A cancellation of the Tokyo Olympics would send "a bad signal to Paris-2024"

Tuesday, the president of the organizing committee of the Olympic Games Yoshiro Mori affirmed that the Games, already postponed by one year (July 2020 - August 23, 8), should be canceled if the pandemic is not brought under control by see you next year and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday that they would "difficult" to organize in this case.

QUESTION: After the postponement, what would be the financial consequences of a possible cancellation of the Tokyo Olympics?

ANSWER: "I am unable to give a figure. The postponement from 2020 to 2021 cost a lot of money. I have seen figures go by, around 3 billion dollars. For the postponement, the organizing structure of the OJ, compensating promoters for delayed deliveries of programs planned in the post-Olympic period (offices, housing ...) ... However, there is also a revenue gap at the time of the Games ".

Q: And in the event of outright cancellation?

R: "You have to reimburse a whole bunch of stakeholders: broadcasters, top partners who cannot benefit from their rights during the Games, partners, all tickets ... It's also a bit of a model the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which is called into question in the event of cancellation. This creates uncertainty for all Olympic solidarity programs. The IOC, thanks to the Olympic Games, finances a large number of them throughout the Many institutions live on IOC subsidies, and over the 2017-2020 cycle, more than 500 million dollars (460 million euros) are donated to various players (federations, Olympic committees, athletes, etc.). It is less a disaster for the IOC which has a reserve thanks to the previous Games and has set up an insurance mechanism ".

Q: Will athletes also pay the price?

R: "It can cause difficulties for athletes, especially those who receive grants to prepare for and participate in the Olympic Games. The runoff of wealth is normally so great that the sudden interruption can cause difficulties for the beneficiaries. In many sports, the Games are the moment of a career, of a life, the one on which the athlete will build his economic model. Not to dispute them, that amounts to not being able to expose oneself, to depriving him of a contract , sponsors and therefore to be able to live decently. "

Q: What would be the consequences for Paris-2024 of a possible cancellation?

R: "It would be a very bad signal. It would cause uncertainty for those in Paris. First in terms of funding. Part of the funding for Paris comes from the previous Olympiad. I hope it was relatively secure. also divert some sponsors from the Olympism. "

Q: Can this pandemic lead to additional costs for Paris-2024?

R: "I think that the promoters of Paris have these elements in mind, that they are analyzing the possible additional cost that this will generate. The context has changed without being able to prepare for it. be urgent to redo a review of projects, as planned, to see what are the negative or positive impacts of this crisis on the organization of Paris 2024. But, potentially, there may be additional costs: new standards, others organizations ... If there are additional costs, we can see if they can be absorbed by the reserve + contingency + provided for in the budget. Otherwise, we will have to see how to adjust and, why not, reduce the airfoil on certain programs and ensuring that the promise that the budget will not go astray is kept. "

Q: Are you targeting a specific location to reduce?

R: "It is difficult to target an infrastructure, it is generally the project which must be reviewed, analyzed with regard to a health context, which has changed and will not necessarily be the same in 2024. It is very complicated because we do not don't know the context of 2024. You have to be able to say, if that happens: we will have done everything to be able to compete in the Games. Knowing that if it is the same as today, there will be the same decision: will be postponed or canceled. "

Interview by Rémy ZAKA