Japan accepts Olympic Games will be cancelled
According to The Times, the Japanese government have reached the conclusion that the Games will not go ahead this summer. They hope to hold them in 2032.
The covid-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc around the globe, with infection rates and deaths still out of control in many countries, despite vaccines for the disease now being available and being rolled out to populations around the world.
So far 2021 is looking extremely similar to 2020, and that’s the case with the alteration or even cancellation of major events. Tokyo 2020 was one of the major casualties of the new coronavirus last year, alongside the European Championships, with both events being postponed for one year. The message six months ago was, however, one of optimism, and the Japanese authorities even saw holding the Games in the summer of 2021 as a demonstration of how the human spirit would triumph over the virus.
Olympic Games coming ever closer as pandemic still uncontrolled
However, the days, weeks and months have passed bringing 23 July 2021 inexorably closer and the pandemic continues to rage out of control. With the passage of time the rumours about the Games possibly not taking place have continued to grow, and while officially the message is very clear that the Games will take place information to the contrary has begun to leak out. And now UK newspaper The Times has published an article stating that Japan has already accepted that the decision will be made to cancel the Olympic Games this summer and that the country is already looking at ensuring they are hosts for the next free date: 2032.
If the reports are true, there will be no Olympic Games between Rio 2016 and Paris 2024. After that, in 2028, Los Angeles will have its turn and then, if all goes to plan, it will be Tokyo’s time to shine. According to the Times’ source, a senior member of the government, the decision is close to being definitive, and although nobody wants to be the first to make the announcement, the consensus is that holding the Games is going to prove too difficult. The source said they "personally" did not think the Games would be staged this year.
Spanish radio station Cadena SER put the situation to the Spanish Olympic Committee, who denied it was the case: “Our reports say the opposite, Japan and the IOC continue to say yes [to the Games this summer].”