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Coronavirus pandemic

Honorary IOC member says Olympics postponement puts Tokyo in terrible situation

The high-ranking sports official recalled that Japan had spent $30 billion to prepare for the Olympics to end up in a "terrible plight" now

© EPA-EFE/JEAN-CHRISTOPHE BOTT

MOSCOW, March 24. /TASS/. The decision to postpone the 2020 Olympics puts Japan in a very difficult position, Honorary President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and Honorary Member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Vitaly Smirnov told TASS.

Following IOC President Thomas Bach's talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Olympics chief Yoshiro Mori, the decision was made to officially put the games off to 2021. The Tokyo Olympics was initially planned to be held between July 24 and August 9, 2020.

Read also

IOC postpones 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo until next year over COVID-19 threat

"I had absolutely no doubt that the games would be postponed," Smirnov said. "If the Japanese prime minister opposed it and the world is in such a state right now, there was simply no other option. In view of this, a whole array of issues emerges, the key one being the state of affairs in Japan," he added.

"The country spent $30 billion to prepare for the Olympics, looking to gain $300 billion. In the end, they are in a terrible plight now because they built many facilities and buildings that the country does not need. The option [to hold competitions] without spectators would do little to improve the situation," Smirnov added.

The Olympic movement has faced the need to reschedule the Olympics for the first time in history. In the past, the games were simply cancelled altogether but only due to world wars — in 1916, 1940 and 1944. "This is an unprecedented event. I pray to God that it doesn’t get worse," the IOC honorary member stressed.

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