Let’s make one thing perfectly clear — nothing short of people’s lives are at stake at the Tokyo Olympics. No amount of money can justify a single preventable death.
The inclusion of new action sports can offend Olympic traditionalists and outsiders alike. But it’s part of a long-term strategy to keep the games relevant and appealing to younger fans.
Concerns about holding the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games during a state of emergency highlights just how much power the International Olympic Committee wields over the global sporting world.
The International Olympic Committee’s Rule 50 still restricts the freedom of speech of athletes, despite the recently relaxed stipulations. A respected Olympian says the IOC must change its policy.
The decision to cancel the games lies ultimately with the International Olympic Committee – an extraordinary power that explains why Tokyo is pressing ahead.
Japan is going through its fourth wave, testing rates are low and case numbers are climbing. Now athletes aren’t happy with the IOC’s plans to protect them.
Still in the midst of a global pandemic, the International Olympic Committee’s dream of hosting the Tokyo Games in a “post-corona world” is not possible. But should the Games go ahead at all?
New sports are being added to the Olympics all the time in an effort to remain relevant to younger audiences, while others (sorry baseball) are left out.