The Summer Olympics are officially in jeopardy.
Per the Associated Press, The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is concerned about the spread of the coronavirus in Japan, and are considering cancelling the Olympics set to unfold in Tokyo in July and August. And although it's a very serious situation, people couldn't help but joke about long-serving IOC member Dick Pound, whose suggestive name was trending on Twitter shortly afyer her made the announcement.
Now that you've gotten your jollies, let's get back to the real issue at hand. Japan has reported four deaths due to the coronavirus, leading officials to worry about the virus taking a foothold in the country ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. There have been several suggested plans in case the illness infects more people. One was to postpone the games until things are under control, but the complicated logistics of the Olympics make that prospect unrealistic.
"You just don’t postpone something on the size and scale of the Olympics," Pound said. "There’s so many moving parts, so many countries and different seasons, and competitive seasons, and television seasons. You can’t just say, 'We’ll do it in October.'"
Also, London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey threw out the idea of London being the alternative host city, but Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike claimed that this was just an attempt to gain political clout.
"[A] lot of things have to start happening. You’ve got to start ramping up your security, your food, the Olympic Village, the hotels. The media folks will be in there building their studios," Pound said. If not, then the Olympics will likely be cancelled.
