Tokyo Olympics organisers considering options to delay – reports - MW

As the huge coronavirus challenge crowd feared queuing for hours to watch the Olympic flame in northern Japan, a report appeared that organizers of Tokyo 2020 had begun drafting alternatives to host the Olympics this summer.

In contrast to the official flow from the Japanese government and the IOC, two sources familiar with the talks told Reuters news agency that the options to postpone the Olympics are now being drawn.

While the coronavirus outbreak has disrupted sporting events around the world, Japan remains steadfast in saying that the Olympics will continue. Top government spokesman on Wednesday said Tokyo was not prepared to postpone.

The fire came to Japan during a massive welcoming ceremony on Friday, but on Saturday, more than 50,000 people lined up to see it on display at Sendai station in Miyagi. Some people had to stay in a 500-meter queue for several hours, local media said.

Shinzo Abe has seized his legacy as Japan's longest serving prime minister on the Olympics and expects a boom in travel and consumer spending. At risk are more than $ 3 billion in domestic funding, an Olympic record and about $ 12 billion spent on preparations.

In the end, we were asked to perform a simulation in the event of a postponement, he said one of the sources, an official close to the organizers, involved in drafting the scripts. Both sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak to the media.

We are working on alternative plans - plans B, C, D - looking at different time frames, officially said, adding scenarios including cost estimates for different delays. .

Neither the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee nor the International Olympic Committee (IOC) immediately responded to the request. The Japanese government cannot comment.

Options, including shrinking the Olympics or keeping them without an audience, will be contested by organizers at the end of March, the official said.

The second source, also close to Tokyo 2020 organizers, confirmed that the postponement is being discussed, including a one or two year delay.

Some organizers had hoped to postpone a month or 45 days, the official said, drafting the scripts. A final decision on the postponement will have to come from the IOC but Japan's position is also problematic.

The IOC and its powerful head, Thomas Bach, said the Olympics would go as planned, drawing fire from athletes saying it could be a health risk.

Two other insiders, both senior members of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee, echoed those concerns. One of them, a board member of the organizing committee, said the decision to postpone should be made quickly.

The more they push the decision further ... the more preparation is required - this will cause the cancellation fee to go through the roof, the board member said.

Bach recently appeared to change his tone, stating that the IOC is considering different scenarios.

Officials involved in the drafting scripts said a long-term delay could spark complaints from older athletes and demand that sponsors stay on board longer. Another major headache is the Olympic village, which was converted into an apartment after the Olympics.
The 2021 Summer Sports Calendar is very crowded, while in 2022 the Soccer World Cup and Beijing Winter Olympics will be viewed.

Japanese sponsors are very worried, the company's representative in particular. Key sponsors include Toyota Motor Corp and Panasonic Corp.

Of course the companies are discussing separately what to do, he said a representative of one of more than 60 donors. No one wants to be the first to say anything about the possibility of postponement.

Japan Airlines Co has discussed that there is an 80% chance that the Olympics will not be held as expected during a recent internal conference call, a person who spoke briefly about the call said.

MW