Thomas Bach: No Plan B for Tokyo Olympics
Just over six months before the intended start of the Olympic Games, IOC President Thomas Bach has expressed his confidence in the continuation of the global sporting event.
“At the moment, we have no reason to believe that the Tokyo Games will not open on July 23 at the Olympic Stadium,” Bach told Japanese news agency Kyodo News. “That’s why we don’t have a plan B. We are committed to making these Games safe and successful.”
The Tokyo Games have been postponed for a year due to the corona crisis. Japan and the International Olympic Committee are doing everything they can to make the sporting event possible this summer.
Tokyo and some surrounding regions are currently in a state of emergency due to the rapidly increasing number of corona infections. “Safety is the number one priority,” emphasized Bach. “As far as security is concerned, there can be no taboos.”
There is a chance that spectators are not welcome or only in limited numbers. According to Bach, the IOC should be “flexible” and “make sacrifices” to ensure everyone’s safety. Postponing the Games again is not an option for Japan.
