Amidst all the chaos that has ensued over the past year, one event that people may have forgotten about were the Summer Olympics. Set to begin on July 24, 2020 in Tokyo, Japan, the games were cancelled due to the surge of Covid-19. The new games have been announced to begin on July 23rd, 2021 and end on August 8th, 2021.
Many citizens of Tokyo have expressed concern for the upcoming games, citing Covid-19 as the reason. “If this Coronavirus pandemic sees no end, holding the Olympics could threaten the health of athletes and also expand the infections here. We shouldn’t host the games next year,” said an anonymous female interviewee on the TRT World Youtube Channel. Additionally, the financial effects of the cancellation are another factor that is being considered. Preparation for the 2020 Olympics had cost Japan $25 billion. “Coronavirus is going to be pretty large for the property and casualty insurance industry,” stated Philip Kett, analyst at Jefferies.
On the other end of the spectrum, athletes set to participate in the Olympics are now waiting an additional year in order to be able to safely hold the games. Many of these athletes have reached out and expressed their understanding for the cancellation. Tom Daley, English diver and two time Olympic bronze m
edallist winner let his opinion be known on social media. “Waiting one more year to reach for our dreams is well worth the sacrifice to help keep people safe,” Daley said through an Instagram post made on March 24, 2020. Many other athletes including Teddy Riner, Lilly King, and Angelina Melnikova demonstrated their support through social media for waiting until 2021 to hold the games. Similarly to 2020, the Olympics have been cancelled before. According to history.com, the games were cancelled once in 1916 due to World War I, and twice in both 1940 and 1944 because of World War II.
Aside from how professional athletes feel about the cancellation of the Olympics, school age athletes have also been vocal about their thoughts on the delayment. Liberty High School Junior and formal Liberty water polo player Kaili Johnson gave her opinion when asked how she would have felt being on one of the teams that was going to be competing: “Obviously I’d feel really upset. It’s such a big achievement to be able to qualify for the Olympics. And it’s something that you have to wor
k towards for years. It would feel like I wasted years of my life. And I feel like I would be so mad at the world,” stated Kaili.
With plans for the 2021 Olympics now officially underway, only time will tell how the events will play out.
Cover photo by Bruno Manrique from clutchpoints.com.
About the writer:
Keira McIlvenna-Davis is a staff writer for The Lion's Roar. You can learn more about the writer by clicking here.
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