Dissent grows as IOC battles to keep Tokyo 2020 on track
The International Olympic Committee is facing its strongest headwinds in decades as it briefed national committees on Wednesday on the state of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics amid the coronavirus pandemic, with voices of dissent growing louder.
The IOC is committed to staging the Tokyo Games as planned from July 24, saying on Tuesday after a meeting with international sports federations that measures against the virus were delivering results.
The Olympic body has refused to publicly consider cancellation or postponement as possible options, even as other major events including soccer's Euro 2020 and Copa America and the French Open tennis grand slam announced postponements on Tuesday.
The virus has also wreaked havoc with Olympic qualification tournaments with athletes struggling to train, travel or compete and many pre-Games qualifiers cancelled or postponed.
Tokyo is set to host some 11,000 athletes and 53% have already earned their spot at the Games. The remaining 47% will clinch their place through modified qualifiers, or previous performances based on ranking.
Under the current exceptional circumstances, the IOC said, solutions needed to be found that were appropriate, though they might not be ideal for all athletes. "This is an exceptional situation which requires exceptional solutions," the IOC told Reuters in a statement on Wednesday.
"The IOC is committed to finding a solution with the least negative impact for the athletes, while protecting the integrity of the competition and the athletes' health. No solution will be ideal in this situation, and this is why we are counting on the responsibility and solidarity of the athletes."
IOC member Hayley Wickenheiser called the decision to proceed with the Games "insensitive and irresponsible" in the most vocal attack on the Olympic body since President Thomas Bach took over in 2013. Several athletes, including Olympic pole vault champion Katerina Stefanidi, said the IOC decision was putting athletes' health at risk.