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French sports minister takes a dip in the Seine ahead of Paris Olympics
Read full article: French sports minister takes a dip in the Seine ahead of Paris OlympicsFrench sports minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra has taken a symbolic dip in the Seine in a bid to ease concerns about water quality before the start of the Paris Olympics.
Ex-Tokyo Olympics official pleads not guilty to taking bribes in exchange for Games contracts
Read full article: Ex-Tokyo Olympics official pleads not guilty to taking bribes in exchange for Games contractsA former member of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee has appeared in district court and pleaded not guilty to taking $1.4 million in bribes in exchange for contracts for the Games.
EU chief turns to Paralympian Vio to inspire Europe's youth
Read full article: EU chief turns to Paralympian Vio to inspire Europe's youthWhen European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen was at a loss for words to capture the true spirit of Europe's young, she introduced a special guest of honor at her State of the Union address.
5 heartwarming, inspiring stories from the first week at the Paralympics
Read full article: 5 heartwarming, inspiring stories from the first week at the ParalympicsThe Paralympics got underway in Tokyo this past week, and much like the Olympics that were held last month, it didn’t take long for athletes to produce special moments that inspired the world.
2 sports in the Paralympics that are not played in the Olympics
Read full article: 2 sports in the Paralympics that are not played in the OlympicsThe Paralympics have started in Tokyo, and it’s easy to spot sports that are both in Paralympics and Olympics, such as basketball, volleyball, weightlifting, soccer, equestrian and cycling, to name just a few, and with various adaptions.
Polish Olympian auctions off silver medal to raise money for 8-month-old in need of heart surgery
Read full article: Polish Olympian auctions off silver medal to raise money for 8-month-old in need of heart surgeryThis is one silver medal that turned out to be arguably more valuable than all the gold medals combined at the recent Tokyo Olympics.
Some countries pay more than six figures to athletes who bring home a medal -- but not the U.S.
Read full article: Some countries pay more than six figures to athletes who bring home a medal -- but not the U.S.Here’s a breakdown of what certain countries pay athletes when they win a medal in the Summer Olympics, according to Forbes.
5 things to know about the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics
Read full article: 5 things to know about the Paris 2024 Summer OlympicsWith the flame extinguished in Tokyo this past weekend, the torch for the Summer Olympics -- seeing as the Winter Games in Beijing are just six months away -- has been passed to Paris, the host of the 2024 Summer Games.
These U.S. cities almost hosted an Olympic Games
Read full article: These U.S. cities almost hosted an Olympic GamesThe United States hasn’t hosted any Olympic Games since 2002, when Salt Lake City welcomed the world to the Winter Olympics, but man, there have certainly been some cities that have tried.
More than a shirtless flag bearer: How this Tongan athlete has made Olympic history
Read full article: More than a shirtless flag bearer: How this Tongan athlete has made Olympic historyIt will nearly impossible for Pita Taufatofua to outlast his original claim to fame as “the shirtless flag bearer,” which made him a legend on social media.
These athletes should win gold medals in creating hilarious Olympic TikToks
Read full article: These athletes should win gold medals in creating hilarious Olympic TikToksWorld-class athletes from all over the globe are in Tokyo to win medals, but they’re also there to give us behind-the-scenes peeks at the Olympics, in viral TikTok videos.
Sky’s the limit: Meet the 12-year-old who’s likely to become one of the youngest Olympians ever
Read full article: Sky’s the limit: Meet the 12-year-old who’s likely to become one of the youngest Olympians everMeet Sky Brown, a skateboarding prodigy who is on the verge of becoming one of the youngest athletes to ever compete at the Summer Olympics.
Team USA has failed to medal in these 5 Summer Olympic sports
Read full article: Team USA has failed to medal in these 5 Summer Olympic sportsIt’s no secret that the United States is the most decorated country when it comes to winning medals at the Summer Olympics, with the red, white and blue taking home more than 2,600 medals, the most of any country.
Head of Tokyo Olympics again says games will not be canceled
Read full article: Head of Tokyo Olympics again says games will not be canceledTokyo Olympic organizers are again being forced to assure the world that the postponed games will open in just over three months despite surging COVID-19 cases in Japan.
Mayor, governor want to cancel Osaka legs of Olympic relay
Read full article: Mayor, governor want to cancel Osaka legs of Olympic relayThe governor of Osaka prefecture said on Thursday that he wants to cancel the Olympic torch relay legs going through Osaka later this month. (Kim Kyung-Hoon/Pool Photo via AP, File)TOKYO – The Tokyo Olympic torch relay ran into big trouble on Thursday when the governor of Osaka prefecture and the mayor of the city of Osaka asked that relay legs going through the city be canceled with the games opening in less than four months. “When I watch the torch relay elsewhere in Japan, people tend to gather and those places get crowded," Osaka Mayor Ichiro Matsui said Thursday. "It’s very unfortunate but I think we should call it off.”Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura echoed the mayor: "I think the torch relay through the middle of Osaka should be canceled.”Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga suggested on Thursday that the Osaka relay was off. AdThe torch relay is scheduled to arrive in Osaka prefecture on April 13 and will go through the city on April 14.
