COVID-19 Pandemic and Sporting Events: Tokyo 2020 Olympics - Challenges and Solutions

The one-year postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to many different crises, which required a joint approach from the host country Japan, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), member nations, and the international federations. The crisis caused by the pandemics and the subsequent postponement of the games led to psychological, social, and economic damages to athletes, staff, sponsors, and the host country. The decision to postpone the Tokyo Games to 2021 proved to be an appropriate measure in order to protect athletes as well as the public. Athletes were also greatly affected by the decision to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Games, as some athletes who were prepared to compete may have encountered injuries that impacted their ability to participate in the event held a year later than expected. The games were completed without any major issues, including a low Games-related infection rate of 0.02% due to mitigation strategies put in place by the organizers, which included a vaccination rate of over 70% among event participants, daily testing, social distancing, and a prohibition on spectators at all venues in Tokyo and surrounding areas.