- London has previously held the 2012 Olympics.
- The coronavirus has taken a big hit on the upcoming Summer Olympics.
- London officials spoke out to offer to hold the Olympics if the coronavirus cannot be contained.
LONDON - With the 2020 summer Olympics coming up in Tokyo, the coronavirus has kept on spreading and it is starting to question the reality of the Olympics being able to take place in Japan.
This would be a very unfortunate situation as Japan has been preparing to host the Olympics for seven years when they first won the bid back in 2013.
If this nightmare does become a reality, London officials have spoken out offering to hold the Olympics once more if needed.
Coronavirus Affects
As the days go by, the deadly coronavirus continuously keeps spreading. The virus has caused a lot of fear as it has already caused more than 2,000 fatalities and has infected over 74,000 people globally. Japan has been aggressively trying to contain the fatal disease.
“We must firmly tackle the new coronavirus to contain it—or we are going to regret it. I will do the utmost to contain this new problem as we cooperate closely with all of you,” said Yuriko Koike, governor of Tokyo.
The Olympic committee in Tokyo has also been cautious when it comes to attempting to contain the virus as well.
“Countermeasures against infectious diseases constitute an important part of our plans to host a safe and secure (Olympic) games,” said the Olympic committee.
London 2020?
London has previously held the Olympics before back in 2012. With the coronavirus still spreading, it might be time for London to host the Olympics once more.
“London can host the Olympics in 2020. We have the infrastructure and the experience. And due to the coronavirus outbreak, the world might need us to step up. As Mayor, I will make sure London is ready to answer the call,” tweeted Shaun Bailey a mayoral candidate for the Conservative Party.
London can host the #Olympics in 2020.
We have the infrastructure and the experience.
And due to the #coronavirus outbreak, the world might need us to step up.As Mayor, I will make sure London is ready to answer the call and host the Olympics again.https://t.co/1jJesWS1D6
— Shaun Bailey (@ShaunBaileyUK) February 19, 2020
If this were to be the case, London would be more than prepared as the last time the Olympics were held there, there was a record-breaking 14 million people either attending or participating in the 2012 games.
“Everyone is working towards what will be a fantastic Tokyo games. In the unlikely event that it is required, London, as it has done throughout history, will do its best to step up to the plate,” said a representative for London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
Tokyo is expecting 920,000 people to travel abroad in order to either witness, participate, or bet on the Olympics in 2020. That many people traveling to Japan could be very dangerous if the virus is not contained by then.
“The epidemic has indeed presented severe challenges as we prepare for Tokyo…but as of now, preparations for all teams are going smoothly and no suspected case has occurred,” said Liu Guoyong, the head official in charge of competitions from the General Administration of Sports.