Volunteers from abroad ruled out for Tokyo Olympics
Read full article: Volunteers from abroad ruled out for Tokyo OlympicsSeiko Hashimoto, center, President of the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, talks with Kyoko Raita, right, Tokyo 2020 Executive Board member and speaker for a presentation on the Olympic Charter and Gender Equality in Tokyo, Japan, Monday, March 22, 2021. Fujio Mitarai, Honorary President of Tokyo 2020, is at left. Hashimoto said they will take all possible COVID-19 countermeasures as the torch relay opens this Thursday from northeastern Fukushima prefecture. (Kimimasa Mayama/Pool Photo via AP)TOKYO – Volunteers from abroad will not be allowed into Japan for the postponed Tokyo Olympics, organizers said Monday. Japan's Kyodo news agency, quoting “sources close to the matter,” said around 500 overseas volunteers would be given exemptions to enter Japan.
Olympic host Japan will not take part in China vaccine offer
Read full article: Olympic host Japan will not take part in China vaccine offerSeiko Hashimoto, president of the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020), speaks during a news conference Thursday, March 11, 2021, after attending the International Olympic Committee (IOC) general meeting. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, Pool)TOKYO – Japan will not take part in China's offer — accepted by the International Olympic Committee — to provide vaccines for “participants" in the postponed Tokyo Games and next year's Beijing Winter Games. Olympic Minister Tamayo Marukawa said Friday that Japan had not been consulted by the IOC about the Chinese vaccines, and that Japanese athletes would not take them. “We have been taking comprehensive anti-infectious disease measures for the Tokyo Games in order to allow participation without vaccinations,” Marukawa said. AdThe IOC has indicated it is a sports body and will not meddle in domestic issues in China.
IOC members worry about banning foreign fans from Olympics
Read full article: IOC members worry about banning foreign fans from Olympics(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, Pool)TOKYO – Several IOC members on Thursday reminded Tokyo Olympic organizers about the potential negative consequences of banning overseas fans from attending the postponed games. Tokyo organizers say a final decision about fans from abroad will be made before the torch relay starts on March 25. Many unsourced reports in Japan, citing unnamed officials, say the decision has already been made to keep fans from abroad out of the country. “So the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee is not in a position to comment.”AdRecent polls show up to 80% in Japan think the Olympics should be postponed or canceled. Reports in Japan say organizers are considering allowing some fans from abroad to attend if they have tickets from sponsors, national Olympic committees, or sports federations.
New Tokyo Olympic president tries to assure Japan on safety
Read full article: New Tokyo Olympic president tries to assure Japan on safetySeiko Hashimoto, president of the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020), speaks before reporters after a five-party meeting at the Tokyo 2020 headquarters in Tokyo on Wednesday, March 3, 2021. (Du Xiaoyi/Pool Photo via AP)TOKYO – The new president of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee has begun holding weekly news conferences hoping to win over a doubting Japanese public with the postponed games opening in just under five months. “I understand there are a lot of people in Tokyo and in Japan who have concerns about the games in Tokyo this summer. “People need to start to build confidence in the safety of the games,” Hashimoto said. “People in the world are now paying attention to gender issues, diversity issues on the organizing committee," she said.
Fans from abroad unlikely for postponed Tokyo Olympics
Read full article: Fans from abroad unlikely for postponed Tokyo OlympicsThis photo shows the opening remark session of a five-party meeting held by the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) at the Tokyo 2020 headquarters in Tokyo on Wednesday, March 3, 2021. The organizing committee has budgeted income of $800 million from ticket sales. The Tokyo Games have been haunted by problems. A bribery scandal tied to the bid in 2013 forced the resignation two years ago of Japanese Olympic Committee President Tsunekazu Takeda. Last month, former organizing committee president Yoshiro Mori was forced to resign after making sexist comments about women.
Tokyo Games offer Playbooks to assure athletes, sway public
Read full article: Tokyo Games offer Playbooks to assure athletes, sway publicChristophe Dubi, Olympic Games Executive Director for the International Olympic Committee (IOC), joins other representatives from the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) at a Joint press briefing in Tokyo on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021. “There are indeed a lot of questions in the public domain about how the games will take place this summer. And today is a preliminary review of how things will be done," Olympic Games executive director Christophe Dubi said in a video news conference with Tokyo officials. The rollout of the Playbooks is aimed at assuring athletes, and an attempt to convince the Japanese public that the Olympics should go ahead. The IOC held a similar session earlier in the week with Olympic athletes and their representatives to explain the stringent guidelines in their rule books.
