The COVID Games: Did organizers jump the gun for the Summer Olympics?

Jul 22, 2021 at 01:58 PM CDT

From athletes testing positive for COVID-19 to corporate sponsors pulling ads, the summer Olympics are losing public support in Tokyo. The organizing committee said it remains focused on delivering a successful event but did not rule out a last-minute cancellation.

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JIMMIE JOHNSON: THE WORLD WAITED AN EXTRA YEAR FOR THE START OF THE TOKYO GAMES.
THE QUESTION NOW IS, SHOULD THEY HAVE WAITED LONGER? LET’S GET THIS STRAIGHT.

LESS THAN A WEEK BEFORE THE OPENING CEREMONIES, ORGANIZERS ARE
SEEING SOME OF THEIR BIGGEST COVID CONCERNS COME TRUE.

ALREADY, SEVERAL OLYMPIC ATHLETES TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19, INCLUDING MEMBERS OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN SOCCER TEAM, AN AMERICAN GYMNAST, AND PERHAPS THE MOST HIGH-PROFILE, 17-YEAR-OLD, U-S TENNIS STAR, COCO GAUFF.

GAUFF POSTED THIS MESSAGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA: “IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A DREAM OF MINE TO REPRESENT THE USA AT THE OLYMPICS AND I HOPE THERE WILL BE MANY MORE CHANCES FOR ME TO
MAKE THIS COME TRUE IN THE FUTURE.”

AND THE GAMES ARE NOT JUST LOSING ATHLETES. ONE OF THE BIGGEST CORPORATE SPONSORS, TOYOTA,
PULLED ITS TV ADS IN THE HOST COUNTRY.

A TOYOTA SPOKESPERSON SAID, “THERE ARE MANY ISSUES WITH THESE GAMES THAT ARE PROVING DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND.”

THE OLYMPICS ARE ALSO LOSING PUBLIC SUPPORT IN TOKYO. ONE OF JAPAN’S LARGEST DAILY NEWSPAPERS, REPORTS 55-PERCENT OF RESIDENTS OPPOSE THE GAMES BEING HELD THIS SUMMER.

IT’S NOT LIKE THEY COULD WATCH IN PERSON ANYWAY.

IN EARLY JULY, JAPAN ISSUED A STATE OF EMERGENCY AND OLYMPIC ORGANIZERS DECIDED NOT TO ALLOW ANY SPECTATORS AT THE GAMES.

ORGANIZERS HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING WITH CONTROVERSY AROUND THE GAMES EVER SINCE COVID REARED ITS UGLY HEAD.

FIRST, THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION DECLARED THE CORONAVIRUS A GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.

THEN, SEVERAL OLYMPIC QUALIFYING TOURNAMENTS WERE POSTPONED OR CANCELED.

THIRD, THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE AND JAPAN VOTED TO POSTPONE THE GAMES A YEAR BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.

AND FOURTH, JAPAN WITNESSED A SPIKE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS OF PATIENTS WITH COVID-19 AND MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS CALLING FOR THE GAMES TO BE CANCELED.

EVEN AFTER ALL THAT, THE GAMES WILL STILL GO ON. MORE THAN ELEVEN THOUSAND ATHLETES HAVE SPENT THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS PREPARING FOR THIS MOMENT.

SIMONE BILES: “So, it’ll be different, but it’ll be worth it. And at least we get the
opportunity to still compete in the Olympic Games.”

JIMMIE: THE LAST TIME THE GAMES GOT CANCELED WAS IN 1944 DURING WORLD
WAR TWO.

SHOULD THESE GAMES HAVE BEEN CANCELED?

LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!

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