Tokyo 2020 opening ceremony director Kentaro Kobayashi sacked for Holocaust joke July 22, 2021 The director of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics opening ceremony has been sacked on the eve of the Games for making jokes about the Holocaust. Kentaro Kobayashi says “let’s play massacre the Jews” in a 1998 comedy sketch, footage of which has recently appeared online. It is the latest in a series of embarrassing departures of [...]
Team GB start Tokyo 2020 Olympics with a win as women’s footballers beat Chile – but favourites USA suffer shock defeat July 21, 2021 Team GB have made a winning start to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after their women’s football team beat Chile 2-0. In a major shock elsewhere in the competition, world champions the USA lost their opening match 3-0 to Sweden. While the Games officially get underway on Friday, some events in Japan started today. Ellen White [...]
Brisbane confirmed as host city for 2032 Olympics and Paralympics after uncontested vote July 21, 2021 Brisbane has been confirmed as the host of the 2032 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. The decision – effectively already known as there was no other bidder – was rubber-stamped at an International Olympic Commitee (IOC) meeting in Tokyo today. The delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics officially opens on Friday. Paris will host the Summer Games in [...]
Tokyo 2020 Olympics could still be cancelled, says Games chief July 20, 2021 Tokyo 2020 Olympics chiefs say they have have not ruled out cancelling the Games at the last minute. With just three days until the opening ceremony, the head of the Tokyo Organising Committee, Toshiro Muto, said a late U-turn remained an option. Covid-19 cases have already hit the athletes’ village and continue to rise in [...]
Toyota pulls Olympic related TV ads in Japan on eve of Games amid public opposition to Tokyo 2020 going ahead July 19, 2021 Major Olympic sponsor Toyota says it will not air Tokyo 2020-related TV advertising in Japan during the Games amid negative public sentiment towards the event. The Japanese car-maker has also decided not to send any executives to the opening ceremony, which takes place on Friday. More than half of Japanese are opposed to the delayed [...]
Allowing Winter Olympics to go ahead in China is akin to ‘appeasing Hitler’, says Iain Duncin Smith July 15, 2021 A former Conservative leader has said allowing China to go ahead with the Winter Olympics next year is akin to “appeasing Hitler”. Iain Duncan Smith made the comparison while giving his support to a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 games. Sir Iain said: “We have forgotten what happened when we appeased another ghastly dictatorship. Sixty [...]
Spectators banned from Tokyo 2020 Olympics as Japan announces tougher measures to halt rise of Covid cases July 8, 2021 The Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which start later this month, will take place without any spectators, officials have confirmed. Tokyo is to be placed back into a state of emergency from Monday – 11 days before the delayed Games are due to begin – until 22 August. “I am sorry to those who purchased tickets and [...]
Johnson to “consider” boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics over Uighur ethnic cleansing July 7, 2021 Prime minister Boris Johnson today said he would consider calls for a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, but told MPs he is “instinctively against” taking such action. At prime minister’s questions today, former Tory minister Tim Loughton highlighted concerns over the “genocide” of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang and the wider human rights [...]
Daley Thompson interview: Double Olympic champion on why the world needs Tokyo 2020 to happen and why he’d be happily compete with Covid restrictions July 2, 2021 Daley Thompson chuckles as he remembers the contrasting backdrops to his two Olympic gold medals. “The first time I won was in Moscow. It was pretty dull and dreary, the weather wasn’t great and the place didn’t seem to hold a lot of joy,” Thompson tells City A.M. “The next one was in Los Angeles [...]
Former Olympic champion cyclist Chris Boardman MBE named chair of Sport England June 30, 2021 Former Olympic champion cyclist Chris Boardman MBE has been appointed chair of Sport England. Boardman will play a key role in getting more people active and developing grassroots sport. “I am delighted to take up the position of chair for Sport England,” said the 52-year-old, who won individual pursuit gold at the Barcelona 1992 Olympics. [...]