Report: Delay of 2020 Tokyo Olympics cost $3 billion
The delay of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics has reportedly come with a massive cost. While organizers have not commented on the exact figure, numerous reports in Japan suggest the delay has resulted in a $3 billion cost, according to the Associated Press.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics were initially supposed to take place in July, but were postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 games are currently scheduled to begin July 23, 2021. Despite the event taking place in 2021, it will still be called the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
When Tokyo initially appealed for the games in 2013, it estimated the Olympics would cost $7.3 billion. The official cost — prior to the delay — was $12.6 billion. The actual figure might be twice that, according to a government audit. The reported $3 billion cost of the delay comes in addition to those costs.
Tokyo organizers did not confirm the $3 billion figure, saying they were still “assessing the additional costs associated with the postponement of the games due to COVID-19,” according to the AP.
Olympic rings reappear in Tokyo Bay
The news comes as the Olympic rings have reappeared in Tokyo Bay. The rings were removed for maintenance shortly after the Olympics delay was announced. They will be lighted at night in anticipation of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The move suggests the Tokyo organizers are confident the games will take place as scheduled in 2021. While the coronavirus remains a major issue in some countries — including the United States — a vaccine is expected to be administered soon.
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