Tokyo cornered into going ahead with Games, says Olympic official

Member of Japanese Olympic Committee criticises IOC and says Games will leave a ‘bitter taste’

TOKYO, JAPAN - JUNE 03: A woman drives an electric scooter in front of the New National Stadium, the main stadium for the Tokyo Olympics, on June 03, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.  (Photo by Yuichi Yamazaki/Getty Images)

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.

In the strongest objections from inside the Olympic movement so far, Kaori Yamaguchi, an executive member of the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC), said Tokyo had been “cornered” into going ahead with the Games despite widespread public opposition, and warned they would leave a “bitter taste”.