The opening of the Tokyo Olympics becomes unclear as US is considering absence

Minjun Son

2021.05.25

On the 24th, 60 days before the opening of the Tokyo Olympics, concerns are rising over whether the Olympics can be held properly as the United States raised travel warnings for Japan due to the risk of COVID 19 in Japan.

If the United States decides to absent from the Olympics because of Japan’s Corona 19 situation, other countries are likely to follow it. In this case, it is predicted that the Olympics itself may be canceled or limped. The US State Department, along with Sri Lanka, put Japan on the list of top-notch travel warnings, ‘Travel Prohibited’ countries.

In particular, this action is expected to be a significant bad news for the Tokyo Olympics scheduled to open on July 23rd. If the situation in Japan does not improve, there is a possibility that the United States may decide not to attend the Olympics. The United States has not yet confirmed whether to participate in the Tokyo Olympics, and President Joe Biden previously stated that it should be “science-based” in relation to the dispatch of the US athletes to the Olympics.

However, on that day, the US Olympic and Paralympic Games Committee said in a statement, “We are aware of the Ministry of State’s travel warning upgrade measures. The actions our committee is taking for players and staff will enable safe participation while our team arrives in Japan and competes.”

Japan is tense about the impact it will have on the Tokyo Olympics as news of the US’s upward travel warning is announced. Kyodo News reported that “there is a possibility that it will affect whether the US squad is dispatched or not.” Tokyo Sports cited the possibility of the United States’ absence from the Olympics and reported that “other countries are expected to follow the United States and may not participate.” In fact, if the US, which has the largest squad in fact, decides to absent, the opening of the Tokyo Olympics itself becomes uncertain. Earlier, Japan postponed the Tokyo Olympics, which was scheduled to be held last year, to July 23 due to Corona 19 for one year. Although public opinion on the cancellation of the Olympics due to the Corona 19 situation is increasing both inside and outside Japan, Japan and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are in a position to push forward.