지는 모른다”며 올림픽 취소 가능성을 일부 인정하기도 했다.

송치훈 동아닷컴 기자 sch53@donga.com

https://www.donga.com/news/Inter/article/all/20210122/105043667/2

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edited by kcontents

Public opinion in Japan has also turned sharply against the Olympics but Bach struck an upbeat note on Thursday. “We have, at this moment, no reason whatsoever to believe that the Olympic Games in Tokyo will not open on 23 July in the Olympic stadium in Tokyo,” he said. “This is why there is no plan B and this is why we are fully committed to make these Games safe and successful.”

Nikkei Asia

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He did hint at the possibility of reducing the number of spectators, saying the IOC has to be flexible and may need to make sacrifices to protect the lives of the people involved. “The priority is the safety. When it comes to safety, then there can be no taboo,” Bach told Kyodo News in Japan.

Bach’s optimism was criticised by the leading sports marketer Robert Maes, whose experience after working with 30 national Olympic committees and five global sponsors makes him deeply sceptical the Games will take place.

“I represent an important number of NOCs, and arrange training camps for athletes and teams, and I believe it is madness to organise Olympics here,” Maes said. “I call myself a good organiser of sports events and I’ve done Formula One events, track and field and football games, but I cannot see how the Olympics can be held in the current climate.”

“In Japan, we have an explosive rise of the virus cases and the seriousness of them and because of the lack of tests the true numbers are surely underreported. A vast majority of the public is saying they don’t want the Olympics. Test events need to be cancelled. Many of the people I speak to are increasingly sceptical. They won’t say that publicly but it’s true.

“There is also total silence here from all the sponsors. No activation, no servicing, because if they come out to be visible in support, they might get a huge backlash if it all goes wrong in July.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jan/21/ioc-tokyo-olympic-games-will-go-ahead-athletics

KCONTENTS