So, you’ve read part one, and want more?!
Here’s part 2 of all the scandals that have happened at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics so far…
5. Residents evicted from homes for the Olympic Stadium
The political scientist Jules Boykoff stated:
“The Olympics are very popular, as long as they’re not happening in your city”…While the Olympics tend to bring out the very best in athletes, they also tend to bring out the very worst in host cities.”
For example, the 2008 Beijing Olympics evicted 1.5 million Chinese residents from their homes. The 2016 Rio Olympics, meant that numerous neighbourhoods were destroyed – an estimated 60,000 Brazilians lost their homes to incorporate the infrastructure. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, residents of the Kasumigaoka apartment complex in Tokyo have been evicted to make way for the main stadium.
A member of Hangorin No Kai (the Japanese anti-Olympics activist organization), Ayako Yoshida, commented that communities across the city saw “severe gentrification”.
Yoshida continued with “under the banner of so-called neighbourhood ‘redevelopment’, we witnessed private corporations kick people out of their homes and transform neighbourhoods for their own profit.”
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) have stated that their sustainability efforts to include only building new sports venues in host cities that don’t have them. IOC commented, “If a host does not need a new permanent sports venue, its leaders will not be asked to build one”.
6. Alen Hadzic kept apart from team after sexual misconduct claims
The day before the Tokyo Olympic Games officially began, the USA fencer, Alen Hadzic, lost his appeal to move into the Olympic Village.
Hadzic qualified for the Tokyo Games in May, and shortly after, three women accused him of sexual impropriety in incidents that occurred from 2013-2015.
Michael Palma, Hadzic’s attorney, has stated that Hadzic has never committed sexual assault or been charged with rape or had a complaint involving sexual impropriety before.
However, Palma did confirm that Hadzic was suspended from Columbia University during 2013-2014 as a result of an investigation involving sexual consent.
Consequently, as a result of these allegations, the US Center for SafeSport suspended Hadzic from fencing on 2nd June.
However, Hadzic appealed this suspension, which he won, and on 29th June he restored his Olympic eligibility.
In response, USA Fencing has ruled that Hadzic will have to travel to the Tokyo Games separately and will not be allowed to stay in the Olympic Games.
As a result, Hadzic filed a complaint with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee to combat this rule. Hadzic lost his appeal, but was permitted to move to a hotel that would be closer to the Olympic training centre.
Some of Hadzic’s teammates on the US Fencing team have issued their beliefs that he should not be part of the team. One fencer who wishes to remain anonymous has stated:
“We are pissed off that this is even a thing we had to deal with”.
This anonymous fencer filed a complain against Hadzic alleging predatory behaviour and has stated, “he’s been protected again and again”.
7. German women gymnastic team
The German women’s gymnastics team went viral earlier this week as a result of their choice to wear leotards, and we’re here for it.
These women made this choice as an effort to reduce sexualisation within gymnastics. The team chose to wear leotards that had long sleeves and ankle length legs.
Traditionally, gymnasts typically compete in a bikini-cut style leotard with long or half sleeves, or go sleeveless.
The 2020 Olympics wasn’t the first time they’ve worn these leotards, they also wore them in April.
The German Gymnastics Federation noted that the switch to full unitards was a nod against “sexualisation in gymnastics”.
Elisabeth Seitz, a team member, stated that “it’s about what feels comfortable”. Seitz continued by stating, “we wanted to show that every woman, everybody, should decide what to wear.”
Sarah Voss, a team member, stated “the coaches were also very much into it. They said they want us to feel the most confident and comfortable in any case. It just makes you feel better and more comfortable.”
Seitz has stated that she hopes the German team’s change would influence other gymnastic teams. Setiz notes “most people were positive about it.
But after the European championships the time was way too short for others to design a unitard…maybe in the future.” Seitz additionally stated that the German team could return to the traditional leotard that is typically used whenever they wanted. Stating, “it is a decision day by day, based on how we feel and what we want. On competition day, we will decide what to wear”.
In response to the change of leotard, a Norwegian gymnast, Julie Erichsen, said:
“I think it’s really cool that they have the guts to stand on such a huge arena and show girls from all over the world that you can wear whatever you want…I applaud them for that”
8. Ainu people performance cancellation
With less than five months to go until the beginning of the Tokyo Games, Olympic officials issued a statement saying that they were cancelling a dance performance by Japan’s indigenous population, the Ainu people.
An official at the Hokkaido Aniu Association, Kazuaki Kaizawa, stated that they had received notice that there would not be any room for them in the ceremony.
“We have been preparing and it is a disappointment, but we hope there will still be a chance for us to show Ainu culture elsewhere.”
9. Russia are barred from 2020 Olympics but compete under a different name
For the second consecutive Olympic Games, Russia will be competing under a different name the ROC.
Russian athletes are unable to compete under the Russian flag because of a punishment handed out by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Originally, Russia had been suspended from the Olympics for four years. However, in late 2020, this punishment was reduce to two years.
Consequently, during this two-year period, athletes that were not involved in the infamous Russian doping scandal are still allowed to compete in the Olympics. This thereby explains why there are 335 Russians competing in the Olympics, however, they do have to compete as neutrals.
This means that they aren’t competing under the flag and nor will the Russian national anthem play during the Olympics. Moreover, they are allowed to wear uniforms that incorporate the colours of the country’s flag, much to the annoyance of WADA.
The WADA’S Ban on Russia was placed after investigators found that Russia had tampered with drug-testing data in order to cover up state-sponsored doping programs that involved over 1,000 athletes.
“The Panel has clearly upheld our findings that the Russian authorities brazenly and illegally manipulated the Moscow Laboratory data in an effort to cover up an institutionalized doping scheme.”
“We at WADA remain disappointed that [the Court of Arbitration for Sport] has decreased the level of the sanctions from four years to two years and that CAS allows them to compete Russian athletes with the colours of the flag in the uniforms”.
WADA President: Witold Bańka.
It’s been a wild turn of events with everything that’s going on. But perhaps that symbolizes and reflects the wild Covid years we’re living.
