Australian Olympic boss John Coates faces Japanese anger as IOC defends moving marathon from Tokyo
AOC boss John Coates has been caught in a political storm after he was sent to defend the International Olympic Committee’s decision to move next year’s marathon away from Tokyo.
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The International Olympic Committee has promised to compensate Tokyo after Aussie Olympic supremo John Coates warned furious local politicians that the decision to move the Olympic marathon away from the national capital would stand after he was caught in a political storm.
Coates was sent to Tokyo to try to quell the growing anger at the IOC’s decision to move the marathons and race walks to Sapporo but walked straight into an ambush.
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Invited to a news conference by Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike, Coates was greeted by a horde of local reporters and crew television crews, as the governor unloaded on the IOC for moving the races without first seeking the approval of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG).
“Unfortunately we have not had a compelling explanation given as yet either to the citizens or to myself,” she said.
“There is no change in my intention that the marathon, as well as the race-walking, should be held in Tokyo.”
The IOC decided to switch the long distance events to Sapporo after the distressing scenes of athletes collapsing and being taken away wheelchairs and on stretchers, at last month’s world athletics championships, held in Doha.
Hundreds of people die each year in Tokyo’s brutal summers and with similar weather conditions forecast for the same time as next year’s Tokyo Olympics, officials fear the worst.
“This is a risk that the IOC is not prepared to see happen,” Coates said.
With decades of experience in sports administration and diplomacy, Coates was prepared for trap he was entering so knew he had to tread gently.
He came armed with medical evidence supporting the IOC’s decision to shift the events north to the cooler Sapporo, plus a few sweeteners.
These included staging the ceremonies for both the men’s and women’s marathons at the closing ceremony (marking the first time ever for women), as well as allowing a street parade on the last day, refunding tickets and offering compensation, including reimbursing the families of athletes who might have been caught out by the venue change.
“We know that under the host city contract, the IOC has the competency for this (decision) but where there’s a material adverse effect on the organising committee, we have to sit down and discuss compensation,” Coates said.
While Tokyo’s first and only female governor gave Coates a hostile public dressing down for the cameras, when the Australian finally got a chance to reply, he told her clearly that the IOC was sticking by its decision to move the races despite the angry public backlash in Tokyo.
“The difficulty is of course we’re talking with a group elected by the people who were very disappointed,” Coates said.
“I acknowledge that, but our obligation is the health of the athletes. It’s a risk that the IOC is not prepared to see that happen here.
“We are very conscious of the fact that the people of Tokyo aren’t going to see these wonderful athletes but we did not want Tokyo, after all of the wonderful preparations that have gone into hosting these Games, to be remembered for similar images as you would have seen in Doha.”