Tokyo begins Olympic task of reorganising Games

Japan set about the unprecedented task of reorganising the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Wednesday after making the tough decision to postpone the Games by a year as the coronavirus pandemic locks down one third of the planet.

The dramatic step to shift the Olympics, never before seen in peacetime, upends every aspect of the organisation -- including venues, security, ticketing and accommodation.

It is not even clear exactly when the rescheduled Games will take place. International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach on Wednesday left the door open for them to be staged in the spring instead of the normal summer slot.

“This is not restricted just to the summer months,” Bach said in a conference call.

“All the options are on the table, before and including the summer of 2021.”

In a move symbolic of the difficulties, Olympic countdown clocks in Tokyo switched from displaying the number of days to go to simply show today's date and the time.

“It's like taking seven years to build the world's biggest jigsaw puzzle and, with just one piece to go, having to start again but now with less time to finish,” tweeted Craig Spence, spokesman for the International Paralympic Committee.

Japan has framed Tokyo 2020 as the “Recovery Games” -- a chance to show the world it has bounced back from the "triple disaster" in 2011 when a massive earthquake sparked a tsunami and the Fukushima nuclear meltdown.

 

 

Tokyo begins Olympic task of reorganising Games

Japan set about the unprecedented task of reorganising the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Wednesday after making the tough decision to postpone the Games by a year as the coronavirus pandemic locks down one third of the planet. The dramatic step to shift the Olympics, never before seen in peacetime, upends every aspect of the organisation -- including venues, security, ticketing and accommodation. It is not even clear exactly when the rescheduled Games will take place. International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach on Wednesday left the door open for them to be staged in the spring instead of the normal summer slot. This is not restricted just to the summer months, Bach said in a conference call. All the options are on the table, before and including the summer of 2021. In a move symbolic of the difficulties, Olympic countdown clocks in Tokyo switched from displaying the number of days to go to simply show todays date and the time. Its like taking seven years to build the worlds biggest jigsaw puzzle and, with just one piece to go, having to start again but now with less time to finish, tweeted Craig Spence, spokesman for the International Paralympic Committee. Japan has framed Tokyo 2020 as the Recovery Games -- a chance to show the world it has bounced back from the triple disaster in 2011 when a massive earthquake sparked a tsunami and the Fukushima nuclear meltdown.