Is Tokyo 2020 Burning?
Two months before the opening of the Olympics (July 24 to August 8) - and as the country faces a significant rise in Covid-19 cases - anger is mounting in Japan.
Launched online in early May by Kenji Utsunomiya, lawyer and former candidate for governor of Tokyo, the “Cancel the Tokyo Olympics to protect our lives” petition has been signed by more than 352,000 people.
"This time, the question is what we prioritize: life or a ceremony and an event called the Olympics," points out the lawyer.
Not sure that this weakens the organizers who have invested 12 billion euros in the competition and the International Olympic Committee, even if its president Thomas Bach has given up a visit to Tokyo scheduled for the beginning of the week, officially because of the state of emergency extended until May 31.
As for Tokyo 2020 (despite the postponement of the Olympics for a year, the name of Tokyo 2020 has been kept), we are trying to reassure the population, rather hostile to the holding of the event, by highlighting the perfect success (particularly in terms of health) “test events”, these competitions organized before the Olympic Games on competition sites.
To read alsoJO of Tokyo: a union of Japanese doctors is "strongly" opposed to the holding of the Olympic Games
Placed under the aegis of the international federation, the Triathlon World Cup which takes place this Saturday morning in Yokohama, south of the Japanese capital, does not fall into this category. However, it will serve as a dress rehearsal, as the health measures put in place are similar to those that will be in force during the Games.
"There is a very strong expectation from the Japanese authorities for it to be square," underlines Benjamin Maze, the national technical director (DTN) of the triathlon.
Sanitary bubbles have been created.
The flight times were defined in advance, the hotels were chosen by the organization, it is not possible for the triathletes to go out as they want, to go for a run or to cycle.
The training times are programmed, you are taken to the site by car, meals are taken in the single room.
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Preserving athletes
If during the Olympics, the 10,000 athletes expected must undergo a daily saliva test, in Yokohama, the triathletes make up with regular PCR tests.
And with the tracking application, which will be in service at the Olympic Games and which will make it possible to know the movements of all the accredited members, and therefore, to identify possible contact cases.
“This idea of repeating sanitary conditions, constraints and limitations of freedom is of great interest to us,” continues Benjamin Maze.
We can thus plan on what will await us this summer.
In that, it was important to live this competition.
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Since the start of the Covid-19 crisis, the executives of the French triathlon federation have been trying to protect athletes from constraints. “We take care of translating the protocols, giving them the information at the right time and in the right way. They are asked to focus on the one thing they are in control of, which is their preparation. I spoke with some before leaving for Japan, they had bought books in particular. They are able to keep up the wait, they know there is no point in railing, saying they would like to go out, they can't act on that and focus on the competition. “Especially since it is at the end of this, that the federation will announce Wednesday, May 19 the names of the French triathletes qualified for the Olympic Games.