Olympic Games-Marathon and race walking have no spectators, and the Olympic Games face the risk of more restrictions Reuters

Victory by Linda

TOKYO (Reuters)-The World Athletics Federation said on Tuesday that it was surprised by the “seemingly inconsistent” decision to ask spectators to stay away from the Tokyo Olympic marathon and race walking, which are very popular outdoor activities in Japan.

After holding technical working group meetings with Hokkaido Prefecture and Sapporo City authorities and police, the organizers had earlier asked the public not to gather on the streets to participate in events to reduce the risk of infection during the COVID-19 pandemic.

After Naoko Takahashi and Mizuki Noguchi won the women’s event gold medals in 2000 and 2004 respectively, this decision was a blow to fans in countries where marathons have become more and more popular in recent years.

The track and field management agency said in a statement: “The World Athletics Federation is surprised by this new decision for our event in Sapporo. This seems to be inconsistent with the decision to accommodate up to 10,000 spectators in Tokyo venues, many of which are indoor venues. .”

“We will discuss this decision as soon as possible, because considering the popularity of these two projects in Japan and the fact that they are both held outdoors, it is a pity that there are no spectators watching the race walking and marathon in Sapporo.”

The race walking will be held from August 5th to 6th, and the marathon will be held on August 7th.

A newspaper said that Japan is still considering banning everyone except VIP audiences from participating in the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. This is another downgrade of the Olympic Games that has tarnished the pomp and pomp due to the new coronavirus.

The Olympics were once advertised as a grand event to showcase Japan to the world, but in a country that was closed to foreign tourists due to the pandemic and the surrounding area of ​​Tokyo is still restricted, it seems likely that the Olympics will be held with basically no spectators.

Despite fears that the influx of thousands of people from all over the world may trigger a new wave of infections, the Olympic Games, which has been postponed for a year, will open on July 23.

The plan for the opening ceremony is still confidential, but the Asahi newspaper reported before the meeting with the International Olympic Committee and other organizers that the government will reduce the number of sponsors and diplomats at the opening ceremony. Estimated to be about 10,000.

The newspaper quoted several unnamed government sources as saying that during the Olympics, large venues and events after 9pm will also be held without spectators.

Organizers have banned overseas audiences and restricted domestic audiences to 50% of the capacity, with a maximum of 10,000 people.

As the public is nervous about the new infection group, medical experts say that no audience is the least risky option.

Audience issues will also be decided in the five-party talks on Thursday, when Tokyo Governor and International Olympic Committee Chairman Thomas Bach will arrive in Japan on the same day.

Government sources said that the government may decide on Thursday to extend the quasi-emergency state in Tokyo and the three nearby counties beyond the originally scheduled end date of July 11.

Kyodo News reported that the extension may last for a month, which means that the restrictions will be implemented throughout the Olympic Games, and the Olympics will end with a ceremony on August 8.

Torch Relay

When the Olympic Games were postponed last year, Japanese officials said they hoped to be held in 2021 as a symbol of humanity’s victory over the virus.

As countries around the world struggle to cope with the new epidemic, celebrations have been put on hold, and they now say that the Olympics will help unite a divided world.

Another blow is that the Olympic torch relay, which was scheduled to arrive in Tokyo on Friday and parade in Tokyo before the opening ceremony, will be moved off public roads.

According to Yomiuri Shimbun reports, instead, there will be a torch lighting ceremony without spectators.

When Japan won the right to host the Olympics in 2013, it was expected that they would celebrate their recovery from the deadly 2011 earthquake and tsunami nuclear accident.

In 2015, then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe promised that tourists will be able to use self-driving cars in Tokyo and a company Toyota Motor (NYSE:) Corp stated in 2017 that its goal is to ignite the Olympic flame with flying cars.

The coronavirus keeps everyone on the ground.

When asked about the audience, the government’s top spokesperson, Katsunobu Kato, said at a press conference that Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga stated that it is possible to hold the Olympics without an audience.

Asahi said Yoshihide Suga wanted to have fans in the stadium, but added that some members of the ruling party wanted a ban, especially after the ruling coalition failed to win a majority in the Tokyo parliamentary election on Sunday, partly because of dissatisfaction with the government. COVID-19 response.

The poll is regarded as a weather vane for the general election later this year.

Japan has not seen an outbreak of COVID-19 elsewhere, but there have been more than 800,000 cases and more than 14,800 deaths. The slow rollout means that only a quarter of the population has been vaccinated at least once.