IOC moving full ahead, calls Games 'tent-pole moment'

LAUSANNE • The International Olympic Committee (IOC) insisted on Wednesday that it was fully focused on implementing the Tokyo 2020 Games, calling them a "tent-pole moment that can bring the world together".

The Olympics were postponed from last year amid the Covid-19 pandemic and are now rescheduled for July 23-Aug 8.

But their hosting has been questioned not only by a Japanese public in a country battling a surge in coronavirus cases, but also top athletes such as Rafael Nadal and Japanese stars Naomi Osaka and Hideki Matsuyama.

IOC spokesman Mark Adams said, however, the Games would be a "key moment for the world".

"We are now very much in an implementation phase," he added.

"With 78 days to go, we are fully concentrated on the last implementation phase. We are moving full ahead... and continue to plan for a full Games.

"We are confident we can deliver a good Games and we're working towards that."

He added: "We understand the caution of people. We understand that these are tough times."

So tough, in fact, that IOC president Thomas Bach was forced to postpone a visit to Japan scheduled for next Monday and Tuesday after a coronavirus state of emergency was extended.

Japan's Covid-19 outbreak remains smaller than in many countries, with just over 10,500 deaths. The country reported more than 7,000 new infections on Wednesday, with 969 cases in Tokyo.

But its vaccine roll-out is moving slowly and some areas have seen record cases as more infectious variants emerge.

More than 10,000 athletes from 200 countries and regions are set to travel to Tokyo for the Games, with a decision on how many domestic fans - if any - can attend to be taken next month.

Speaking from Lausanne, Adams expressed hope that the 12 test events held in Tokyo and elsewhere in Japan since last month would give the Japanese people "confidence that the Games can be held in a safe and secure way".

He also highlighted the confidence shown in the IOC by the United Nations health agency, the World Health Organisation (WHO), Japan and host city Tokyo to make the right choices in managing the Covid-19 risks surrounding the Games.

"WHO came with a very strong message of confidence I hope that...will also give the Japanese people confidence," he said.

Last week, the IOC struck a deal with US drug giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech to provide vaccines to competitors and staff at the Tokyo Games.

And Adams tried to strike a reassuring note about the Olympic Village, which will be host to thousands of people.

"We estimate that a large majority of those in the Olympic Village will be vaccinated," he said.

"I won't give you a figure but it's a large and growing number."

Despite the IOC's assurance, the US track and field team has scrapped plans for pre-Olympic training in Japan. They were supposed to train in Chiba, outside Tokyo, but the Chiba regional authority said in a statement the team cancelled "because of concerns over athlete safety".

Dozens of Japanese towns have also abandoned plans to host Olympic athletes due to concerns they will overburden already stretched medical resources, the Nikkei newspaper said yesterday.

Forty out of more than 500 towns registered to welcome international competitors had decided not to accept athletes for training camps and cultural exchanges, the newspaper reported.

Shiro Hasegawa, an official at Okuizumo town, said it was no longer possible to host India's hockey team for pre-Games training as planned.

"There's limited time and cost issues, and it is impossible to have exchange activities between residents and athletes," he said.

Overseas athletes also will not participate in a test event for the Olympic BMX freestyle cycling competition, the Yomiuri newspaper said.

Some municipalities have expressed concern about how Japan's medical system would cope if the Games turned into a super-spreader event, concerns shared by the country's top medical adviser.

"It is extremely important to evaluate how much medical care will be burdened during the (Olympic) period," medical adviser Shigeru Omi told lawmakers yesterday.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS