Update on 2020 Tokyo Olympics

I wrote a few days ago about the latest news regarding the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Basically officials had stated that they had no intention of canceling or even postponing the games but that they were awaiting until May to make a final decision.

But as things have escalated pretty darn quickly over the past few weeks, it looks like they are reconsidering their decision. Now, they are giving themselves a mid-April deadline to make a final decision about a potential postponement.

Personally, I can’t see them going through with the games that are scheduled July 24, 2020.

First, I think that the date of the games is still going to be in the thick of things even if things do start to slow down disease-wise over the summer.

It’s very possible that in the month of July things will feel much more in control and disease transmission rates will be severely reduced. But you have to give extra time for people to return to normal and feel comfortable with traveling and being in crowds again.

I do not think that July will be enough time for people to get to that place. Maybe it will but I don’t think so. 

If they want to hold the games with no crowds or spectators then that might be able to work in July but I imagine that would still require a substantial amount of testing on athletes and staff members to ensure that people carrying the disease are not co-mingling or competing.

The bigger problem is with qualifications. Per Heroux, only 57 percent of spots have been filled for Tokyo. So there are still a lot of qualifications that need to happen and that could be a nightmare logistically. The head of USA Swimming and the head of USA Track and Field are both calling for a postponement of the games which I think is the likely outcome.

The question is will they be postponed by a couple of months or will they be postponed until 2021?

H/T