theBreaker.news Podcast: Dithering IOC's Tokyo postponement was less about athletes and more about the money, says author

March 29, 2020 • 00:35:25
theBreaker.news Podcast: Dithering IOC's Tokyo postponement was less about athletes and more about the money, says author
theBreaker.news Podcast
theBreaker.news Podcast: Dithering IOC's Tokyo postponement was less about athletes and more about the money, says author

Mar 29 2020 | 00:35:25

/

Show Notes

The Canadian Olympic Committee played a key role in ending the dithering by the International Olympic Committee and the organizers of Tokyo 2020.

Team Canada's March 22 statement that the coronavirus pandemic meant it would boycott the Olympics if they went ahead as scheduled forced the IOC two days later to cancel its planned month of study. For the first time, the Games are postponed for a year.

[caption id="attachment_9711" align="alignright" width="335"] Jules Boykoff (Brian Lee)[/caption] “Thank goodness Canada and other countries stood up, and athletes, too, around the world, because that was the catalyst for actually postponing the Olympics," Portland University political science professor and author Jules Boykoff tells theBreaker.news Podcast host Bob Mackin. With a global recession inevitable, a 2020 Games suddenly became economically infeasible.  Boykoff is critical of IOC president Thomas Bach, who tried to save face, claiming the decision was solely to protect the health of athletes.  

“That doesn’t ring true on any level because it’s those economic relationships that the IOC holds with the broadcasters, like NBC, but also with those corporate sponsors," Boykoff said. That's where more than 90% of the IOC revenue comes from."

Listen to the full interview with Boykoff.

Plus: Richmond city council was told eight people tested positive for coronavirus in their jurisdiction. What about patient and hospitalization stats for City of Vancouver? Are B.C. health officials ignoring the latest recommendations from the World Health Organization?

Hear what Dr. Patricia Daly, the chief medical officer of Vancouver Coastal Health, said when Bob Mackin asked those questions.

Plus coronavirus headlines from the Pacific Northwest and Pacific Rim, and highlights of a surreal afternoon at the B.C. Legislature on March 23, when a dozen MLAs came together to pass a $5 billion aid package.

CLICK BELOW to listen or go to TuneIn or Apple Podcasts. Have you missed an edition of theBreaker.news Podcast? Go to the archive.

Support theBreaker.news for as low as $2 a month on Patreon. Find out how. Click here.

Other Episodes

Episode 0

September 27, 2020 • 00:23:33
Episode Cover

theBreaker.news Podcast: B.C.'s State of Emergency Coronavirus Pandemic Snap Election 2020 is on

For the week of Sept. 27, 2020: An election like no other is happening in British Columbia, as Premier John Horgan made the ultimate...

Listen

Episode

February 04, 2018 • NaN
Episode Cover

theBreaker.news Podcast: A week like no other in B.C. politics

The BC Liberals have a new leader, Andrew Wilkinson, who was a Campbell Crony and member of the Clark Clique. ICBC, the Crown auto...

Listen

Episode 0

June 06, 2021 • 00:27:27
Episode Cover

theBreaker.news Podcast: Florida boys school probe a roadmap for Tk'emlups

For the week of June 6, 2021: The Tk’emlups (Kamloops Indian Band) shocked Canada when it said ground-penetrating radar found evidence of 215 children...

Listen