The 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, seems to be going ahead. Discover what you need to know about this year’s games and why they’re different.

Facts About The 2021 Olympics

Much has been said about the Tokyo Olympics after Japan was forced to postpone them last year due to the ongoing pandemic. Despite the majority of the country’s citizens seemingly opposed to the hosting of the games in 2021, the Japanese authorities seem determined that the games will go ahead this year.

With much speculation about the event, it can be difficult to determine the facts from the rumours. This is what we do know about how the games are likely to play out this year:

• The games have officially been rescheduled to 23 July to 8 August and Japan is determined that these dates will be realised.

• Officials and athletes will be required to keep a strict eye on their health two weeks before traveling to Japan. Delegates will also need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test before arriving in the country. They will be tested again on arrival but won’t need to quarantine or be vaccinated to compete.

• Athletes can arrive at the Olympic village no more than 5 days prior to their scheduled event. They are also required to leave within two days following their final event. These rules seem to apply to the Olympic village only and athletes can remain in Tokyo or the country later or arrive earlier in order to properly acclimatise to the conditions.

Spectators Rules

• Foreign spectators will be banned from attending this year’s event. This is a move that could see Tokyo loose around $800 million in suspected ticket revenue. No clear directive has been released yet regarding how tickets for domestic spectators will work.

• Even if domestic spectators are allowed at the 2021 games, singing, dancing, and chanting at the games will be banned. Clapping will be the only way to show support for the athletes.

The Finance Factor

• Despite the extreme loses Japan is set to incur, The Tokyo 2020 Olympics has already spent a budget of $15.4 billion, making the games the most expensive on record to date, even beating out London’s 2012 Olympics, which cost the United Kingdom some $14.96 billion. This despite the Japanese government budgeting around $7.3 billion when they first put in their bid for the games.

• As the Olympics struggles to cover costs through sponsorships due to the delays, the IOC has agreed to waive the 7.6% royalty fee it usually collects in this regard. Local advertising is set to be the biggest income generator for the games; however, it remains to be seen what campaigns will be launched in this regard. Apostas esportivas no Brasil options will however be as normal.

• The Olympic torch run is due to start as soon as the 25th of March, however with some regions of Japan still experiencing restrictions, it is unclear exactly how the event will pan out.

• Last month, the Tokyo Olympics organizing committee welcomed a woman, government minister Seiko Hashimoto, on board as the president. She replaces the former Japanese Prime Minister who was forced to resign from the role over sexist remarks.