"Real problems": IOC man Coates skeptical of the 2021 Olympics

Tokyo - Bach had previously spoken out against Olympic ghost games without spectators

John Coates, head of the International Olympic Committee's coordination committee, has doubts about hosting the 2021 Summer Games in Tokyo. The games, which were postponed by one year because of the corona crisis, would be exposed to "real problems", said Coates in a press round organized by the Australian media group News Corp. According to Coates, the production of a Olympia vaccine may not be able to save.
"We cannot postpone again and we must assume that there will be no vaccine or not enough to distribute it around the world," said Coates. Meanwhile, IOC President Thomas Bach supports the attitude of the local organizers to completely cancel the Tokyo Games if the date cannot be met next year (July 24 to August 9).
Already at the end of April, Tokyo OC chief Yoshiro Mori had declared after a conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that hostage in the summer of 2021 was the only option and a further postponement was not possible if the corona virus continued to pose a threat. However, if the virus is under control by October, Coates wants to prepare "different scenarios in which the sport can take place".
The problem is diverse. "Are we quarantining the Olympic Village? Do all athletes have to be quarantined? Do we limit the number of spectators? Do we separate the athletes from the mixed zone, where the media are?" Asked Coates.
Bach had previously spoken out against Olympic ghost games without spectators in an interview with the BBC. "The Olympic spirit is also based on uniting fans," said the IOC president.