President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach, and Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, have agreed to postpone the world’s largest sporting event until 2021.
#BREAKING: @iocmedia agreed to postpone the @Olympics up to a year. IOC President Thomas Bach has confirmed he has agreed 100% with the decision.
More details to come. #COVID19 #Olympics @1069TheX @XFMNews
— Haiden Broomfield (@hbroomfield_) March 24, 2020
They were backed by the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee and the IOC Olympic Games Executive Director Christopher Dubi.
Months of internal discussions have been leading up to this decision, along with the mounting pressure from nations and athletes lead by Canada after they announced they would not send athletes over to Tokyo.
BREAKING: The Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee will refuse to send athletes to the Tokyo Olympics if the event is not postponed.The 2020 Games are currently set to begin on July 24. News release: pic.twitter.com/NT8twsqAXI
— CBC News Alerts (@CBCAlerts) March 23, 2020
Angela J. Schneider, a former Olympian, studies genetic doping in sport, sport medicine ethics, women in sport and embodiment and the philosophy of sport.
Photo Credit: CBC.ca // 1984 Canadian Coxed four rowing team // Angela Schneider (middle)
Schneider won a silver medal at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles as a member of the Canadian coxed four women’s rowing team.
Herself along with many other Canadians was very supportive of Canada’s decision to opt out of the Games yesterday afternoon.
“I am also so proud, as a Canadian, that it was Canada who took the first step.”
She never felt the Tokyo Olympic schedule was realistic.
“The July timetable for the Tokyo Olympic Games was neither feasible, nor desirable, but more importantly, it was not morally responsible. The health of the public worldwide, the health of the athletes both physically and mentally and fair opportunity in sport for all who want a chance to qualify, all overshadowed the significant economic and administrative costs of postponing the Games.”
Photo Credit: CP24
The leaders agreed that the Olympic Games in Tokyo would bring positivity in these trying times, with the Olympic flame representing the light at the end of the tunnel for the globe.
Schneider says the postponement of the Games will do just that.
“The Olympic Games have had the opportunity of playing a unique historical role at times, in bringing countries together and uniting a divided world. This is a great opportunity for the IOC to demonstrate what we can truly celebrate in the Olympic Games; working together to overcome adversity and demonstrate virtue.”
This led to the decision of keeping the flame in Japan with the Games also agreeing to keep the name Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.
Until now, the Olympics have been able to avoided postponement several times in the past. Including following the events of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and another attack during the 1972 Olympics in Munich.
Many economical complications are set to follow the postponement, with broadcast rights being one of the most significant.
Nearly three quarters of the IOC revenue comes from broadcast rights were half is paid by American broadcaster NBC.
Experts say most Olympic partners will be searching for a reduction in their fees due to the economical hit the world is taking.
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