Tokyo ‘cornered’ into going ahead with Olympics

A senior Japanese Olympic official has criticised the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for ignoring public concerns over holding the Tokyo 2020 Games during the coronavirus pandemic.

Kaori Yamaguchi, an executive member of the Japanese Olympic Committee, said Tokyo had been “cornered” into going ahead with the Games despite widespread public opposition. The former judo world champion also accused the IOC of ignoring legitimate concerns about safety.

Senior IOC officials and Tokyo 2020 organisers say the Games will open as planned on 23 July.