International Olympic Committee vice-president John Coates was adamant Saturday that nothing could stop the
Tokyo Olympics from going ahead, despite ongoing risks from COVID-19.
اضافة اعلان
Asked by AFP if there was any scenario in which the Games, which are due to start on July 23, could be cancelled or postponed again at this late stage, he replied: “No, there’s not.
“The prime minister of Japan said that to the president of the United States two or three weeks ago. He continues to say that to the IOC.
“We’re working with him (Japanese Prime Minister
Yoshihide Suga) on all of the safety measures. It’s going ahead.”
But questions continue to be raised about the viability of the Games, given the ongoing pandemic and a virus state of emergency in Tokyo and other parts of Japan being extended on Friday.
Coates, the point man for the Games as head of the IOC’s coordination commission, said a huge amount of work had been done to ensure the safety of athletes and the Japanese public.
“We spent the first half of last year identifying all the worst-case scenarios,” he told reporters in Sydney on the sidelines of the Australian Olympic Committee’s annual general meeting.
“We spent the next six months looking at the countermeasures that are necessary.
“We’re implementing those countermeasures, predicated on there being no vaccine, so that situation has improved. The Games will go ahead.”
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