Japan can’t catch a break with Olympics

With the one year postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the hope was the delay would allow health restrictions to ease so that international fans would be permitted to attend the rescheduled games this summer.

To ease concern, Japan’s top telecommunications company was getting about $67 million in taxpayer money to design mobile tracking software to curb the spread of coronavirus infections during the Tokyo Olympics. However, there’s one catch: Few Olympic fans from abroad will be around to use it.

Tokyo Olympic organizers and the IOC on March 20 announced a ban on fans from abroad attending the the games, which open on July 23. The app, developed in multiple languages, is set for release in June.

Like other skeptics, opposition lawmaker Kanako Otsuji has said the app is a waste of money. “When there will likely be no spectators, is this the time to be designing an app for fans?”

Users are to download the app in their cell phones so their whereabouts can be monitored with satellite technology. In theory, it tracks infections. But it all must be done in good faith and is effective only if people use it honestly and diligently to record their health conditions and warn others of outbreaks.

Japan now restricts people from entering the country because of the coronavirus pandemic, except for some essential travel and returning citizens.

Tokyo is officially spending $15.4 billion to prepare for the Olympics, but several government audits have suggested it’s at least $25 billion. All but $6.7 billion is public money.

Source: Associated Press

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Sailing Program
Men’s One Person Dinghy – Laser
Women’s One Person Dinghy – Laser Radial
Men’s Two Person Dinghy – 470
Women’s Two Person Dinghy – 470
Men’s Skiff – 49er
Women’s Skiff – 49erFx
Men’s One Person Dinghy Heavy – Finn
Men’s Windsurfing – RS:X
Women’s Windsurfing – RS:X
Mixed Multihull – Nacra 17

Original dates: July 24 to August 9, 2020
Revised dates: July 23 to August 8, 2021

Details: https://tokyo2020.org/en/games/schedule/olympic/