The pandemic may benefit the Tokyo Olympics by bringing the Games closer to their original ideals

The Week

"Over 120 years ago, Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic games, set out to describe the philosophy of 'Olympism,' which 'seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational value of good example, social responsibility, and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles,'" says Jeva Lange. "The Olympic movement as a whole was intended to 'contribute to building a peaceful and better world' through sport, and connect back to the ancient Greek tradition of the Olympic truce — that is, the gathering of nations in peace to join together in fair play. Of course, the games have drifted far from these ideals over the years, from Nazi Germany co-opting the games, to the Mexico City and Munich massacres, to petty Cold War boycotts, to the recent doping scandal in Russia. The games have also been steadily plagued by accusations of corruption, xenophobic nationalism, and human rights violations; that is, the worst of humankind's tendencies, rather than the best. At first glance, Tokyo seems poised to be more of the same. But interestingly, it is actually the setbacks — chief among them, the COVID-19 pandemic — that might bring the summer Olympics closer to Coubertin's stated goals than they've been in a long time. Take the lack of foreign spectators. Because of the ongoing pandemic, Japan has decided that no tourists will be allowed into the country this summer to physically watch the games. It's a decision that is being described as disastrous for the country, which has pumped potentially as much as $30 billion into the games — worsened now, without the anticipated return of an economic boost from spectators flooding into the country. But greed has been one of the primary drivers of corruption surrounding the Olympics, and the Tokyo games are now deprived of any major financial incentive beyond the (admittedly not insignificant) broadcasting rights. As such, there's now a renewed focus on what the event is <i>supposed to be about in the first place: the unity of joining together, despite everything, for sport."