DUNCAN MACKAY EDITOR, INSIDETHEGAMES
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fter the unprecedented turmoil and an Olympic and Paralympic build-up like no other, Tokyo 2020 is finally in the history books. The sporting world had to wait an extra year to gather in the Japanese capital, and when it did the fans were forced to stay at home. We knew from the start that Tokyo 2020 would be very different Games, and that proved to be the case. It was not just the empty venues that made us feel that things were not quite right. The obstacle course of COVID-19 checkpoints at the airport, the regular need to spit into a tube and the daily submission of health information reminded us that this was going to be a strange experience. A lot of us, I'm sure, would appreciate never hearing the phrase "activity plan" again and I doubt anyone will miss using the dreaded OCHA app. With strict rules in place, most people saw much more of their hotel room than they would normally have liked. Some, such as our very own Philip Barker, unluckily came into close contact with a positive case and were confined for up to a fortnight. There was not the same mingling with friends from overseas, and the chance to properly absorb yourself into the host city - where there was hardly any Olympic dressing - was gone. But despite this, the Games still reached their conclusion when some doubted that they would last the course.
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The sport was fantastic, and the pandemic was largely kept at bay. Tokyo 2020 did not become the super-spreader event critics feared it might be, and the Games did not have one huge story of controversy which dominated the news agenda for days. All of this will have left the International Olympic Committee breathing a huge sigh of relief. After the historic delay of the Games by a year, it must feel that it has emerged from a hugely challenging period largely unscathed. In this latest October edition of The insidethegames.biz Magazine, the eightstrong team that we sent to Tokyo relive their experiences of this year’s Olympics and Paralympics. The Olympic Movement can now look forward, with the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics due to take place in February and March - a gap of just six months after Tokyo 2020. With a political cloud still hanging over the event in the Chinese capital, chief senior reporter Liam Morgan assesses the latest situation with the IOC guaranteed to face some difficult questions in the coming weeks. Beijing 2022 will be on the agenda at the Association of National Olympic Committees General Assembly in Crete in October. Senior reporter Michael Pavitt speaks to Robin Mitchell, the Fijian who has served as the Acting President of ANOC since 2018 due to the legal difficulties faced by Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah. With Sheikh Ahmad now appealing a prison sentence handed down by a Geneva court for alleged forgery, it is a period of more uncertainty for both Mitchell and ANOC. As the General Assembly is taking place in Greece, chief columnist David Owen has spoken to Spyros Capralos, the President of
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the Hellenic Olympic Committee who has now risen to become the Movement’s top official in Europe. Sticking with the Greek theme, Philip, our historian, has looked back on the key meetings which have taken place in the country - the birthplace of the Games over the years. The 2022 sporting calendar is already looking packed - with cities called Birmingham on both sides of the Atlantic due to host major events. Mike Rowbottom looks ahead to The World Games in the United States - and the Commonwealth Games in England which will both take place under the name Birmingham 2022. It will also be a big year for the International Boxing Association, which still finds itself under huge pressure from the IOC after being shut out of the Tokyo 2020 competition. Umar Kremlev, the AIBA President, speaks to Mike as the embattled organisation bids for reacceptance in order to regain its place for Paris 2024. The sports of aquatics, ice hockey and skiing will all have new Presidents in 2022 for the first time in a long time. Alongside magazine editor Dan Palmer, I have taken a look at these governing bodies as they change the guard and look ahead to the future. Although Tokyo 2020 has ended, there is still plenty to get our teeth into and insidethegames will be there every step of the way to bring you the stories which matter. Enjoy the magazine.
Duncan Mackay Editor
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