It’s how, not if, for Tokyo Games, says Thomas Bach

International Olympic Committee president defends moves to press ahead with the rescheduled Tokyo Games.

IOC president Thomas Bach says it’s not irresponsible to continues with the Games

The president of the International Olympic Committee has defended moves to press ahead with the rescheduled Tokyo Games and insisted it is not irresponsible to do so in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Thomas Bach did, though, announce that there could be no guarantees over spectators being allowed into events and said plans to limit the number of athletes in the Olympic village would reduce the risk.

It was reported last week that some members of the Japanese government were keen to postpone the Olympics — 10,500 athletes and 7000 officials are due to attend, and opinion polls in Japan have consistently reported a majority of people are opposed to it happening — but Bach insisted the Games would go ahead in July.

“It is not irresponsible,” he said. “If we think it would be irresponsible and the Games could not be safe, we would not go for it. We will take measures (to ensure) that these 10,500 athletes will not be there in the Olympic village at the same time by restricting the stay to five days, to have a wave system.”

The 67-year-old German did concede that the Games may have to take place behind closed doors, especially as the prospect of international visitors being permitted to travel to Japan looks remote.

“Everybody would love to have roaring crowds,” Bach said. “But if that is not possible, we will respect our principles and this is that safe organisation is the first priority.”

The IOC has encouraged national Olympic committees to seek vaccinations for athletes where possible but Bach said there was no intention for them to get priority treatment.

A number of athletes have expressed frustrations over the IOC’s perceived failure to clarify if and how the Games will happen. Bach acknowledged this, saying: “From a human point of view I can understand everybody who has concerns about the Olympic Games — when he or she is living in lockdown and does not know whether you can go to a restaurant or see your friends and family, these are circumstances in which it is extremely difficult to imagine the Olympic Games.

“But the responsibility of the (Japanese) government and the IOC is to look beyond this situation and to say it’s not about ‘whether’ the Games take place, it’s about ‘how’.

“It is too early to decide anything else. Nobody can predict the health situation at the time of the Olympics in July.”

The IOC will next week publish the first Games “playbook”, which will inform national teams what will be expected of them in Tokyo.

The Times