Full of vainglory, IOC grandees sweat details about Tokyo 2020 while hiding big picture

Full of vainglory, IOC grandees sweat details about Tokyo 2020 while hiding big picture

The International Olympic Committee said some things Tuesday about the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the coronavirus in the form of what it called a “communique,” because the simple word “statement” apparently is not good enough for these self-appointed pooh-bahs.

The dispatch from Olympus publicly addressed only the issue of how athletes who have yet to qualify for the Summer Games might do so, which shows the IOC is 1) rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic and/or 2) is so distanced from reality it won’t acknowledge the elephant in the room until the beast finishes shitting on them.

The statement tries to justify avoiding mention of the possibility these Summer Games might not take place as scheduled by saying, “any speculation at this moment would be counter-productive.”

That comes at the end of a paragraph reading, “The IOC remains fully committed to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, and with more than four months to go before the Games there is no need for any drastic decisions at this stage. . .”

There is no need for “drastic” decisions now.

What is needed is for the IOC to tell the truth about whether it is considering alternatives to 2020. It is foolhardy for the IOC to say speculation would be counter-productive when every person with a functioning brain is wondering what decisions the IOC might take if “drastic” action is needed and when such decisions might be made.

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Nathan Chen, skating coaches react to cancellation of world figure skating championships

Nathan Chen, skating coaches react to cancellation of world figure skating championships


For two-time defending champion Nathan Chen, the cancellation of the World Figure Skating Championships in Montreal because of the coronavirus pandemic brought disappointment and relief.

“Given how quickly this virus has spread across the world, it’s definitely the right move for the populace as a whole,” Chen said in a Wednesday teleconference after a Quebec government minister had announced the cancellation.

“Even before this decision was made, I was concerned about people around me. I was worried about Raf [his coach, Rafael Arutunian] because he has been traveling a lot. Ultimately, I’m glad they are able to stay at home, to stay where they are, to sort of prevent the spread of this virus.”

His U.S. teammate Mariah Bell, like Chen coached by Arutunian and prepared to compete in a fourth straight worlds, echoed his feelings.

“I certainly understand there are bigger things than sport,” Bell said during the teleconference.

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