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2030 olympics

2030 Winter Olympics In French Alps Adds Synchro Skating And Freeride Skiing Events

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The International Olympic Committee announced some updates this week regarding the 2030 Winter Olympics, which are taking place in the French Alps. 

The program for the 2030 Games now includes two new disciplines, synchronized figure skating and freeride skiing. They also gave a reprieve to snowboard parallel giant slalom by keeping it on the program, and are completely dropping Nordic combined. These changes also mean that there are more female than male athletes competing at the next Winter Games. 

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Reports show that the IOC set a record quota of 3,046 athletes with 1,525 female and 1,521 male for the next Winter Games. In the most recent edition at the Milan Cortina Olympics this past February, there was a majority of male athletes among the nearly 2,900 athletes competing. 

In the next edition in the French Alps, there will be more medal events for women than men with 56 compared to 55, and 15 mixed events in the 126 total. 

The Nordic combined is the only sport that was an original Winter Games sport back in 1924, and had always been all-male. The IOC did have the option of adding women’s and team events, however they ended up completely cutting it, citing that it struggled to find a “modern audience” for its mix of ski jumping and cross-country skiing. 

Nordic combined was also the only Winter Olympics sport that excluded a gender, so more men had an opportunity for gold. 

The IOC executive board acknowledged that even outside of the Olympic Games, the sport did not have a strong international representation outside of Europe. The board also studied the popularity of it in 14 different ways before coming to their decision, including monitoring broadcast coverage, digital media interactions, and ticket sales. 

The IOC said that Nordic combined ranked last in 11 out of the 14 indicators during the most recent Milan Cortina Winter Games. 

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Nordic combined race director at the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, Lasse Ottesen, stated that this decision from the IOC was “extremely disappointing.”

“I am at a loss for words and struggle to understand the reasoning behind it. Nordic combined has been at the heart of Nordic skiing and part of the Olympic Games since 1924,” he said. 

IOC president Kristy Coventry said this week, however, that there is still hope that the discipline can return at the 2034 Utah Winter Games while acknowledging the disappointment those surrounding the event are feeling: “We know and can fully understand that this may come as a disappointment.”

“It is a shock that will take time to process,” said Norway’s Ida Marie Hagen, a two-time overall women’s World Cup champion. 

“It feels really hard that we never even got the chance to show our sport in the Olympics before we were cut out. I love this sport and we will fight all we can so that the next generation will get the change in this sport as well. Hopefully in 2034.”

On the other end, synchronized skating is added to the list. The discipline is typically seen as only for women, however it will be left open to let men also compete in the French Alps. 

Freeride skiing also will be added, allowing viewers to see professional skiers and snowboarders perform away from traditional slopes and on more natural terrain.

Women’s Tennis Tournaments Suspended in China Over Peng Shuai Censorship

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Steve Simon, the chairman and CEO of the women’s professional tennis tour, announced Wednesday that all Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) events occuring in China would be suspended due to the ongoing concerns over the country censoring her following Peng accusing a former government official of sexual assault.

In the statement, Simon expresses his doubts over claims that Peng is free, safe, and not being “censored or coerced, or intimidated” despite knowing her location. The chairman also explained that allowing sexual assault to go unpunished, it would be setting both the organization and equality back.

“None of this is acceptable nor can it become acceptable. If powerful people can suppress the voices of women and sweep allegations of sexual assault under the rug, then the basis on which the WTA was founded – equality for women – would suffer an immense setback. I will not and cannot let that happen to the WTA and its players.”

“Given the current state of affairs, I am also greatly concerned about the risks that all of our players and staff could face if we were to hold events in China in 2022,” Simon said, who called for a complete and transparent investigation into the allegations. Simon gave no indications as to how long the suspension would last.

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The decision will have some costly ramifications. As Yahoo! Sports notes, the WTA tournaments generate tens of millions of dollars annually, while Shenzhen, China’s bid for the WTA Final included a promise to double the prize money from $7 million to $14 million. In 2019, WTA tournaments accounted for $30 million total in prize money.

The 35-year-old Peng has enjoyed quite of bit of success throughout her career, winning two singles and 23 doubles at major events such as the Wimbledon Championship, US Open, and French Open. Peng, who once ranked #1 in the world, was also a member of China’s women’s tennis teams in both the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics.

Peng brought the matter to the forefront back on Nov. 2, when she made a social media posting on Weibo — a Chinese platform — about former Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli. Peng claimed he forced her to have sex three years ago, despite several refusals. She also stated they had sex several years ago. The post was taken down by Chinese authorities within 30 minutes, and Peng suddenly disappeared from the public eye.

Peng would later reappear in a video and photos posted by state-run social media on Nov. 20, at a youth tennis tournament in Beijing. Despite the country’s actions to stop the bleeding, neither the Chinese government nor Zhang, 75, have commented on the allegations. An email supposedly sent by Peng to Simon was released by Chinese media, but Simon stated he doubted the authenticity and that it only raised further questions in regards to Peng’s status and safety.

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International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach held a video conference with Peng on Nov. 21, and said that while she is “safe and well,” she would “like to have her privacy respected at this time.” The IOC also held a second video conference with Peng on Thursday, and once again stated her wellbeing and safety. No transcripts or video from either conference have been presented.

Despite the IOC’s claim, many are still suspicious given the circumstances. According to The Associated Press, the European Union said it wants China to give “verifiable proof” that Peng is safe.

Beijing is set to hold the 2022 Winter Olympics in January, which has also been a source of controversy. Numerous protests have occurred, petitioning countries, sponsors, and athletes to boycott the Olympics due to China’s treatment of Uyghur and Kazakh Muslims, in addition to its “geopolitical bullying.”

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Olympic Athletes Promised Legal Support If They Protest After IOC Reinforces Ban 

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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently confirmed their long-standing ban on “demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda” on the field of play, medal podiums, or official ceremonies. A global union and activist group based in Germany responded by promising legal support to any athlete who makes a political or social justice statement at the Tokyo Olympics this summer. 

Simply raising a fist or taking a knee on the field could lead to immediate punishment from the IOC. The Olympic bodys legal team, however, still hasn’t clarified what kind of punishment an athlete would experience should they defy this rule.

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“The IOC also said that slogans such as ‘Black Lives Matter’ will not be allowed on athlete apparel at Olympic venues, though it approved using the words ‘peace,’ ‘respect,’ ‘solidarity,’ ‘inclusion’ and ‘equality’ on T-shirts. The IOC’s athletes’ commission cited support to uphold Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter from more than two-thirds of about 3,500 replies from consulting athlete groups,” according to reports from ESPN. 

“This is precisely the outcome we expected, the Olympic movement doesn’t understand its own history better than the athletes. Any athlete sanctioned at the Tokyo Olympics will have the full backing of World Players.”

“Should German athletes decide to peacefully stand up for fundamental values such as fighting racism during the Olympic Games, they can rely on the legal support of Athleten Deutschland,” Johannes Herber, the chief executive of the independent group representing German athletes, said in a statement.

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In a statement, another athlete group, Global Athlete, encouraged athletes to “not allow outdated ‘sports rules’ to supersede your basic human rights. These types of surveys only empower the majority when it is the minority that want and need to be heard.” 

The IOC claimed cases would each be judged based on merits, and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, on Thursday, released a statement saying it “plans to update our recently released policy over protests in response to the IOC’s decision have not changed. We’re disappointed to see no meaningful or impactful change to Rule 50.Until the IOC changes its approach of feeding the myth of the neutrality of sport or protecting the status quo, the voices of marginalized athletes will continue to be silenced.”

Actors who break Rule 50 will be sanctioned by one to three bodies: the IOC, their sports governing body, and their national Olympic Committee. 

It’s still unclear what the punishment would look like for athletes who choose to protest. After Tommie Smith and John Carlos were recently inducted into the Olympic Hall Of Fame after being banned from the games for protesting on the podium during the 1968 Games, IOC officials claimed they would never ban an athlete to the same extent again.

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Another Tokyo Olympic Official Has Resigned After Making Sexist Comments 

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The 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games creative director, Hiroshi Sasaki, resigned this week after he made demeaning remarks about well-known Japanese celebrity Naomi Wanatabe. This is now the second Tokyo Olympic official to resign after making offensive comments directed at women; nearly one month ago the president of the organizing committee was forced to resign after making sexist comments. 

The Tokyo Olympics are currently scheduled to begin in four months from now with the Olympic torch relay set to start next week in northeastern Japan; 10,000 runners are set to move across Japan for the next four months. 

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Last year, Sasaki suggested to staff members that well-known entertainer Naomi Watanabe could perform in the ceremony as an “Olympig,” an obvious play on words to the word “Olympic,” and an offensive remark regarding Sasaki’s inappropriate, and uncalled for, view of the entertainers body. 