Amid cancellation talk, Tokyo Olympics `focused on hosting'
Read full article: Amid cancellation talk, Tokyo Olympics `focused on hosting'FILE - In this Nov. 16, 2020, file photo, ThomasBach, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President,speaks during the joint press conference between IOC and Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) in Tokyo, Japan. The International Olympic Committee is pushing back against reports that the postponed Tokyo Olympics will be canceled and will not open on July 23. The Tokyo Games were postponed 10 months ago at the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, and now their future appears threatened again. (DuXiaoyi/Pool Photo via AP, File)TOKYO – IOC President Thomas Bach and local organizers are pushing back against reports that the postponed Tokyo Olympics will be canceled. “There is no doubt the Tokyo 2020 Games will be very different to any previous games and that this summer’s event looks a long way off right now.
Tokyo Olympics delay costs may reach $2.8 billion
Read full article: Tokyo Olympics delay costs may reach $2.8 billion(Kazuhiro Nogi/Pool Photo via AP)TOKYO – The cost of the postponement for the Tokyo Olympics could reach about $2.8 billion, according to figures released Friday by the Tokyo organizing committee, the Tokyo city government and Japan’s national government. “I think our biggest challenge is the additional costs,” Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said during an online news conference. Tokyo said the Olympics would cost $7.3 billion overall when it won the bid in 2013 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The operational cost for the delay is listed at 171 billion yen, or about $1.64 billion at the present exchange rate. Tokyo organizers also said they could add 27 billion yen (about $260 million) from a contingency fund to help cover added costs.
Bach issues gentle plea for Olympians to get vaccinated
Read full article: Bach issues gentle plea for Olympians to get vaccinatedIOC President Thomas Bach wearing a protective mask talks to journalists during a visit to Olympic and Paralympic Village in Tokyo Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020. (Nicolas Datiche/Pool Photo via AP)TOKYO – As he toured the Athletes Village on Tuesday, IOC President Thomas Bach issued a gentle plea to all competitors to get vaccinated before the Tokyo Olympics — if a vaccine is available. In a more private setting, Bach has spoken directly about Olympic athletes’ responsibility to consider the vaccine. In an on-line session last month with the IOC’s Athletes’ Commission, Bach was asked — among other things — if athletes would be “forced” to be vaccinated. As well as the 11,000 Olympic athletes, there could be tens of thousands of officials, judges, VIPs, and media and broadcasters traveling to Japan for the games.
Asia Today: New Zealand imposes new mask rules as precaution
Read full article: Asia Today: New Zealand imposes new mask rules as precautionThomasBach, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President,puts on his mask before speaking during the joint press conference between IOC and Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) in Tokyo, Japan, Nov. 16, 2020. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Virus Response Minister Chris Hipkins announced the new rules on Monday after meeting with senior lawmakers. — South Korea’s daily coronavirus tally has stayed above 200 for a third consecutive day, as authorities consider raising the country’s social distancing rules. The 223 additional cases recorded Monday by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency raised the country’s total to 28,769, including 494 deaths. The agency says 193 of them are locally transmitted cases while the rest was associated with international arrivals.
Tokyo Olympics and IOC find mostly minor areas to 'simplify'
Read full article: Tokyo Olympics and IOC find mostly minor areas to 'simplify'CEO of Tokyo 2020 Toshiro Muto and President of Tokyo 2020 Yoshiro Mori wear face masks as they leave a joint press conference between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) Friday, Sept. 25, 2020, in Tokyo. (Rodrigo Reyes Marin/Pool Photo via AP)TOKYO – Tokyo Olympic organizers announced several “simplification” changes Friday for next year’s postponed games, though with few large-scale cost savings. Simplifying the Tokyo Games has been a pledge of the International Olympic Committee and local organizers since COVID-19 forced the unprecedented delay six months ago. Tokyo organizing committee CEO Toshiro Muto was asked how much was being saved by the simplification. IOC President Thomas Bach, addressing Japanese officials on Thursday, suggested a vaccine could be ready for the Olympics, which open on July 23, 2021.
Tokyo Olympic head says 80% of facilities lined up for 2021
Read full article: Tokyo Olympic head says 80% of facilities lined up for 2021FILE.- In this May 12, 2020, file photo, a lone security guard stands at one of the venues for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. The head of the Tokyo Olympics on Friday, June 12, 2020, says that 80% of the facilities needed for next year's games have basic approvalto be used. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File)TOKYO About 80% of the facilities needed for next years postponed Tokyo Olympics have been lined up, the president of the organizing committee said Friday. The International Olympic Committee has said it will chip in $650 million, but has not offered specifics. The Tokyo Games are set to open on July 23, 2021.
Q&A: State of Tokyo Olympics 2 1/2 months after postponement
Read full article: Q&A: State of Tokyo Olympics 2 1/2 months after postponementTOKYO It's been 2 1/2 months since the Tokyo Olympics were postponed until next year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The IOC executive board meets on Wednesday and will hear a brief presentation from Tokyo organizers on a remote hookup, explaining where things stand. Pierre Ducrey, Olympic Games operations director, said last week that retaining the Olympic Village was problem No. A: No matter where the Olympics are held, or in what city, most Olympic venues look much the same on television. Bach earlier this year warned against using the Tokyo Olympics as a platform for highlighting political and social causes.