Opposition to the Tokyo Olympics opening in two months has deepened in Japan and spread to some prominent business leaders despite organizers highlighting recent warm-up events as evidence that the Games can safely go ahead.
On Sunday, Masayoshi Son, the chief executive of technology investment company SoftBank Group Corp. , painted a scenario in which arriving athletes and officials triggered a new wave of infections with virus variants, leading to deaths, more emergency shutdowns and further shrinkage of Japan’s economy.
Canceling the Games might bring financial losses, but by holding them, Mr. Son wrote on Twitter, “I think we’re going to lose something much bigger.”
Hiroshi Mikitani, the chief executive of e-commerce company Rakuten Group Inc., said in a recent interview with CNN that the Olympics were a “suicide mission.”
Olympic organizers say the event won’t be canceled. On Friday, John Coates, the head of the International Olympic Committee’s coordination commission for the Tokyo Olympics, said around 80% of athletes and officials were set to be vaccinated, and strict restrictions on movement would prevent contact with the public.
It's easy for me, as a viewer, to sit back and nope out of the Olympics. But I can only imagine what it's like to be an athlete that's already sort of at the tail end of their career knowing that Tokyo was going to be your swan song. To have that taken away through no fault of your own has got to suck. I mean, this is different than say a boycott situation, or the entire Russian sporting federation relegated to asterisk status, because it's entire generation of athletics worldwide that's getting noped out.
Get vaccinated, get to travel, the end. I think its amazing that 80% of all participants are on path to be that way knowing how difficult it is in other countries and the reluctance in some parts of the world.
They've eliminated international spectators so that's a good first step for the Games to go on. @meow is right, there will be a lot of protocols in place for athletes, officials, and broadcasters. If things continue to get worse in Osaka or other parts of Japan, I'm sure the IOC will just play in empty arenas and stadiums. There's a ton of financial implications involved with these Games so if they get canceled, it's going to be a seismic hole in a lot of places.
American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, a medal favorite in the 100-meter dash at the upcoming Olympics, failed a drug test and likely won't be able to run at the Tokyo Games, according to multiple reports Thursday night.
Richardson reportedly tested positive for cannabis, or marijuana, at U.S. Olympic Trials, where she won the 100. Richardson would be disqualified, and her place in the 100 handed to the fourth-place finisher at trials, Jenna Prandini. Gabby Thomas, who finished fifth, would become the alternate.
If I had to guess, the relays are 'chosen' and not qualified for based on time alone. At least that's how they do it in swimming. They can take x amount of athletes so the relay is comprised of the best balance of athletes that have to compete in individual events as well.
I mean, this is the biggest moment of your life. You've been training hard all this time, and you're going to lose everything for weed?
You are human, and humans are incredibly dumb. I see no fault of the testing, and all the fault on her. It doesn't matter if weed isn't performing enhancing or not, rules are rules, dammit.
willeyeam wrote: ↑Fri Jul 02, 2021 10:58 am
Some plz explain how she's disqualified from the 100 but can participate in relays? That don't make no sense
AFAIK, in the US, the individual T&F OG participants are strictly determined by the results of the Trials. Since US can field three 100m athletes, the 1-2-3 finishers go. Since Richardson tested positive during Trials, she by definition did not participate in Trials, so she cannot go (even if hypothetically she were suspended for say just one day).
On the other hand, USATF has a freedom to select relay participants - and that theoretically includes taking someone who did NOT participate in Trials.
