Tokyo Olympics held a year late, but finally held due to ‘corona direct hit’

(Seoul = News 1) Reporter Lee Sang-cheol = The 2020 Tokyo Olympics will go down in history as an unprecedented Olympics held amid an unprecedented pandemic.

Due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the Summer Olympics were postponed for one year for the first time in history, and the event was eventually held under the will of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Japanese government. was held without spectators.

Japan succeeded in hosting the second Summer Olympics after the 1964 Games, but the preparation process was a series of twists and turns.

Last year, due to the global spread of COVID-19, the competition was postponed for a year. This was the first time that the Olympic Games, established in 1894, have been postponed.

A year has passed, but the COVID-19 situation has not improved. It was still unclear whether the event would be held normally due to the outbreak of a mutated virus and the operation of the Olympic qualifiers lame. IOC President Thomas Bach showed a firm will in March, saying, “The question is not whether the Olympics will be held, but how the Games will be held,” but anxiety has risen.

In particular, the IOC and the Japanese government decided to hold the Olympics without spectators just a month before the opening due to the growing sense of crisis due to the spread of COVID-19 in Japan and the declaration of a state of emergency. About 96% of all matches were played without spectators.

In response to criticism and pointed out that the exercise was unreasonable, Chairman Bach explained with the will of the IOC, “The decision of no spectators was a necessary measure for a safe Olympics.

In the end, the Tokyo Olympics ended on July 23, with special interest from around the world, and tennis star Naomi Osaka lit the torch to mark the end of the opening ceremony. Seiko Hashimoto, chairman of the organizing committee, emphasized, “I believe that sports will give hope to the world and bring the world together.”

The IOC and the Japanese government planned to make the Olympics a symbol of hope that humanity has overcome COVID-19, but during the Games, the number of confirmed cases in Japan soared to around 15,000 on average per day. There were also holes in the athletes’ village quarantine, and some athletes withdrew after being diagnosed with COVID-19. The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases related to the tournament has exceeded 400.

The Olympic Games held in the era of COVID-19 changed the landscape we were familiar with. About 11,000 athletes from 206 countries had to sweat in a silent stadium without spectators for a total of 339 gold medals.

After fierce competition, the athletes who made it to the podium had to hang medals around their necks while wearing masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. He couldn’t even bite the medal with his mouth or shake hands with or hug the players he was sitting with. In addition, athletes who completed their schedule had to leave the village within 48 hours, so they could not enjoy the Olympics properly.

After many twists and turns, the Tokyo Olympic Games ended with the closing ceremony on August 8th. There were many objections due to Corona 19, but the competition was held anyway and the race was successful. Chairman Bach said, “The world has become one for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic (through this Olympics). We have gained hope and also gained faith in the future.”

The Tokyo Olympics set a meaningful milestone by pushing ahead, but opinions on whether it was a successful event are mixed. While not all reasons can be attributed to the Olympics, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga had to step down following a sharp drop in approval ratings shortly after the Games.

In addition, North Korea, the only country that did not participate in this event, which emphasized solidarity due to the spread of Corona 19, is in danger of being banned from participating in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics due to a disciplinary action by the IOC. The IOC was only open to the possibility of North Korean athletes competing in individual qualifications.

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