Ioc

Florida’s chief financial officer has asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to consider relocating the 2021 Games to the Sunshine State amid speculation that Tokyo organisers may back out as hosts due to concerns about the COVID-19 outbreak. Tokyo organisers have vowed to press ahead with the re-scheduled Games, which are due to open on July 23 after being postponed for a year because of the novel coronavirus, but Florida’s Jimmy Patronis has offered an alternative option. “There is still time to deploy a site selection team to Florida to meet with statewide and local officials on holding the Olympics in the Sunshine State,” Patronis said in a letter sent this week to IOC President Thomas Bach. “I would welcome the opportunity to pitch Florida and help you make the right contacts to get this done.” In an email to Reuters , the IOC said it has not received a letter from Patronis and referred to the statement issued last Friday that said it is committed to having the … [Read more...] about Florida offers to replace Tokyo as Olympics host: state official

TOKYO -- Japan’s government will decide whether to let overseas spectators attend the Summer Olympics in Tokyo by the end of March, Olympics Minister Tamayo Marukawa said on Wednesday. Her comments were echoed by the head of the organising committee for the Games, Seiko Hashimoto, who said she would like to reach the decision by March 25. Polls show most Japanese oppose holding the Games during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Mainichi newspaper earlier reported that the government was planning to ban overseas spectators due to worries they would spread the coronavirus, citing multiple unnamed sources. “On the matter of overseas spectators ... I personally want to have it decided by the 25th of this month, when the Olympic torch relay will be kicked off,” Hashimoto told reporters after a virtual meeting with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach and others. “It is true that the situation is tough both in and outside Japan ... It would not be good if their … [Read more...] about Japan to decide on overseas spectators for Tokyo Olympics by end-March: officials