Beat Covid-19 and achieve dreams of getting back to normal

0

the Tokyo Olympics 2020 They extinguished their flames and presented the witness to Paris 2024. And they did so knowing that they had achieved the seemingly impossible. The sporting event was postponed last year due to the coronavirus and its celebration in 2021 was left on the air due to the progression of the pandemic. However, the confidence COI and organizationOvercoming even social pressures, he managed everything. Tokyo 2020 concludes with the approval of health security and sets the stage for celebrations of all kinds of events of these dimensions.

You don’t have to go far to see a catastrophic horizon. A few days before the start of the Games, the door was left open in Japan for the event to be suspended. If the cases rise significantly, Tokyo 2020. Panic has spread among the athletes and fans, but doubts soon linger. After months of work, and in an even more tense situation, he had no intention of backing down. The Olympic Games were to be held. And so it became.

The organization’s great victory is keeping the Olympic bubble safe. While in other competitions and tournaments of less organizational difficulty than the Olympics, there were many outbreaks, in Tokyo there was a great deal of control. In total, during the entire Olympic event there was 430 positives. Data obtained with daily controls from 1 July to 8 August. But, in addition, from this figure only 29 affected athletes Participation in Tokyo 2020.

Lydia Valentine at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Reuters

Evidence for the success of protection is that the situation outside the bubble was very different. Japan had to extend the state of health emergency to more areas and even banned alcohol distribution. Tokyo, which was already in this situation, also did not improve, and in the final week of the Olympics, it set several records for daily infection, reaching more than 5,000 in 24 hours. Figures that contrast with a few cases of gaming heroes and that allow us to understand the citizens’ anger.

strict protocol

Living in the Olympic Village wasn’t entirely comfortable either. Compared to other versions of the Olympics where sightseeing or meeting locals was common, this time it was difficult to connect with those who weren’t part of each team’s bubble. It was forbidden to go out, eat in restaurants, and contact various athletes. In addition, if they are found to be non-compliant with the protocol, they may be expelled.

But control began much earlier. First of all, on the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee for vaccination. The committee called on the delegations to vaccinate their players out of respect for the Japanese people. There were some like Spain that benefited from Con COI PfizerThey launched a vaccination plan for the Olympians that ended with good results.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach and Puerto Rican athlete Yasmine Camacho Quinn, gold in the 100m hurdles in Tokyo 2020, during the closing of the Olympics

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach and Puerto Rican athlete Yasmine Camacho Quinn, gold in the 100m hurdles in Tokyo 2020, during the closing of the Olympics

Reuters

But the thing did not end there. To travel to Japanese territory, you had to submit two negative tests that were taken 72 hours ago. Once there, a new test was passed to verify that it was negative. In fact, many positive cases have been detected in this way. After filling out the usual Covid-19 document, detailing the contacts that were to be made at the Olympic Village, they can now move around the facilities. Of course, they always limit their contacts, wear a mask and respect social distance.

Control during games

The organization had to intervene on several occasions due to non-compliance with its protocols. In some of them even in a surreal way, as happened with a Ugandan athlete who fled the Olympic village before the competition. In his case, he did so because he did not return to his country and sought a more prosperous life on Japanese soil, although he ended up being arrested and deported to Uganda. But, unlike anecdotal, this quick response reflects the authorities’ interest in enforcing the rules.

Two Georgian medalists were even expelled. Lasha Shavdatuashvili and won by Margilashvili They left the facilities without permission, and after the organization discovered this hole in their protocol, they intervened to remove their credits and end their stay in Tokyo.

Strict control made it possible to stop an outbreak like the one that broke out Czech Republicwhose case went around the world due to doubts in his position. The Czech team doctor was associated with denial movements and was not vaccinated. The case even reached his country’s government, which was embarrassed by the photo that was given to her.

Empty stands of Tokyo 2020 Stadium

Empty stands of Tokyo 2020 Stadium

Reuters

Deviation point

The Tokyo Olympics can be before and after the celebration of big events. Thousands of athletes lived together in the various Olympic villages, and it was always under the control of an organization that publicly announced all the positives discovered on a daily basis. And no competition was changed due to a widespread outbreak that broke planning. A sign that under an iron protocol that in turn requires investment, it is possible to restore mega sporting events.

However, the ultimate goal is to be able to run these tournaments with the extra crowd. The IOC tried until the last minute, but poor data collected outside the Olympic bubble made it impossible to see the thousands of Japanese fans who should have supported in every discipline. Internal security is guaranteed as proven. The challenge is to restore normalcy as the masses return. the National Championships They will be a scene to watch this change, but it is becoming clear that the battle against Covid-19 is also being won in sport.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *