Postponement of the Olympic Games: Bach denies having hesitated too much

IOC President Thomas Bach denies having hesitated too much before postponing the Tokyo Olympics due to the coronavirus pandemic. “As a leader, you cannot afford to make instinctive decisions in such an emotional context,” he said in an interview with “Welt am Sonntag”.

“In the end, the stake is the long-term survival of the Olympic Games and the cultural heritage of the Olympic Games,” said the 66-year-old German. According to him, the only decision that could have been taken very quickly is an outright cancellation of the 2020 Olympic Games. What no member of the Athletes’ Commission wanted, he said.

The IOC on 24 March postponed the Tokyo Olympic Games, announcing the dates for 2021 six days later (from July 23 to August 8). Thomas Bach, who has been criticized for delaying in making this inevitable decision, also reiterated that a cancellation had never been envisaged.

“To counter conspiracy theories, this is to explain things clearly: the IOC would have been insured against a cancellation, which is not the case with a postponement,” said the 1976 Olympic foil champion by team. “For a postponement, we need the approval of the Organizing Committee, which must be ready to work for another year. The Japanese government must also be able to continue to support the preparations.”

ats, dpa

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