Francesca Rudkin: The Olympics are a Covid opportunity

This week Black Ferns Sevens Captain Sarah Hirini and two-time Olympic champion rower Hamish Bond were named New Zealand’s flag bearers for the Tokyo Olympics.Two thoughts spring to mind. Firstly, congratulations. How cool that a change in Games rules means that for the first time we’ll have a male and female athlete jointly carrying the New Zealand flag at an Olympic Games Opening Ceremony. It’s not the first time two athletes have shared flag carrying duties. In 2016, Peter Burling and Blair Tuke were both announced as flagbearers, but only Burling got carry the flag. I’m presuming this year Hirini and Bond will have a flag each?My second thought was, how is it possible these Olympics Games are happening at all? A world full of medical experts and epidemiologists, and the people of Japan, have been asking the same question for months. For good reason. It’s simply absolutely bonkers for thousands of athletes, officials and journalists to travel from all over the world to Japan at this time.The Japanese Prime Minister may have recently lifted the state of emergency in Tokyo, but health officials have seen an increase in COVID-19 cases since. On Friday, the Japanese Emperor announced he’s "extremely worried" about the Tokyo Olympics and the potential spread of COVID-19 it may cause.But in one of the most stoic examples of ‘keep calm and carry on’ the Toyko Olympics are set to open on July 23rd. If you’re wondering why it hasn’t been postponed or cancelled; it comes down to a mix of money, pride and pressure. The IOC can’t afford to lose revenue from broadcasting rights and advertisers.When it comes to pride, the Olympics is a branding exercise for the host country. It would also be hard to justify a controversial $15.4 billion investment in a new stadium which never got its day in the sun.And then there’s the pressure and expectations from the athletes; about 11,100 for the Olympics and another 4,400 for the Paralympics who have already put their lives on hold for a year waiting for these Games. Taken together, it’s all led to common sense being abandoned. Ignored, thrown over the back fence – pick your description.But, given it is going to happen maybe it’s time for an attitude adjustment.Instead of anticipating the worst perhaps we should put our optimist pants on, cross our fingers, and consider this a global study into how the world re-integrates.The questions confronting countries who took an elimination approach are around how we live with a virus which isn’t going away? How do we open up to the rest of the world?  When should we feel safe to get on with our lives – make plans, go visit family or friends around the world?The Olympics will be an incredible test for vaccine efficacy. A group of people are volunteering to travel from around the world to spend time together. So let’s watch and learn as they embrace social distancing, mask use, vaccination, and testing.Imagine if the Olympics became more than stories of glory and dreams come true. What if, and I know it’s a big what if, the Covid impact wasn’t what we fear.Could Tokyo 2021 be a much bigger story of hope and progress. LISTEN ABOVE 
 
 

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