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What do you think of the Olympics during the Covid-19 pandemic?

Hosted by: Tomoko Muth

Hosting a major event like the Summer Games during a pandemic is a challenge: Japan decided to bar spectators from the events to avoid a rise in coronavirus infections and declared a state of emergency in Tokyo. Residents aren’t happy about this – and some athletes have tested positive after their arrival in the Olympic Village.

How do you feel about the Tokyo Games taking place despite the pandemic? In your opinion, are Olympics without spectators and the usual festive atmosphere inside and outside the stadiums? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

From the article Safe Olympics is ‘number one goal’, says games director

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

francinesidler
francinesidler
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

No! I'm not following the Olympics anymore

Non! Je ne suis plus les JO

Fanol_21
Fanol_21
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

No, I prefer to watch it on TV.

Non je préfère suivre ça à la télé.

Gabriel
Gabriel
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

Sure enough, my Helvetico son 🇨🇭-Australian Cedric competed there in the decathlon. No pure Swiss but the world champion, the Frenchman Kevin Mayer.
Cedric, despite an ischia muscle injury two weeks before the competition, became popular in 🇦🇺 as he helped his compatriot Ash Moloney to a bronze medal. https://instagram.com/CedricDubler and also YouTube.

C’est clair que oui, mon fils Helvetico 🇨🇭-Australien Cédric y a concouru dans le décathlon. Aucun Suisse pur mais le champion du monde, le français Kevin Mayer.
Cédric, malgré une blessure au muscle de l’ischia deux semaines avant la compétition, est devenu populaire en 🇦🇺 car il a aidé son compatriote Ash Moloney à faire la médaille de bronze. https://instagram.com/CedricDubler et aussi YouTube.

Reid
Reid

Thank you for your response.I would agree with you in the context of lack of fair competition based on or dependent upon each countries management of their vaccinations progress and take up amongst athletes countries lacking enough vaccinations perhaps been prevented from attending Japan .Thus further concludes the Olympic games should not have been held in my opinion due to no level playing field amongst competing Olympians as it is a global event one could argue any medals won are actually void .

HAT
HAT

It is watered down and it is not enjoyable at all. A waste of money and time.
Yes, we all need lifting out of this Covid depression, but Olympics is just not the same without spectators. I feel sorry for the sportspeople.

Rafiq Tschannen
Rafiq Tschannen

Seems to have gone well.

The organisers probably made a huge loss without ticket sales.

朋子 ムートゥ
朋子 ムートゥ SWI SWISSINFO.CH
@Rafiq Tschannen

確かに選手から感染が広がったり、途中で中止するような事態にはなりませんでした。でもやはり、観客のいないスタジアムを見るのは寂しい限りでしたね。何をもって「うまくいった」「成功した」というのか、難しいと感じました。

Reid
Reid

I believe the Olympics should not have gone ahead .Whilst here in Scotland having to stick to the Covid restriction rules for almost 18 months infuriating football fans able to attend the Euros absolutely appalling including Wimbledon .People have long memories on the debacle of the the mis management of the pandemic.On a social angle I watched BBC footage of Japanese homeless who were hounded to clear off so not to give a terrible impression when the Olympics were held.Given we are also experiencing a climate crisis it is astounding that air travel I assume all the Olympics participants took aircraft to get to Tokyo .This is more than the games the big message is there is a sinister need to appease young people and to meet their needs.Having said all this I am delighted with Team GB and their achievements equally I was cheering on Swiss Olympians too.

朋子 ムートゥ
朋子 ムートゥ SWI SWISSINFO.CH
@Reid

国ごとに規制やワクチンの進捗が異なるなかでの開催、本当にフェアな大会だったのか、疑問ですね。パンデミックは今回限りと信じたいですが、気候問題は今後永遠に関係するので、よくよく考えなくてはいけません。

Anonymous
Anonymous

Olympics are about money, not about sport anymore. Take a football as example. The so called Swiss team played with the enthusiasm of Galapagos in the Antartic. and the American team directed by Rapinoe bit the dust for the joy of millions of US citizens

朋子 ムートゥ
朋子 ムートゥ SWI SWISSINFO.CH
@Anonymous

スポーツ選手の活躍は純粋に美しいと思うのですが、「オリンピック」という舞台は黒々としていて純粋な目で見られませんね。

SandraMewil
SandraMewil

No

LoL
LoL

Nah, not interested, only watch skiing ones.

Anonymous
Anonymous
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

The human being who was thought to be thoughtful shows once again that he is not.

L'être humain que l'on croyait réfléchi montre encore une fois qu'il ne l'est pas.

朋子 ムートゥ
朋子 ムートゥ SWI SWISSINFO.CH
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.
@Anonymous

It may be a significant tournament in the sense that it has exposed the true nature of the game.

真の姿を暴露したという意味では、有意義な大会なのかもしれません。

Suze
Suze

Only the highlights on the news every evening so it’s always at the same time and time limited. If there is any sport of particular interest I can always look for the programme to watch or catch up on the Internet later.

朋子 ムートゥ
朋子 ムートゥ SWI SWISSINFO.CH
@Suze

色々な視聴方法が可能になった現代、「無観客」でも色々な楽しみ方がありますね。

Lynx
Lynx

No. There is too much sport on TV as it is. I've lost count of the number of times I've recorded a whole series to binge watch later, only to find several episodes were replaced by an unscheduled, late ending, sports event. CH TV shows the same event on their 3 main channels at once. Better - have one dedicated channel, with the option to switch to more than one language.

朋子 ムートゥ
朋子 ムートゥ SWI SWISSINFO.CH
@Lynx

複数言語の切り替え、名案だと思います!

HAT
HAT
@Lynx

Again, it is all about YOU only. Complaints complaints complaints.

lordwheelie
lordwheelie

Yes, the Olympics has given the World a reason to cheer. It definitely brings hope in an otherwise negative World.

朋子 ムートゥ
朋子 ムートゥ SWI SWISSINFO.CH
@lordwheelie

まさに、笑顔も涙も、見ると人間らしさを取り戻せそうな気がします。

LoL
LoL
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

No

No

ボンブ
ボンブ
The following contribution has been automatically translated from JA.

I am opposed to holding an Olympics where the government does not even give a full explanation to the people and where the taxpayers' money is being used up in a froth, when the consensus of the people is 80% against it and the experts are against it! If there is an outbreak of a pandemic that cannot be dealt with domestically, I don't think it is a problem that anyone can take responsibility for! Can anyone explain to me what the power of sport is? It's nothing but sophistry❗

私は国民の総意が80%反対していて、そして専門家がやるべきではないと反対しているのに、政府が国民に対して十分な説明さえ行わず、税金を泡のように使い果たすようなオリンピックの開催に反対します!もし国内で対応できないパンデミックが発生した場合、誰かが責任を取りきれる問題ではないと思います!スポーツの力とは一体何の事か説明できる人はいますか?詭弁に過ぎません❗

朋子 ムートゥ
朋子 ムートゥ SWI SWISSINFO.CH
The following contribution has been automatically translated from JA.
@ボンブ

If it were just to watch, I would say, "If you can do it, do it," but I have mixed feelings when I think of the risk it poses to the Japanese people and medical institutions. I hope that there will be no more Olympics held in such an environment in the future, but I hope that they will reflect and evaluate the situation carefully and make use of it for future Olympics.

観るだけなら「やれるならやってほしい」と思いますが、そのリスクが日本の国民や医療機関にかかるのかと思うと複雑な思いです。こんな環境で五輪を開催することが今後はもう無いことを祈りますが、よく反省・評価して今後の五輪に役立ててほしいと思います。

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SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR