Olympics 21.1.2021 11:35 am

With six months to go, cancellation fears cloud Tokyo Olympics

With much of the world still paralysed by Covid-19, and Tokyo under a state of emergency, the doubting voices are growing louder.

When the Tokyo Olympics were postponed last year, officials promised they would open in 2021 as proof of mankind's triumph over the coronavirus.

Olympics Support for Olympics hits new low in Japan: poll

In Sunday’s national telephone poll, around 35 percent of people told Kyodo they favoured outright cancellation.

Olympics Postponed Tokyo Olympics to cost extra $2.4 billion

The decision to delay the Games has thrown up a plethora of extra costs, from rebooking venues and transport to retaining the huge organising committee staff.

Olympics Coronavirus vaccine won’t be a mandatory requirement in Tokyo

IOC chief Thomas Bach, said taking a vaccine would be a “free decision” for athletes and others involved in the Games.

Olympics IOC’s Bach ‘very confident’ Tokyo Olympics will have fans

News last week of positive results in a late-stage vaccine trial were welcomed by Tokyo 2020 officials as a “relief”.

Olympics Tokyo Olympics organisers hail vaccine news as ‘relief’

On Sunday, Tokyo hosted its first international sporting event since the pandemic, a four-nation gymnastics meet that organisers hailed as proof the Games were possible despite the virus.

Olympics Tokyo 2020 organisers weigh virus control centre for Olympic Games

The taskforce proposed a series of conduct guidelines, including a ban on high-fives and handshakes, with the possibility of rules to govern athletes’ behaviour during “on and off-duty hours”.

Olympics Troubled Olympic flame diverted to Tokyo museum

The Olympic flame will go on display at a Tokyo museum in September, organisers said Monday, after the coronavirus pandemic forced them to scrap the torch relay and put the Games on hold.

Olympics Olympics could have ‘limited spectators’ says Tokyo 2020 chief

Next year’s coronavirus-postponed Olympics could be held in front of a “limited number of spectators” to prevent the spread of infection, Tokyo 2020 chief executive Toshiro Muto has said.

Olympics Russian athletes should face ‘blanket ban’ in Tokyo, says whistleblower

Doping whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov says no Russian athletes should be allowed to take part in next year’s postponed Tokyo Olympics.

Olympics Qatar confirms plan to bid for 2032 Olympics

Qatar will seek to host the 2032 Olympic Games, it said on Monday, joining a crowded field and raising questions about scorching summer temperatures and underwhelming attendances at past events.

PREMIUM!

Olympics Full circle: South Africa’s 116-year history at the Olympic Games

While the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics will not take place on Saturday as planned, with the Covid-19 pandemic forcing organisers to postpone the event until next year, the delay offers a chance to reflect on South Africa’s rich history at the Games.