Can Tokyo 2020 Bring The World Together Safely?

In addition to the athletes, many people dedicated their lives to creating Tokyo 2020. Their work deserves an audience. But at what cost?

Photo by the author.

In 2016, my wife and I visited Tokyo. The Rio Olympic Games wrapped up a few months prior, and Tokyo was awash in Tokyo 2020 signage. Many of the venues were already under construction, and the city was excited to host the games.

I’ve always loved the Olympics. While I don’t understand gymnastics, I’m an armchair connoisseur of track and field events once the torch ignites. Plus, give me ALL the obscure sports. Handball? I’m in. Curling? Not a summer sport, but it is my favorite.

Four years later, Tokyo 2020 was postponed due to the pandemic. Here we are, a few days away from the rescheduled Olympic Games and things are different. Today, most of Japan feels the games are not safe to host. Athletes from all over the world, many who are not ( or refuse to be) vaccinated, are converging in one spot. To try and mitigate risk, Japan is banning all spectators. Still, flip to super-spreader-event in the dictionary, and you get Tokyo 2020. And let’s not forget the problematic issues surrounding natural hair swim caps, drug testing, and gymnastic rules.