Despite Danger and Cost, Japan Gambles on Successful Olympics
- Tokyo games are huge political, medical gamble for government
- Scrapping the event could cost economy at least $16.4 billion
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The Tokyo Olympic Games is reaching the point of no return.
With seven weeks until the opening ceremony, the Japanese government, the International Olympic Committee and major stakeholders are gambling political reputations and billions of dollars on staging a games that could lift global spirits and show how we could begin a return to normality. Or, in the worst case, create a superspreader event that savages Japan’s tottering economic recovery and blights the image of the world’s biggest sporting showcase.