29 July 2021
Olympic Heroism
Japan’s decision.
By Robert Kilconner
Direct from the pool, from our correspondent on the track, the reports from Tokyo are now coming in thick and fast. A good opening for the UK, it seems, but stories take in athletes from other countries too. Celebrations of talent, tales of adversity overcome and triumphs against the odds. The Olympics are all about endeavour and courage and that is why watching them is inspiring as well as entertaining.
But among all the heroes and heroines there is one who stands out pre-eminent and that is Japan which took the brave decision to go ahead with the games against the background of the pandemic. It could all have gone, it may still go, so very, very, wrong. Commercially the exercise must be a very disappointing one. Normally host nations look for full hotels and free spending fans but this time the empty stands bear witness to the absence of revenue. Infections are mounting locally and, with popular opinion against going ahead, the government will pick up the blame if things get out of control. It would have been so much safer to cancel or postpone. No one would have regarded that as a weak decision – merely a following of the science. The brave choice was to go ahead, to deliver the games which they have promised and to allow the world’s athletes to use the competition to draw nations together.
Those who were fans of the television comedy Yes, Minister will recall that when the bureaucrats wished to prevent a politician from choosing a particular course they used to describe it as “brave”. In politics the word “brave” is often a synonym for “unwise”. It is too early to know whether Japan’s choice will turn out to have been unwise or not, but the fact that they have made it shows courage. In these Olympics the heroism is not confined to the track.
