At the end of last year, some people whispered it. By the end of January these people had started saying it out loud. In mid-February, everyone was talking openly about it. Today a ghost hovers over Tokyo and causes a big headache in its high rungs International Olympic Committee.
The chances of postponing or even canceling the Summer Olympics at Tokio they are many. No one admits it publicly, but no matter how many reassuring statements are made that such a thing exists as a scenario or as a possibility, it automatically reduces it to a historical event.
Ο coronavirus may be the reason for something that has happened since the time of World War II. In a game of fate, in fact, Tokyo is in the spotlight again.
No one anticipates that the Olympic Games will not take place. The mere fact, however, that the discussions around this issue are becoming more and more, is enough to realize how serious the issue is.
A statement that ignited "fires"
Although there is still a long way to go until the opening ceremony on July 24, there are already those (mainly scientists) who "shout" for the cancellation of the games. Apart from the scientists who are worried, however, there are also the people of the Olympic movement who note the danger. And this acquires even greater value when the oldest of the "immortals" does it.
On February 25, International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound told the Associated Press that the decision on whether or not to do so could be delayed until the end of May, but noted that if the consequences were real then the games would be canceled. to change date or become somewhere else. "There are so many gears in motion that you just can't say we're going to do them in October," he said.
It is extremely unlikely that the country that will host them will change on the one hand due to the objective difficulty that exists in finding a suitable place in a short period of time capable of hosting the Olympic Games on the other hand because the Japan has already squandered the astronomical sum of $ 12,6 billion, although some argue that it has actually spent twice as much money.
The very next day, "Tokyo 2020", the organizing authority of the Games, hastened to reassure, emphasizing that "we never discussed the cancellation of the Olympic Games. Preparations for the Games continue as planned. Mr. Dick Pound explained very well that the ILO continues to work for the successful organization of the 2020 Olympic Games starting at the end of July. The IOC has just reiterated that it is preparing for them Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games continues as planned. "Countermeasures against infectious diseases are an important part of Tokyo 2020 plans for safe racing."
The involvement of Greece with the torch relay
As in every Olympic Games, so in those of next summer, there is the involvement of Greece through torch relay. Is there a concern? Of course there is but here things are more controlled since our country is not going to accept the large number of tourists who are expected to go to Tokyo.
"Of course we are concerned, this is logical and all the necessary measures will be taken to protect all those involved in the process. We will do whatever is necessary. "We have prepared an operational plan on health issues, always in consultation with the Ministry of Health and we will be ready," said in a statement to the newspaper "Ta Nea" the president of the Greek Olympic Committee and a member of the IOC. Spyros Kapralos.
For his part, the person in charge of the torch relay, Thanasis Vassiliadis noted: "We have many visitors at these events. From all the countries of Europe, from the USA, Kuwait and of course Japan. It is not possible to understand where it will come from. That's why we try and make the right plans in order to know exactly who and where everyone comes from. We will be as well prepared as possible ".
The Zika virus that threatened the Rio de Janeiro Olympics
For those with a strong memory, however, the coronavirus story is not the first to cause panic shortly before the Olympics. In 2016, in the most recent, that is, Games, in those in Rio de Janeiro, there was the fear of the Zika virus which was related but also still directly related to serious complications in fetuses and specifically to microcephaly, which is why it was very dangerous for pregnant women.
As then, so now, there was no vaccine for the virus and according to reports at the time, 150 top scientists from around the world had called for the postponement of the Olympic Games because of its threat. Zika virus.
In fact, in February 2016, just four months before the Games, the WHO had declared Zika a Public Health Emergency of international concern and reported that between 500.000 and 1,5 million people were infected in Brazil. , while the virus had spread to 20 Latin American states and Florida.
In the end, the Olympic Games were held normally despite the warnings of scientists about the Zika virus.
When Tokyo lost the Olympics because of World War II
Beyond all that is written and heard, however, there is a creepy coincidence concerning the Olympics and Tokyo.
The "Olympic Games of Shame" took place in Berlin in 1936 as the IOC, despite strong pressure, finally chose to allow the games to be organized by the Nazi regime, thus allowing the Adolf Hitler to internationalize his propaganda peacefully.
The next Olympic date, that of 1940, was scheduled to take place in Tokyo but it never happened! Emperor Hirohito's Japan was politically and diplomatically isolated from many countries, mainly in the western world.
Japan had four years to prepare. In the summer of 1937, however, the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out, shifting the priorities of the economy to the war industry and military training, and escalating the diplomatic isolation of the country of the Rising Sun.
In March 1938, at the IOC Summit in Cairo, the Japanese government assured the International Olympic Committee of its commitment to hosting the Olympic Games. However, she already had in her hands a report from the armed forces that required the Olympic facilities to be made of wood as the metals were necessary for the army and navy.
In July 1938, Japan officially withdrew from hosting the Tokyo Olympics. The organization of the Olympic Games was assigned to Helsinki, but it did not manage to organize them either, since on November 30, 1939, two months after its outbreak World War II, Finland was attacked by Red Army forces. Thus the 12th modern Olympiad was canceled. As canceled the next one, in 1944, which would be hosted in London.
All that remains now is to wait until next May, when it will be finally decided whether the games will take place or not. This is the time limit set by the supporters of both views. May. To see, that is, whether it will be the first time in history that the Olympic Games will be canceled without the planet being at war.