Tokyo Olympic officials talk of test events early next year

Tokyo Olympics organizers on Tuesday stated they have been inspired by a gymnastics meet over the weekend and at the moment are prepared to carry test occasions early subsequent 12 months.

The Sunday meet featured 22 Russian, Chinese and American athletes getting into Japan and competing in Tokyo with a couple of thousand followers attending.

Hidemasa Nakamura, the Tokyo Olympic video games supply officer, advised an on-line briefing that plans at the moment are within the works for extra test occasions beginning in March. However, he didn’t say what type these would possibly take or if non-Japanese athletes could be concerned.

“We are discussing how to deal with COVID-19 together with the Japanese government and Tokyo Metropolitan Government,” he stated. “From the beginning of next year we will begin operations and proceed to have test events in March.”

Holding the postponed Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics shall be far tougher than a one-day occasion with a couple of dozen athletes. Reports stated no workers or athletes examined positive for the virus on the meet.

The gymnasts who entered Japan first confronted a quarantine at dwelling. In Tokyo, they have been remoted in resort rooms, not allowed out for tourism, and examined day by day for COVID-19.

Tokyo Olympic officers, the International Olympic Committee, and the Japanese authorities are attempting to persuade the world that the postponed Games can open on July 23 regardless of a lot uncertainty within the ongoing pandemic.

IOC President Thomas Bach is predicted in Tokyo later this month to drive dwelling the purpose, notably with the general public and with native sponsors who’ve put up greater than $three billion to run the Games. Bach canceled a visit final month to South Korea due to the virus’ resurgence in Europe.

The Olympics will contain 11,000 athletes type 206 nations and territories competing over greater than two weeks. The Summer Games additionally normally draw tens of hundreds of officers, judges, coaches, media, broadcasters, sponsors, and VIPS.

The subsequent Paralympics will concerned 4,400 athletes.

It’s unclear what number of followers shall be allowed at venues, and if any non-Japanese followers shall be allowed.

Nakamura was requested about information on Monday that Pfizer Inc. has stated that early knowledge on a vaccine advised it could be 90% efficient at stopping COVID-19.

“Of course I heard the news about the vaccine and I think that everyone felt a sense of relief,” Nakamura stated. “The same can be said for the organizing committee. But what we are doing right now is not thinking about the vaccine because we don’t have a vaccine yet, but rather focused on testing, social distancing and also the cooperation between the athletes and the other stakeholders.”

Japan has been comparatively profitable containing COVID-19 with about 1,800 deaths attributed to the virus. The downside shall be opening the borders to areas the place the virus is rampant.

The Olympics are proving very expensive. Organizers say they’re spending about $12.6 billion to organize the Games. But a authorities audit says it’s twice that a lot. All however $5.6 billion is public cash. In addition, the price of the delay in Japan is estimated at a further $2 billion to $three billion.

A University of Oxford research says these are the costliest Summer Olympics on document.