Tokyo Olympics need Joe Biden’s help to go ahead, organiser insists

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

A member of the Tokyo Organising Committee has asked for help from US President Joe Biden to get the Olympic Games over the line.

The International Olympic Committee and Japanese organisers have been increasingly bullish in recent weeks about the prospect of holding the postponed Games, despite dwindling public support and rising coronavirus cases.

However, Haruyuki Takahashi thinks the Olympics' future could depend on the support of President Biden.

"Mr Biden is dealing with a tough situation with the coronavirus," Takahashi told the Wall Street Journal. "But if he makes a positive statement about the Olympics going ahead, we’€™d gain strong momentum."

"It's up to the U.S. I hate to say it, but (IOC President) Thomas Bach and the IOC are not the ones who are able to make the decision about the Games," he added. "They don’€™t have that level of leadership."

Biden hasn’€™t spoken publicly about the Olympics since becoming president last week.

The United States brings the largest contingent of athletes to any Olympics and also provides the IOC with its most lucrative television deal.

The IOC say that Takahashi had no intimate knowledge of situation and that "his comments are obsolete."

"It is regrettable that Mr. Takahashi does not know the facts," said a statement. "First: It is USOPC that decides about the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic team. Second: USOPC has never left a doubt about their participation"

The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee said last week they had not received any information suggesting the Games would not happen as planned.

Takahashi, a former executive at the advertising agency Dentsu Inc, was paid $8.2 million by the committee that spearheaded Tokyo's bid for the 2020 Games, according to financial records reviewed by Reuters. 

He has acknowledged receiving the payment but denied any impropriety.

After his involvement in Tokyo's successful campaign, Takahashi was named to the board of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee.

Reuters