Tokyo Summer Olympics Postponed Until 2021

On March 24, the International Olympic Committee and local organizers of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics announced the Games would be postponed. The original opening ceremony for the 2020 Olympics was scheduled to be July 24, in Tokyo’s national stadium. But after weeks of uncertainty, the games have now been postponed until 2021.

The rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympics are set to open on July 23rd, 2021 https://t.co/oYkBWL8eYK pic.twitter.com/E2QcVHi6dK

— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) March 30, 2020

The new date is to be set for July 23, 2021 until August 8, 2021. This is an odd shift of date for the Olympics though. The Olympics have never been cancelled only for world wars in 1916, 1940, and 1944, but never been postponed. The 1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to World War II, were also to be held in Tokyo.

“Being an athlete myself, I understand all the hard work you put into it. For the Olympics especially, I can’t imagine the frustration these athletes must feel working so hard for four years and having all that work scratched in the blink of an eye,” said senior Amelia Traviesa. 

This postponement is a huge deal for the athletes, teams, companies, and fans. The Summer Games is the world’s largest sporting event, costing billions of dollars to hold every four years. The event brings together thousands of athletes from hundreds of countries in dozens of sports, with millions of fans and dollars from huge international brands.

The Olympics served as a glimmer of hope for the world for what seemed like the last sporting event untouched by the COVID-19. The Olympic committee says it has to be done for extreme health and safety reasons, considering now nearly every country has been impacted. The World Health Organization had consulted with both the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, and the International Olympic Committee president, Thomas Bach, about the “accelerating virus”.

“I always enjoy watching the Summer Games. They are so fun and enjoyable to watch and now it’s sad we’ll have to have waited not four, but five years to see the next Games,” said junior Caroline Vanhorn.

Congratulations to Prime Minister Abe of Japan, and the IOC, on their very wise decision to present the Olympics in 2021. It will be a great success, and I look forward to being there!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 25, 2020

Before the decision, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee sent a survey to more than 4,000 American Olympic hopefuls, and almost seven in ten respondents said that they did not think the Games would be fair if held in July. Other countries, like Poland and Germany, also called for the Games to be postponed. 

In addition to the athletes whose lives have been severely impacted and changed by the decision, the financial effect will also be substantial. The organizers of Tokyo 2020 estimated the cost to be almost $12.6 billion and other experts estimated around $25 billion. It will also impact the huge amounts of money spent by sponsors and broadcasters for the summer Games. 

In addition to the athletes whose lives have been severely impacted and changed by the decision, the financial effect will also be substantial. The organizers of Tokyo 2020 estimated the cost to be almost $12.6 billion and other experts estimated around $25 billion. It will also impact the huge amounts of money spent by sponsors and broadcasters for the summer Games.