The Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike announced a good news for the athletes and Olympics enthusiasts by saying that, “The growing availability of coronavirus vaccines is a “ray of hope” for hosting the Olympics next summer”. He said that Tokyo being the host of 2021 Olympics will do whatever it takes to successfully achieve the games, which were postponed for a year until next July because of the pandemic.
At the G20 Summit, leaders of world nations and the World Health Organization also expressed support for next summer’s Olympic Games, despite the worldwide coronavirus pandemic.
The 9th Olympic Summit was held remotely by videoconference on 12 December. The Olympic Summit brings together leading representatives of the Olympic Movement. It forms part of the ongoing dialogue and consultation on important issues and subjects of significance for the future of the Olympic Movement. Discussions focused on several topics of interest and concern to the Olympic Movement, including the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, the fight against doping, Olympic Agenda 2020, and virtual sports and gaming.
The Olympic Summit involves the leading representatives of the Olympic Movement. It forms part of the ongoing dialogue and consultation on important issues and subjects of significance for the future of the Olympic Movement. The main areas under discussion were the International support for the role of the Olympic and Paralympic Movement, upcoming Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, the international fight against doping, Rule 50, Virtual sports and gaming and most importantly the Olympic Agenda 2020.
The Summit warmly welcomed the most recent declarations of the G20 Leaders’ Summit and the United Nations (UN) General Assembly concerning the role of the Olympic and Paralympic Movements.
In particular, the UN resolution – adopted by consensus – notes the “invaluable contribution of the Olympic and Paralympic movements in establishing sport as a unique means for the promotion of peace and development”. It also “acknowledges the Olympic Charter, and that any form of discrimination is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement”.
UPCOMING OLYMPIC GAMES TOKYO 2020 AND OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES BEIJING 2022
The Summit expressed its full commitment to and confidence in the successful organization of safe and secure Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, starting on 23 July 2021. The Summit agreed that the top priority remains the health and safety of all participants. In this regard, it was highlighted that a toolbox of COVID-19 countermeasures has been developed for every possible scenario. State-of-the-art rapid testing methods and vaccines will be added to this toolbox. With regard to vaccines, the Summit took note of and appreciated the IOC’s role in a worldwide pro-vaccination campaign, and agreed on the participation of all the Olympic Movement stakeholders in this campaign.
The Summit conveyed its appreciation and gratitude to the Japanese Government, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee for their excellent work, and expressed its full commitment to and confidence in the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.
The Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee (CTOC) held its 2020 year-end reception on 10 December. The event highlighted the results of the NOC’s year-long efforts to improvise and implement various projects throughout 2020, a difficult year for sport and the Olympic Movement.
It was emphasized that the Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms had changed not just the IOC but also the whole Olympic Movement. The Summit highlighted in particular the sweeping reforms with regard to the Olympic Games, the protection of clean athletes, strengthened solidarity, gender equality, sustainability, good governance, the creation of the Olympic Channel, the relevance of sport in society, and how the reforms of Olympic Agenda 2020 are contributing to the long-term stability of the Olympic Movement.
Olympic Agenda 2020 has resulted in profound change and progress across the entire Olympic Movement and has laid solid foundations for the future.
International Olympics Committee President Thomas Bach said, “Olympic Agenda 2020 has changed the Olympic Games, the IOC and the Olympic Movement. Having achieved 85 per cent of the recommendations is a great example of what we can accomplish when we work together. However, it is our conviction that the success of today only gives us the opportunity to drive the change for tomorrow and carrying forth the unity, which Olympic Agenda 2020 created within the Olympic Movement and building on its success, we can contribute to shaping the post-coronavirus world. From this position of strength and stability, we have every reason to be confident about our future, as we continue to pursue our mission to make the world a better place through sport.”
As the saying goes, “For athletes, the Olympics are the ultimate test of their worth.” The modern Olympic Games are leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games are considered the world’s foremost sports competition with more than 200 nations participating. The Olympic Games are normally held every four years, alternating between the Summer and Winter Olympics every two years in the four-year period. The 2020 Olympics were postponed until 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic however, with the development of vaccine a ray of hope emerged for the 2021 Olympics.