The Olympic torch was lit on Thursday – then its relay was put to an abrupt halt on Friday
At this point, any sporting event that is scheduled to continue is considered an outlier.
As of yesterday, the biggest outlier was this year’s biggest global sporting event: the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The Olympic flame has been lit. #Tokyo2020 ?#OlympicTorchRelay #UnitedByEmotion pic.twitter.com/3ofUWWMeI2
— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) March 12, 2020
On Thursday, the Olympic flame was lit at Olympia, Greece, kicking off the Olympic torch relay.
But just a day later, the passing of the torch came to an abrupt halt.
Big crowds force HOC to suspend Olympic torch relay in Greece https://t.co/o0ynqIUOVM pic.twitter.com/0isRVNVB3D
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 13, 2020
During a week where America has canceled its biggest sporting events and suspended play in some of its most popular sports leagues, and the globe’s most popular sport has canceled or postponed several of its upcoming events, many had been waiting on a response from the Olympic Games regarding the coronavirus pandemic.
President Donald Trump was the first to address the issue:
‘Maybe they postpone it for a year,’ said President Trump about the Tokyo 2020 Olympics amid a global #coronavirus outbreak https://t.co/yYoZfSFVhM pic.twitter.com/722BixbFKk
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 12, 2020
But it seemed his suggestion was met with repudiation.
Japan’s government brushed off Trump’s suggestion to delay the Tokyo Olympics by one year, saying it’s pressing ahead to start the Games as planned this summer https://t.co/lt9CJM6JsE
— TIME (@TIME) March 13, 2020
On Thursday, the two Twitter accounts associated with the Tokyo Olympics – @Olympics and @Tokyo2020 – the focus remained on the torch lighting and the importance of the Olympic Games to the city of Tokyo:
Anna Korakaki ?? has made history by becoming the first female torchbearer to ever start the #OlympicTorchRelay
The gold medal winning shooter from Rio 2016 ? will receive the @OlympicFlame and an olive branch. ?️#UnitedByEmotion #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/VlqpGauRjq
— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) March 12, 2020
Anna Korakaki will now pass the flame to Mizuki Noguchi, the first Japanese torch relay runner. ? ??
A marathon gold medallist at Athens 2004 , Mizuki Noguchi ?will receive the flame by a process called a “torch kiss”. ?#OlymipicTorchRelay #UnitedByEmotion #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/wUY856Xo4U
— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) March 12, 2020
‘Hope Lights Our Way’
– Vice President of Tokyo 2020, Mr. Toshiaki Endo address the crowd at the Lighting Ceremony on the importance of the Olympic Games to Tokyo. #OlympicTorchRelay #UnitedByEmotion @Olympics pic.twitter.com/ndnsjzF7Dq
— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) March 12, 2020
“At the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, we will stand together, together united in all our diversity.”
– IOC President Thomas Bach #OlympicTorchRelay #UnitedByEmotion @Olympics #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/x1BwDrYw0h
— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) March 12, 2020
THIS IS #Tokyo2020#OlympicTorchRelay #UnitedByEmotion @Rio2016
3⃣0⃣0⃣ pic.twitter.com/lUh2vxGkDq
— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) March 13, 2020
Still, it had become noticeable that there was no mention of coronavirus over the course of the day or the week, except from outside media outlets:
The International Olympic Committee and local organizers say the games are on, but the clock is ticking https://t.co/8o9XDXbZl9
— TIME (@TIME) March 10, 2020
Tokyo Olympics could be canceled due to coronavirus, says IOC memberhttps://t.co/KdWKDkQppz
— CNET (@CNET) March 6, 2020
Early Friday morning, it was reported that Japanese policymakers were weighing the effects of a cancellation or postponement of the Games:
Exclusive: Japan’s economic policymakers now factoring in Olympics cancelation, sources say https://t.co/07nFDvX4Mq pic.twitter.com/u2bz1OldU1
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 13, 2020
However, things changed on Friday morning, after hundreds of supporters gathered to watch the torch being passed in Sparta:
Greece suspends Olympic torch relay because of coronavirus, one day after flame was lit https://t.co/c8xd6LIg0q
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) March 13, 2020
Stay tuned for more updates.
