As millions of people watched the closing stages of the opening ceremony from the Olympic Stadium in Japan, Lennon and Yoko Ono’s 1971 single, which his wife has said is about relinquishing the “divisive control mechanisms of borders, nationalism, warfare, religious constructs or ownership”, received a new rendition on the …
Read More »Tokyo Olympics show director FIRED on eve of opening ceremony over decades-old ‘Holocaust joke’
Olympic Organizing Committee president Seiko Hashimoto announced the move during a press conference on Thursday, saying Kobayashi had been fired and that officials would undertake a last-minute “review” of the opening and closing ceremonies, both of which were meant to be directed by the comedian. “It has come to our …
Read More »No fans, no fair play, no atmosphere… the Planet Lockdown Olympics will be a gold medal flop
In what appears to be a last-ditch attempt at damage control, Thomas Bach, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) president, has called Tokyo the “best ever prepared” city to host the Olympics with just hours to go before the official lighting of the flame. Unfortunately, few people will be able to …
Read More »This summer’s Olympics will be the most politicised since the notorious 1936 Berlin games
Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee, has announced that political demonstrations will not be allowed on medal podiums during this year’s Tokyo Olympics. Bach clearly does not want to see a repeat of the 1968 Olympics, when two American athletes gave the black power salute on the podium. …
Read More »South Korean President Moon to skip Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony after scandal with Japanese diplomat derails summit chances
A summit between South Korea’s Moon Jae-in and Japan’s Yoshihide Suga on the sidelines of the Olympic Games would have been the first face-to-face meeting of the two leaders. On Monday, the president’s office said plans for the event have been canceled because no positive result was expected to come …
Read More »Two-thirds of Japanese don’t believe Olympics organizers can pull off safe games, poll shows after Covid-19 found among athletes
In the poll by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, 68% of respondents expressed doubt that organizers can ensure “safe and secure” games, with 55% saying they were opposed to the major sport event going ahead, as compared to 33% who were in favor of the games. The news comes after two …
Read More »‘Who are the Olympics for?’ Japan football captain calls for fans to be allowed despite entire South Africa team being quarantined
The South Africa pair – Thabiso Monyane and Kamohelo Mahlatsi – and a video analyst are now isolating, with their country set to face hosts Japan on Thursday. Confirming the news, South Africa manager Mxolisi Sibam said: “Masha and Monyane reported high temperatures and positive saliva tests. They were then …
Read More »‘You can’t change the rules’: Olympics boss says ‘inquiry phase’ is underway as nation pledges to protect transgender weightlifter
Super-heavyweight Hubbard is the first transgender athlete to compete at the Olympic Games, heading to Tokyo as part of the New Zealand team in an inclusion that has seen high-profile figures voice concerns around competition and fairness. Experts have raised questions around Hubbard’s involvement, querying how the existing rules around …
Read More »Fans banned from Tokyo 2020 Olympics after Japan declares Covid-19 state of emergency and IOC pledges to ‘support any measure’
Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto apologized to ticket holders and described the outlawing of any crowds as “regrettable”, taking drastic action in an attempt to avoid a new wave of infections amid a rise driven by the highly infectious Delta variant. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga described the move as essential, shelving an agreement …
Read More »Trans weightlifters in, cannabis users out… Welcome to the Olympics that deserve a gold medal for woke absurdity
The Olympic organisers have managed to tie themselves up in knots after American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson tested positive for traces of cannabis and was banned from competing, while at the same time they let New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard compete as a woman despite testing positive for something far more …
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