A senior member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Tuesday, February 25: if the holding of the Olympiad in Tokyo this summer will be too dangerous due to the outbreak of coronavirus, the organizers rather cancel the event at all than to postpone it.
Dick pound, a former canadian champion in swimming, which works with the IOC since 1978, noted that there are two or three months to decide the fate of the Olympic games in Tokyo.
«People will start to ask questions – under the control of the situation, can our teams to go?» said pound in an exclusive interview with the Associated Press.
The outbreak that began in China two months ago, has infected more than 80,000 people worldwide and has killed more than 2,700 people, the vast majority in China. But the virus is already «entrenched» in South Korea, the middle East and Europe (particularly in Italy), which aroused fears of a pandemic. Japan reported four deaths.
However, while the pound urged the athletes to continue training. About 11 000 athletes are expected at the Olympics, scheduled to open July 24, and the 4400 – the Paralympics, the opening of which is scheduled for August 25.
The modern Olympic games that began in 1896 were cancelled only during the war. So, the Olympics of 1940 were to be held in Tokyo but were cancelled due to world war II.
Pound reiterated the IOC position, which is that they will consult closely with the world health organization.
According to pound, is the transfer of the Olympics to another city unlikely, «because there are very few places where it would be possible for a short time to prepare the entire infrastructure».
The candidate in mayors of London Sean Bailey suggested the British capital as an alternative, but the authorities in Tokyo called it «an attempt to use the virus for political purposes».
IOC member also questioned the possibility of postponing for a year. Japan officially spends $12.6 billion on the organization of the Olympics, although the national audit Commission said that the country spends twice as much.