Watanabe is a major female fashion icon in Japan, and is one of the most famous celebrities in the country as well. The story regarding Sasaki’s remarks were initially reported in the magazine Bunshun, and eventually it was everywhere. Considering this story broke less than a month after the organizing committee’s president was forced to resign for commenting that women talk too much in meetings, it makes sense that Sasaki would be just as ostracized just as quickly. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike spoke on these comments to the press this week as well:

“Sasaki’s comments are extremely embarrassing. When we are talking about what we deliver from Tokyo, or from Japan, we shouldn’t be sending a negative and hateful message.”

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Sasaki released a statement this week announcing his resignation: “For Ms. Naomi Watanabe, my idea and comments are a big insult. And it is unforgivable. I offer my deepest regrets and apologize from the depth of my heart to her, and those who may have been offended by this. It is truly regrettable, and I apologize from the bottom of my heart.”

Current president of the organizing committee, Seiko Hashimoto, also released a statement this week in a news conference following the resignation. “Sasaki’s replacement would come quickly. I did feel that way but he explained, and his intention was very strong. That is how I felt. For those reasons I decided to accept his resignation. The IOC also received the (magazine) article and they were quite concerned.”

This is yet another hurdle in the multitude of things that the IOC and organizing committee have had to endure when it comes to organizing these Games. Both groups believe that the Games should still go on despite the fact that we are not out of the woods with the Covid-19 pandemic yet, while Japanese citizens have been pushing back. This is officially the most expensive Olympics on record due to the delays and adjustments made within the past year. 

Legendary Olympic Athlete, Seiko Hashimoto, Named President Of Tokyo Games 

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Seven-time Olympian Seiko Hashimoto made history as the “multi-season” athlete who appeared in four winter Games and three summer ones. Now, she’s breaking barriers and making headlines again after it was announced that the 56-year-old legend will be president of the Tokyo Olympic organization committee. 

In Japan it’s still rare to see women in executive positions of political power. In fact, the committee that Hashimoto is joining is 80% male. She’s replacing Yoshito Mori, the former Japanese prime minister who was forced into resignation last week after making sexist comments regarding women. Hashimoto spoke with the press recently about her excitement to take on this role. 

“Now I’m here to return what I owe as an athlete and return back what I received.” 

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Hashimoto has been serving as the Olympic minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, and also has a ton of experience dealing with issues of gender equality and women’s empowerment. She claimed that Tamayo Marukawa will be filling her role as Olympic minister while she transitions into her new position. 

“Of course, it is very important what Tokyo 2020 as an organizing committee does about gender equality. I think it will be important for us to practice that equality,” Hashimoto said according to the translator present at the conference she spoke at this week. Hasimoto made these comments and discussed issues of gender inequality as she sat between two of the most powerful men on the committee. 

She discussed how organizing committees are always male-dominated, and of the ones she’s seen have never had any female vice presidents, citing that the executive board is currently 80% male; for reference there’re around 3,500 employees working for the board. International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach recently spoke with the media about how Hashimoto was “the perfect choice” for taking on this role. 

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“With the appointment of a woman as president, the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee is also sending a very important signal with regard to gender equality.” 

For some background, Hashimoto competed in cycling in the 1988, ‘92, and ‘96 Summer Olympics, and then transitioned to speedskating for the 1984, ‘88, ‘92, and ‘94 Winter Olympics. She only won one medal, a bronze at the 1992 Albertville Games in speedskating, however, her seven Olympic appearances are the most from any “multi-season” athlete in Olympic history, according to historian Dr. Bill Mallon. 

Polls are currently showing that about 80% of the Japanese public want the Olympics to be postponed or cancelled due to concerns over the Covid-19 pandemic. Obviously, the thought of bringing tens of thousands of athletes from all over the world to one contained city seems like the worst idea in the middle of a global pandemic, however, it’s unclear whether or not the Games will be moved again. 

Japan ranks 121 out of 153 on the World Economic Forum’s annual gender equality ranking when it comes to women in positions of power. Naming a woman as president will hopefully be the breakthrough Japan needs to rank higher on that list, and bring more women to the forefront of executive leadership.

Tokyo Olympics 2020

Tokyo Olympic Organizers And IOC Conflict Over Who Pays For Postponement Of Games

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Tokyo Olympic organizers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are in the middle of an intense financial feud over who will cover the costs for the “unprecedented yearlong postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.”

A spokesperson for Tokyo’s organizers, Masa Takaya, recently said that the organizing committee has asked the IOC, which is based in Switzerland, to remove a specific statement on the IOC’s website that suggests the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, has agreed that Japan would pay for a majority of the postponement costs. This is what began the initial conflict. 

