Exclusive Interview: In March 2020, International Olympic Committee member Alex Giladi (78) was one of the few who believed that the Tokyo Games would take place as usual • He admits: "There is no Plan B" • And is not in a hurry to retire: "Already working on the next Olympics"
Alex Giladi.
"Hope the skeptics eat the hat"
Photography:
Danny Maron
Exactly a year ago, questions began to be asked about the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The writer of these lines, determined to get to the games even though the betting agencies already understood themselves that the games would be postponed, stood almost alone thinking that the huge event would take place.
So did Alex Giladi, a member of the International Olympic Committee, who insisted above every screen on repeating the mantra that the Games would be held.
How did it end?
A year has passed, and the 2021 games in Tokyo may be canceled.
"I still have heartburn from the hat I ate a year ago," Giladi begins the interview with a smile.
"But I hope this year I will also feel the other side, of the victory, in front of all those who doubt the ability to hold Olympic Games, and this time it will be helpful to eat the hat," 78-year-old Giladi continues with a smile the video call we have while waiting at home for the vaccine The other and little to go out.
"The Japanese government is doing everything"
Alex, we now hear Thomas Bach, chairman of the International Olympic Committee, say that "there is no Plan B."
Didn't you learn a lesson?
"He's right, there is no Plan B. Either the Games will take place, or they will be canceled and the next Olympics will take place in Paris 2024. I read and hear about angled programs like the Olympics elsewhere. Of course it will not happen. And is the theory that the Olympics will return to Tokyo true? Who knows? ".
The London Times, which is a very serious body, is dripping with no Olympic games because the Japanese are mostly against and the national mood is poor.
"It is indeed a serious newspaper, it is just a pity that it quotes an anonymous source who cannot be confronted and respond to his claims. I can tell you that the Japanese government wants the games in Tokyo to be organized. It is doing everything it can under the Corona restrictions so that next summer the games will take place."
The 2021 version is waiting. Will the games kick off in the summer? // Photo: IPI
The final decision will be made in March, and until then no one will really know what will happen?
"We are working on protocols related to the preparations for the Olympics. We take into account that this must happen in March, because if you want to come with your child to Tokyo you can not wait until the last minute to plan the trip. Will there be a crowd? Will there not be a crowd? I am currently I can not answer this question with confidence, and it is doubtful if there is anyone in the world who can answer it. "
"Keeping our interests"
What about the many athletes coming from all over the world, it sounds like this is going to be a different Olympics than what we got to know.
"True, the Olympic Village will be smaller in terms of the amount it inhabits, athletes will not be able to move around freely and most of them will stay in the Olympic Village for a shorter time. Everyone will arrive shortly before their competition, and no more. They will also undergo a lot of testing throughout their journey. To Tokyo and Tokyo. "
And in terms of the media, it seems that the West is in no hurry to fly to the East.
Will there be a solution to the issue?
"The amount of journalists on the waiting list for approval to cover the games is huge today and above the amount we can provide. There is a sense in the global media that this event is about to mark humanity's victory over the virus, and everyone wants to be there when it happens because they believe it is happening. That some of the media are reporting on. "
Want to believe. Tokyo Governor Euriko Koika and the amulets of the games // Photo: EP
Let's talk for a moment about you on a personal level. Is this your last summer Olympics?
"Members of the Olympic Committee end their term at the age of 80. This is another two years for me. At the same time, this week I had a meeting on Paris 2024 and I continue to work normally. Does that mean it's my end on the International Olympic Committee? There are many options to continue as an honorary member and volunteer. Me, but I'm definitely working on the games in Paris in March, and there are more winter games in Beijing before that. "
We've talked more than once about your heir's interest.
Since you are not a representative of a country, this task is particularly difficult because nothing is guaranteed.
"This is definitely a very difficult task, but I think it is a fairly important matter. It has been proven throughout the years that representing our interests in all the various institutions is extremely important, especially in view of the challenges facing us internationally in the post-Corona years. It is an important task for me to know. Represent us faithfully even after the time comes and I will leave the position. "
