Ugly $15 billion truth behind Tokyo Olympics' pandemic 'gamble'

While the world bid farewell to an Olympic Games like none before it, Tokyo awoke the next day with a huge bill, soaring coronavirus cases and a mixed-reception from the public.

The Tokyo closing ceremony saw Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach remain adamant the Games was a beacon of hope to the millions around the world suffering in a pandemic.

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"These Olympic Games have been a powerful demonstration of the unifying power of sport," IOC's Bach said at his closing press conference.

But it will take longer for Japan to reckon with a Games that were highly controversial and unfolded as virus cases exploded in Tokyo and elsewhere.

Local newspaper the Asahi Shimbun daily, which initially called for the cancellation of the Games despite being a sponsor, said the nearly $15 billion event was a "gamble" with people's lives.

"This gamble went ahead, making the situation worse," it said on Monday.

And that gamble has divided a nation.

A poll conducted by the paper over the last two days of the Games found 56 per cent of Japanese supported holding the event, with 32 per cent opposed.

Just 32 percent said they felt the Games were "safe and secure", with 54 per cent unconvinced.

And the public had a right to be concerned with the mid-pandemic Games taking place like no other.

Athletes were forced to wear masks, crowds were prohibited and all those in attendance remained in a biosecurity bubble for the duration of the Olympics.

Despite everything, as the Games opened there were signs that Japan's public might be having a change of heart.

While so many were against the Games, held during a state of emergency in Tokyo, thousands flocked to outdoor events to catch a glimpse of the athletes.

Cycling was one such event where thousands of fans were seen, all in masks, lining up down the side of the road to catch a glimpse.

When other sports got under way, people defied requests to stay away from events held on public roads, and snapped up Olympic merchandise in stores across Japan.

"If you see these athletes running in front of you, you can't help but cheer for them," Hirochika Tadeda told AFP along the route of the triathlon, which passed in front of his home.

Tributes to the athletes were a key theme of editorials in Japan on Monday, with the Yomiuri Shimbun offering "high praise for competitions into which they poured all their efforts."

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There had been concerns about what the pandemic and the postponement would mean for sport at the Games.

But despite some high-profile disappointments, performances remained impressive, with world records broken and the successful introduction of several new sports including skateboarding and surfing.

The coronavirus cast a long shadow over the Games from the start, and several athletes' Olympic dreams were shattered by the results of a PCR test.

Most though were just happy the Games went ahead at all.

"Mid-pandemic they successfully held an amazing Olympics. Always greeting us with a smile and so much kindness. Thank you," wrote Australian footballer Alanna Kennedy on Twitter.

"The Games have been held in the most challenging circumstances imaginable and the organisers have excelled," added Hugh Robertson, chairman of the British Olympic Association.

Japanese gold rush changes public perception

Public perception before the Games was dire.

Protests marred the lead-up to the opening ceremony and local polls suggested the public sentiment was against the Games due to the growing number of Covid-19 cases in Tokyo.

But, after a record 27 gold medals and finishing third in the medal tally, Japanese Olympic officials said they felt the gold rush drove public support for the Games.

Officials highlighted the families who brought children to venues to cheer outside or hung flags in their windows as an example.

But behind the cheering, there is a looming sense of crisis over the sharp rise in virus cases during the Games.

Tokyo and many other parts of the country are under virus state of emergency, and only around a third of the country is fully vaccinated as the Delta variant fuels surging infections.

The issue could weigh on Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's political future, as he faces a leadership race and then a general election by October.

For some though, the sporting highlights swept away concerns about the pandemic.

"It's true that I was a little worried," 21-year-old university student Reita Goto told AFP.

"But in the end the Olympics has brightened up not only Japan but also the world."

with AFP

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