Presumption of continuance

Since the Summer Olympics were inaugurated by Baron Pierre de Coubertin in Athens in 1896, the competition has been held every four years with three skips in 1916, 1940 and 1944 because of war.

Although the Olympics are a sporting event, history has shown that it hasn’t been spared the influence of politics. There have been six Olympic boycotts so far. In 1956 with Melbourne hosting, eight countries declined to participate, including Spain, Switzerland and China. In 1964 with Tokyo hosting, three countries didn’t join – North Korea, Indonesia and China. In 1976 with Montreal hosting, 34 countries backed out, mainly from Africa. In 1980 with Moscow hosting, 66 countries boycotted led by the US to protest the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan. In 1984 with Los Angeles hosting, 18 countries stayed away as the Soviet Union spearheaded a boycott in retaliation to the US no-show in the previous Olympics. In 1988 with Seoul hosting, seven countries were missing, including North Korea and Cuba.

Other incidents that threatened to bring down the Olympics were the Great Depression in 1932, Adolf Hitler’s demagoguery in 1936, the post-war crisis in 1948, the first major doping scandal in 1960, civil unrest in Mexico in 1968, the murder of 11 Israeli athletes by the Palestinian Black September group in 1972, the bombing at the Centennial Olympic Park in 1996 and the extravagant Greek spending in 2004.

Despite the challenges in Olympic history, only the onset of a world war cancelled the Summer Games. The first Olympics to be cancelled were in Berlin in 1916 because of World War I that broke out two years earlier. A stadium was dedicated for the purpose in 1913 with 60,000 spectators but the war interrupted its place in history as an Olympic venue. A winter sports week was planned to be held at the stadium but that, too, never materialized. The concept of a winter sports week later led to the emergence of the first Winter Olympics.

The second Olympics to be cancelled were in Tokyo in 1940. It would’ve followed Germany’s hosting in 1936 in a back-to-back staging of Axis countries. The third Olympics that were cancelled would’ve been held in London in 1944. Both the 1940 and 1944 Olympics were scrapped because of World War II.

Now, for the first time ever, the threat of an Olympic cancellation looms because of the coronavirus alarm. The event is scheduled in Tokyo on July 24-Aug. 25 and it won’t be known for sure if it will push through until May when the IOC convenes to make a decision, one way or the other. The global outbreak has so far cancelled a lot of sporting events to prevent the gathering of a large number of spectators. Several football leagues are on hold in Switzerland, South Korea and even Japan. Competitions in golf, cycling, tennis, badminton, boxing, snooker, motoGP, speed skating and triathlon have been put in cold storage to avert the spread of the virus.

China, as the coronavirus epicenter, has been hardest hit. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, China was represented by 416 athletes and ranked third in the medal standings with 26 gold, 18 silver and 26 bronze. If and when the Tokyo Olympics are cleared to proceed, how will the Games receive athletes coming from countries where the virus has spread? What precautionary measures will be taken to assure no unnecessary risk of contamination among spectators? Holding the competitions behind closed doors seems to be a far-fetched option considering athletes themselves may be contagious.

Cancelling the Tokyo Olympics outright would be an extreme option. Perhaps, a postponement may be a reasonable alternative if only to allow athletes now in training to compete when the virus is finally contained. Rescheduling the Olympics for next year may not be a bad idea. Skipping the Olympics in Tokyo and proceeding to the next Olympics in Paris in 2024 would be devastating not only economically but also emotionally for athletes who are now in their peak form but may be past their prime after four years.

At the moment, the presumption is the Olympics will go on. The hope is the virus will be contained within the next few months so that by May, the IOC will have a clear conscience in declaring the Summer Games will push through. There are athletes all over the world deep in training for Tokyo, including Filipinos seeking to qualify for the Olympics. Millions of pesos are being spent to prepare the Filipino athletes for their quest and millions more are being spent for those who’ve qualified, in particular gymnast Caloy Yulo and pole vaulter E. J. Obiena.  To presume that the Games will be postponed is premature. 

Let’s pray that this virus won’t get the better of the Olympics. When Tokyo finally hosts the Summer Games whether this year or the next, it will be a celebration of triumph of mankind and an end to discrimination.