“It will now be the work of the IOC to assess all the challenges induced by the postponement of the Games, including the financial impact for the Olympic Movement. The Japanese government has reiterated that it stands ready to fulfil its responsibility for hosting successful Games. At the same time, the IOC has stressed its full commitment to the successful Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The IOC and the Japanese side, including the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, will continue to assess and discuss jointly about the respective impacts caused by the postponement,” according to the IOC.

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For context, media reports in Japan have estimated that the yearlong postponement brought on by the coronavirus pandemic will likely cost up to $6 billion when all is said and done. That’s an estimation, as the actual cost of postponing and rescheduling an Olympics isn’t something that’s ever had to be calculated. In fact, the Olympic games have never actually been postponed before; they have been cancelled three times though, all for war related reasons.  

“It’s not appropriate for the prime minister’s name to be quoted in this manner,” Takaya said. Within IOC’s Frequently Asked Questions page, the organization went on to also claim that Japan “will continue to cover the costs it would have done under the terms of the existing agreement for 2020, and the IOC will continue to be responsible for its share of the costs.”

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After the initial complaint from Tokyo, the IOC removed Abe’s specific name from any questions regarding financial obligations. The edited version is what’s quoted above: “The Japanese government has reiterated that it stands ready to fulfill its responsibility for hosting successful games.”

Regardless of the feud between Japan and the IOC, technically and legally, it’s up to the Japanese government to pay for a majority of the costs for the postponement, however, it’s a relatively sensitive time to be mentioning the costs of a sporting event while there’s a worldwide pandemic that’s already greatly impacting the economy. 

Under the terms of the Host City Contract that Tokyo signed in 2013, the city of Tokyo, the Japanese Olympic Committee and local organizers are obligated to always pay most of the costs. Section 68 of the contract reads: “Unless expressly stipulated otherwise in this contract, all obligations of the city, the NOC and/or the OCOG pursuant to this contract, shall be at their expense.”

The Tokyo Olympics are projected to begin on July 23rd 2021, and as of right now the Japanese Olympic Committee and government itself is focusing on the coronavirus pandemic, and rehabilitating their country/economy. Only time will tell how much this olympic postponement will further affect their economy as well.

Tokyo Olympics 2020

How The Coronavirus May Impact The 2020 Tokyo Olympics

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The 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics are nearly five months away, and growing concerns over the worldwide coronavirus outbreak has fans, athletes, and authority figures scrambling to ensure the safety of everyone in Tokyo within the coming months. As of right now, the Games are still going to be held as scheduled from July 24th to August 9th.

According to the most recent reports from the World Health Organization, there have been a total of 28 confirmed cases of the Wuhan Coronavirus, now being classified as COVID-19, in Japan, however, Wuhan, China still holds a majority of the coronavirus patients; 99% of more than 45,000 cases. In the United States there has been a total of 15 confirmed cases, and one death.

Additionally, there are also 175 confirmed cases of the virus on the Diamond Princess cruise ship which is docked and quarantined off the coast of Yokohama, Japan (about 45 minutes away from Tokyo). In response, Tokyo 2020’s organizing committee announced that they’re working on countermeasures for any and all possibilities they can imagine regarding the coronavirus. 

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“Tokyo 2020 will continue to collaborate with all relevant organizations which carefully monitor any incidence of infectious diseases and we will review any countermeasures that may be necessary with all relevant organizations. As you can imagine in circumstances like this, people’s imaginations run wild and they tend to go to the worst possible scenario without getting good facts,” Doug Arnot, who has been on the executive management teams of six Olympics, said. 

Luckily, when it comes to an event as tightly scheduled and monumental as the Olympics, individuals working behind the scenes are always planning for every worst case scenario imaginable; health wise and beyond. Because of this, the International Olympic Committee and Officials in Japan have made it clear that they have no intention of postponing or cancelling the games despite worldwide “panic,” which as Arnot stated, isn’t fully based on facts.

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Craig Spence, a spokesperson for the International Paralympic Committee, said that “fear is spreading quicker than the virus, and it is important that we quell that fear,” to The Associated Press. While large crowds and heavy travelling is inevitable for the 2020 games, that doesn’t mean that everyone is going to be exposed and turn ill in the middle of the events. Misinformation and fear mongering tactics are making the coronavirus seem like a new plague, when the reality is it’s pretty much just as bad as the standard flu. 

“I’d like to make it clear that there have been no talks or plans [to cancel/postpone] being considered between organizers and the International Olympic Committee since the World Health Organization declared an emergency. The IOC has been in contact with the WHO and its own medical experts and we have full confidence that the relevant authorities will take all the necessary measures to address the situation,” Shinzo Abe, Japanese Prime Minister, told legislators/media outlets, according to The Japan Times.

