There is still no need to add the Tokyo Olympics to the growing list of sports and events that have been canceled or postponed.
As much of the sports world goes dark in an effort to limit the spread of the coronavirus, the International Olympic Committee looks to be the outlier. It has insisted for weeks, and continues to do so, that it plans to go ahead with the Olympics and Paralympics as scheduled.
“The International Olympic Committee confirms its full commitment to the success of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020,” IOC president Thomas Bach said Thursday at a ceremony for the lighting of the Olympic torch. “We remain absolutely in line with our Japanese hosts in our commitment to delivering safe Olympic Games in July this year.”
As they should. For now.
Some have criticized the IOC for not canceling or postponing the Games already, saying it’s delusional or craven and suggesting that money, rather than health and safety, is driving its decisions. There’s no doubt money is a consideration, given the billions Tokyo organizers have already shelled out and the massive TV contracts the IOC has with NBC and other broadcasters.