By now, we know spectators are barred from going to the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Now, I wonder if the athletes will be there either?
From Reuters… the head of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee, Toshiro Moto, left the door open to canceling the games altogether.
“We can’t predict what will happen with the number of coronavirus cases,” Muto said. “So we will continue discussions if there is a spike in cases. We have agreed that based on the coronavirus situation, we will convene five-party talks again. At this point, the coronavirus cases may rise or fall, so we will think about what we should do when the situation arises.”
The World Health Organization hopes the games will go on. With that said, the WHO fears we are in the early stages of a new Covid wave.
That’s where we are. On the eve of the beginning of the already delayed 2020 Olympic Games, there’s a chance they won’t happen at all.
Even if they do, what will they look like? Eugene Robinson writes in the Washington Post, “The Olympics haven’t even started, and they already have an asterisk attached.”
Robinson writes: “The difficulty — or perhaps the insanity — of bringing thousands of athletes, coaches, trainers and support personnel from around the world into a tight cluster during a global pandemic, in a mostly unvaccinated country, has already become obvious.”
I love the Olympics. I admire these athletes who train their entire lives for this moment of glory. I want the games to happen. I want the athletes to be safe and healthy. I want to see Simone Biles defy gravity again.
I can’t imagine being an Olympic athlete and trying to prepare for these games. Already delayed, how do you keep your head in it? It has to be tough.
For now, the Olympics are still on. I’ll be watching. Cheering. Hoping that Tokyo can pull this off and keep everyone healthy and safe.
We need the Olympics right now. It’s one of those events that brings us all together. And we sure could use some togetherness right now.