{"id":470642,"date":"2021-04-22T12:07:41","date_gmt":"2021-04-22T19:07:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=470642"},"modified":"2021-04-22T12:07:41","modified_gmt":"2021-04-22T19:07:41","slug":"swim-poll-of-the-week-64-agree-with-tokyo-olympics-barring-overseas-spectators","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/swim-poll-of-the-week-64-agree-with-tokyo-olympics-barring-overseas-spectators\/","title":{"rendered":"Swim Poll of the Week: 64% Agree With Tokyo Olympics Barring Overseas Spectators"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is the Swim Poll of the Week for Thursday April 22, 2021, sponsored by Strechcordz Swim Training Products<\/a>. In our last poll, we wanted to know:\u00a0Do you agree with the Tokyo Olympics being shut off to overseas spectators<\/strong>?<\/b><\/p>\n

The\u00a0Tokyo Olympics<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Paralympics<\/strong> will go ahead without overseas spectators because of the pandemic, Tokyo 2020 organisers confirmed on Saturday, March 20.<\/p>\n

While reports earlier this month had indicated this would be the case<\/a>, it has now been made official following a decision by the organising bodies during a remote meeting involving five parties, including the\u00a0International Olympic Committee<\/strong>\u00a0and the\u00a0International Paralympic Committee.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The meeting was attended by IOC president\u00a0Thomas Bach, Seiko Hashimoto<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 the Tokyo 2020 chief \u2013 IPC head\u00a0Andrew Parsons<\/strong>, Tokyo governor\u00a0Yuriko Koike<\/strong>\u00a0and Japan\u2019s Olympic minister\u00a0Tamayo Marukawa<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Olympics are scheduled to open on 23 July with the Paralympics set to follow from 24 August, a year after\u00a0Tokyo 2020<\/strong><\/a> was slated to take place but was instead pushed back a year because of the pandemic.<\/p>\n

A statement from the Tokyo 2020 organisers read:<\/p>\n

\u201cCurrently, the COVID-19 situation in Japan and many other countries around the world is still very challenging and a number of variant strains have emerged, whilst international travel remains severely restricted globally.<\/p>\n

\u201cBased on the present situation of the pandemic, it is highly unlikely that entry into Japan will be guaranteed this summer for people from overseas.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn order to give clarity to ticket holders living overseas and to enable them to adjust their travel plans at this stage, the parties on the Japanese side have come to the conclusion that they will not be able to enter into Japan at the time of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis conclusion will further contribute to ensure safe and secure Games for all participants and the Japanese public.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn line with their principle of safety first for all participants and out of respect for all the parties on the Japanese side, the IOC and IPC announced in today\u2019s Five Parties meeting that they fully respect and accept this conclusion.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnder these circumstances, ticketholders from overseas will soon be informed of the refund mechanism.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will continue to deliver a safe and secure Games in the hopes that they will be a light of hope.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

According to reports by the Associated Press and\u00a0Inside the Games<\/a>, CoSport, the Authorized Ticket Reseller (ATR) in the United States will only refund the face value of tickets purchased. What it won\u2019t refund is the 20% handling fee that it charges, which is a sum that can add up quickly depending on the ticket package that was purchased. For ticket holders who purchased $2000 in tickets, CoSport\u2019s policy means the buyer will be out $400.<\/p>\n

CoSport, which also operates as the ATR in Australia and several other countries, is blaming the Japanese government and Tokyo Organizing Committee for its decision, claiming those entities have dictated the terms and conditions of ticket purchasing. Meanwhile, refunds for the face value of tickets are not expected to be delivered to customers until later this year.<\/p>\n

When the Games are held in a few months, only Japanese spectators will fill the stands as a precaution against the further spread of COVID-19 by traveling international fans.<\/p>\n