There are over 11,000 athletes from over 200 countries predicted to be competing in the Games this year. Additionally, over 600,000 overseas visitors/tourists are expected to be travelling to Japan within the two month summer Olympic period. Such a large crowd compacted into a relatively small area poses an obvious risk for airborne disease to spread. The Olympics themselves are still months away, so it’s too early to tell what kind of additional health and safety precautions will be taken to protect the well-being of all Olympic athletes and attendees. 

2020 Olympics

Athlete Protests Banned At 2020 Olympic Games, Sparking Outrage

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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is finding itself in the midst of an ongoing debate within the sports industry: professional athletes expressing their right to protest against certain societal injustices through kneeling or raising a fist in the air. The IOC’s solution is a ban on any and all protests from occuring at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

The Olympics are no stranger to controversial protests, at the 1968 Mexico City Games, African-American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos were awarded both bronze and gold medals, and while on the winner’s podiums they proceeded to take off their shoes and raise a fist wearing a black leather glove in the air in solidarity with the Black Panther movement. The podium protest ended in the IOC expelling both Smith and Carlos and stripping them of their awards, however, since then they have been inducted into the Olympic Hall of Fame, which makes the IOC’s recent protest ban even more confusing. 

The IOC’s new guidelines state that displaying any sort of political messaging, making gestures of a political nature, or refusal to follow the ceremony’s predetermined/traditional protocol will result in serious consequences, as all of those actions are a part of the official ban.

“When an individual makes their grievances, however legitimate, more important than the feelings of their competitors and the competition itself, the unity and harmony as well as the celebration of sport and human accomplishment are diminished. Failure to abide by the guidelines will result in the athlete’s action being evaluated by their respective National Olympic Committee, International Federation, and the IOC, and disciplinary action will be taken on a case-by-case basis as necessary,” according to the guidelines. 

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Tommie Smith and John Carlos

Immediately after the news was released, fans, athletes, and those in the media were quick to call out the IOC’s hypocrisy within the new guidelines, stating that while the podiums and playing fields need to remain politically neutral, the IOC as an organization itself is able to take any political bias it pleases. Why are countries able to come and boast their national anthems and flags, but not protest about the injustices actually occurring within those countries, especially during the most popular televised sport events in history? Nancy Armour, a politics writer for USA Today, discussed this issue in an op-ed last Thursday (1/9/20) where she encapsulated the opposing view:

“The truth is, it’s not the mixing of politics and sports that [IOC president Thomas] Bach and the IOC don’t like. It’s just fine for Bach to lobby for the issues he finds important. Or to foster good relationships with world leaders who might someday bankrupt their economies in exchange for sparkling venues, five-star hotels, and Olympic traffic lanes that allow IOC members to avoid the general populace on the roads and in the airports. But God forbid athletes should stay silent about racism, homophobia, inequality, or murderous regimes. You know, issues that have a direct effect on their lives.”

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Armour’s point also called on hundreds of social media users who found themselves just as upset about the new guidelines. One of the guaranteed perks of living in a free country is having the right to speak up against/for any issue that you want because that’s something you earn as an individual with freedom. When major organizations protect the rights of big businesses and those in power, it begs the question how much “freedom” is too much freedom for average civilians in the eyes of the government. Is “freedom of speech” more of a formality than an actual law that all Americans, and any other free citizen around the world, are just supposed to accept? 

It also has created a narrative surrounding the rights of professional athletes. Athletes are normally just viewed as entertainers who serve the purpose of showing their skills on the field, and bringing home trophies for off the field. Their voices don’t matter, their political views, opinions etc. none of it actually matters as long as they can play the game. 

However, the world is a place of constant debate, disagreement, and bigotry. When those with monumental platforms speak up against injustices, it opens up a conversation amongst everybody on any level of power. No matter what “side” they’re on, the fact that someone with such a huge following is strictly meant to play a game and remain silent, is archaic in itself. Especially when the athletes themselves are minorities, from the outside, restrictive guidelines such as these show that the IOC is only concerned with minority rights when it’s regarding their presence in the Olympic Games, and the ratings they can bring in. 

Diallo Brooks, the director of People for the American Way, a political advocacy group, created a Twitter thread this past week that opened up an entire conversation about the presence of minority bodies versus minority voices in sporting events. 

“Young men/women of color who play sports are more than just entertainers, and they should not be penalized for speaking out peacefully against injustice. They must be allowed to have a voice. And when their voices are threatened, we have to raise our own and stand with them.”