TOKYO (AP) — The Tokyo Olympics will open next year in the same time slot scheduled for this year’s games.
On Monday, Tokyo organizers announced that the opening ceremony is scheduled for July 23, 2021, nearly precisely a year after the games were originally set to commence this year.
“Preparation for the games hinges on the game schedule,” said Yoshiro Mori, president of the Tokyo organizing committee. “This will only hasten our progress.”
The Olympics have been postponed until 2021 by the IOC and Japanese organizers last week, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The games originally scheduled for this year were set to begin on July 24 and end on August 9. However, due to a delay of almost exactly a year, the rescheduled closing ceremony will now be on August 8.
Switching the Olympics to spring was under discussion, which would align with the blossoming of Japan’s renowned cherry blossoms. However, it would also conflict with European football and North American sports leagues.
Mori stated that a spring Olympics was contemplated, but scheduling the games later provides more room to finish the numerous qualifying events that have been delayed due to the virus outbreak.
“Mori stated that we desired to create more space for the athletes to qualify.”
Under pressure from athletes, national Olympic bodies, and sports federations, local organizers and the IOC postponed the Tokyo Games last week after weeks of resistance. This is the first time in Olympic history that the games have been postponed, despite several cancellations during periods of war.
The dates for the Paralympics have been moved to August 24 through September 5.
The scheduled world championships in track and swimming would clash with the new Olympic dates. However, it is now anticipated that these events will also be rescheduled.
“The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been in close talks with the relevant international federations,” said Toshiro Muto, CEO of the organizing committee. “I am of the view that the federations have agreed to the games taking place in the summer.”
Muto announced that the decision was made on Monday, with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) asserting that it received unanimous support from all international sports federations. The decision was underpinned by three key factors: ensuring the health and safety of athletes, protecting the interests of athletes and Olympic sport, and accommodating the international sports calendar.
The IOC stated that the rescheduled dates for the Games offer healthcare authorities and all those involved in its organization the most time to navigate the consistently shifting situation and the disturbances brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. The IOC also noted that the new dates minimize any disruption caused by the delay to the global sports calendar, benefiting both athletes and International Federations.
Mori and Muto have both stated that the expense of rescheduling the Olympics will be “massive”, with local reports predicting costs in the billions of dollars, the majority of which will be shouldered by Japanese taxpayers.
Muto pledged to be transparent in determining the costs and deciding how the testing times are allocated.
Muto questioned, “Given that the Olympics were slated for this summer, all the venues had forsaken hosting other events during this period, so what’s our approach?” He added, “Moreover, we need assurances when we schedule new dates, with the potential of this leading to rental costs. Thus, there will be expenses that we will need to individually evaluate. I believe this will pose the more challenging task.”
Emeritus Professor of Sports Economics at Kansai University, Katsuhiro Miyamoto, estimates the costs could reach as high as $4 billion. This amount would cover the expenses of stadium maintenance, refurbishment, rental fees, penalties, and other associated costs.
The official expenditure for organizing the Olympics by Japan is $12.6 billion. However, a government audit bureau in Japan claims the costs are double the official figure. Except for $5.6 billion from a privately funded operating budget, all the spending is public money.
According to documents from the organizing committee, the International Olympic Committee, which is based in Switzerland, is contributing $1.3 billion. This contribution from the IOC is intended for the operating budget.
Thomas Bach, the President of the International Olympic Committee, has consistently praised the Tokyo Olympics as the best prepared in history. On the other hand, Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso has labeled these games as “cursed.” Aso, born in 1940, is a former Olympian himself, having competed in the shooting event in the 1976 Olympics.
Japan’s war with China led to the cancellation of the 1940 Tokyo Olympics.
Tsunekazu Takeda, an IOC member who also led the Japanese Olympic Committee, was forced to resign last year due to a bribery scandal, during the run-up to the Olympics.
