The Fate Of The Tokyo Olympics

With just six months to go, the International Olympic Committee and Japan are battling rumors about whether or not the games will take place. In a recent poll conducted by Japanese news agency Kyodo and the Tokyo Broadcasting System, 80% of respondents said the games should not happen as COVID-19 continues to rise in the island country. Last week the London Times reported that the Japanese Government has already privately concluded the games need to be canceled and are looking for a way to announce the news while saving face, according to an unnamed senior member of the ruling coalition. 

Even without local fans, should the games go on without proper infrastructure and enforcement, many say it has the ingredients for a super spreader event.

On the show today we talk about the fate of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics with Jules Boykoff, professor at Pacific University and expert on politics of the Olympic games, as well as Lori Okimura, former chair of USA Volleyball and International Technical Official for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.