TOKYO (AP) — The Tokyo Olympics will open next year in the same time slot scheduled for this year’s games.
The opening ceremony of the games in Tokyo will take place on July 23, 2021, almost exactly a year after it was originally scheduled, according to the organizers of the event, they announced on Monday.
“Preparing for the games heavily depends on the schedule,” said Yoshiro Mori, president of the Tokyo organizing committee. “This will simply speed up our progress.”
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Olympics were postponed until 2021 by the IOC and Japanese organizers last week.
The games this year were originally set to start on July 24 and end on Aug. 9. However, due to a nearly exact one-year postponement, the rescheduled closing ceremony will now take place on Aug. 8.
There were discussions about moving the Olympics to spring, which would align with the bloom of Japan’s renowned cherry blossoms. However, this shift would conflict with European soccer and North American sports leagues.
Mori mentioned that they had contemplated holding a spring Olympics, but decided to postpone it to give more time for the completion of numerous qualifying events that were delayed due to the virus outbreak.
“Mori stated that they desired more space for the athletes to qualify.”
Following weeks of resistance, local organizers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) succumbed to pressure from athletes, national Olympic bodies, and sports federations last week, leading to the postponement of the Tokyo Games. This marks the first ever postponement in the history of the Olympics, although there have been multiple cancellations during war periods.
The dates for the Paralympics were moved to Aug. 24-Sept. 5.
The scheduled world championships in track and swimming were expected to clash with the new Olympic dates. However, it is now anticipated that these events will also be postponed.
“The relevant international federations have been closely in talks with the IOC,” said Toshiro Muto, the CEO of the organizing committee. “In my opinion, the IFs have agreed to the games taking place in the summer.”
Muto announced that the decision was made on Monday, with the IOC stating it received unanimous support from all international sports federations. This decision was grounded on three primary considerations: the protection of athletes’ health, the preservation of athletes’ and Olympic sport interests, and the international sports calendar.
The IOC stated, “The newly scheduled dates allow health authorities and everyone involved in the Games’ organization ample time to navigate the ever-evolving scenario and disturbances triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The additional advantage of these rescheduled dates is that any disruption caused by the delay to the global sports calendar can be minimized, in the best interest of athletes and International Federations.”
Mori and Muto have both stated that the cost of rescheduling the Olympics will be “massive”, with local reports estimating it to be in the billions of dollars – a cost that will be shouldered mostly by Japanese taxpayers.
Muto pledged transparency in determining the costs and deciding the division of testing times.
“With the Olympics scheduled for this summer, all the venues had forfeited hosting any other events during this period. So, how should we tackle this?” Muto questioned. “Plus, there must be assurances when we set the new dates, which might lead to rent payments. This could result in additional costs, and we will have to evaluate them individually. I believe this will be the more challenging process.”
Emeritus Professor of Sports Economics at Kansai University, Katsuhiro Miyamoto, estimates the costs could reach as much as $4 billion. These costs would encompass the upkeep of stadiums, their refurbishment, rental payments, penalties, and other related expenses.
The official expenditure for organizing the Olympics by Japan is $12.6 billion. However, according to an audit bureau of the Japanese government, the actual costs are double. Apart from $5.6 billion from a private operating budget, all the funds used are public money.
According to documents from the organizing committee, the International Olympic Committee, based in Switzerland, is contributing $1.3 billion. The IOC’s contribution is allocated to the operating budget.
Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has consistently lauded the Tokyo Olympics as the most well-prepared in history. However, Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso of Japan has described them as “cursed.” Aso, who was born in 1940, participated in the 1976 Olympics as a shooting athlete.
The 1940 Tokyo Olympics were canceled due to Japan’s war with China.
Tsunekazu Takeda, an IOC member who also led the Japanese Olympic Committee, was compelled to resign last year due to a bribery scandal, in the lead-up to the Olympics.
