2020, the year the coronavirus triumphed over sports

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In March the world was gathered and paralyzed by the epidemic. Suddenly, crowds have turned into a deadly factor for the coronavirus. Suddenly all plans collapsed and the sports competitions began to be postponed in succession. Some have managed to move with the shoe horn on the calendar. Others have fought without a soul, that is, without an audience in the stands and turned into a pure television producer but without hearts that beat, enjoy and agonize instantly. But the big defeat for the sport occurred when the International Olympic Committee had no choice but to announce that the Tokyo Games, which were scheduled to begin last July, would not be held in 2020 and have been postponed until 2021.

At first, the IOC took a few weeks to deliberate and didn’t want to be categorical. The stakes were high. Billions have invested in facilities, infrastructure, and lush contracts with sponsors and with the powerful American corporation NBC hanging by a thread. Meanwhile, in many countries athletes cannot exercise properly and cry out to Heaven for an answer and a solution. In the end, the International Olympic Committee gave its arm to rally with the Tokyo Organizing Committee and released the sports news for 2020: that there will be no Olympic Games.

Without the heartbeat of a hobbyist

The absence of fans in most tournaments has generated a cold sport

The European Football Association (UEFA) was less sensitive, which made a decision before the Olympic movement on the European Championship. Football leaders saw it clear very quickly because it was a multi-venue European Cup, to be held in 12 cities in 12 countries. A unique idea promoted at the time by then-UEFA president, Michel Platini, which, under normal circumstances, would already entail greater regulatory complications. Add to that the fact that the Coronavirus was running like wildfire internationally, then there is no place to take the tournament. Thus the European Cup was erased in one fell swoop from the calendar.

In parallel, the major sports leagues were desperately looking for an exit. He found it the richest sports, such as football and basketball. The massive purchase of PCR tests for soccer players was the origin of a strict protocol and tournaments could be completed in Spain, Germany, Italy or England. This is not the case in France, for example. The champions also reinvented themselves and competed in the quarter-finals and semi-finals One-match finals in Lisbon, where the final match that was originally scheduled to be held in Istanbul. Although one bubble of the NBA is in the Disney Territory of Orlando. There the regular stage ended and all the qualifiers were played, of course, behind closed doors.

Results

The European Cup and Wimbledon were another great event that could not be held

Without an audience, most of the F-1 Grand Prix and MotoGP were also raced. With very few spectators, Roland Garros was played, which started in late May to the end of September and which was staged after the US Open tennis tournament. At least these two greats have been played. Not so at Wimbledon, which is the only Grand Slam tournament to have signed insurance that allows it not to keep a copy without much financial suffering. Although for the translated calendar it is cycling. The tour went from July to August and September. Gero from May to October. And Vilta, which partially coincided with the Italian tour, runs from August to October and November. With cyclists fully aware of PCR tests at all times.

Everything was to save the competition and, above all, the business, which relied to a large extent on television rights. Although many times what they present is more of an alternative, a cool product, as if it were a video game or a virtual reality competition. There were the usual heroes but their voices, discussions and struggles were heard. There was no one to encourage or scold them. There was no one who could influence the arbitration award, without going any further. It is not known who would have won contests with the public in the stands. However, some results may have changed. It is played or contested in many cases for the sake of people but people have had to stay home. That was also a huge defeat.

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