logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2020
21m 42s

As Pressure Mounts, Olympics Postpone

Wondery
About this episode

(Note: A few hours after we published this episode, Japan and the IOC announced that the Olympics will, in fact, be postponed until 2021.)

Yesterday, a member of the International Olympic Committee told a reporter that the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be postponed until next year. This came a day after the IOC announced that it would make a decision within the next four weeks, and after both Canada and Australia said they would not participate in the Games if they were held this summer. The Athletic’s Matt Slater joins us to explain how the IOC has gone about making this complicated decision, how exactly a country delays an event as massive as the Olympics, and what challenges the imminent delay poses to athletes.

Follow Matt Slater's writing:

https://theathletic.com/author/matt-slater/?source=theleadpodcast

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Jun 23
Listen Now: Liberty Lost
In Evangelical homes across the United States, sex outside of marriage is a sin against God. So, when Abbi becomes pregnant at 16, her devout parents hide her away at the Liberty Godparent Home, a little-known facility for pregnant teens on the campus of Liberty University. The H ... Show More
5m 55s
May 22
Listen Now: Mind the Game
LeBron James and Steve Nash sit down for an unfiltered, in-depth conversation about basketball—how it’s played, how it’s evolved, and what it really means to understand the game.From breaking down the Nash dribble and the evolution of the short roll, to dissecting playoff adjustm ... Show More
4m 33s
Jan 2024
The Lead Says Farewell
An announcement about our showSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. 
3m 50s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2021
COVID, protest, racism: The 'no-fun Olympics'
COVID-19, racism, anti-semitism and a crackdown on protest — all dark clouds hanging over this year’s Olympic games in Tokyo. The International Olympic Committee made a huge gamble in postponing the event to 2021. Has it paid off? In this episode: Jules Boykoff (@julesboykoff), p ... Show More
21m 46s
Mar 2021
Olympic Dreams Postponed
Almost a year ago, athletes around the world learned that the Olympics would be postponed. For those who hoped to compete in the games, navigating this additional year has been incredibly challenging, especially as Covid restrictions forced many professional sports facilities to ... Show More
13m 28s
Jun 2021
The Tokyo Olympics: Are the games in jeopardy?
As athletes and competitors all over the world prepare to descend on Tokyo, locals don't seem to want them to come. With just weeks to go, will the Olympics happen? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today ... Show More
32m 6s
Aug 2021
The Olympic Games
The Olympic Games  Join us today as we learn about how the Olympic Games, which are held every four years, got their start and have changed over the years. Sources:  https://www.britannica.com/sports/Olympic-Games/Munich-West-Germany-1972 https://www.history.com/this-day-in-histo ... Show More
6m 50s
Feb 2022
Did politics overshadow the Winter Olympics?
A diplomatic boycott led by the US. Strict COVID-19 pandemic measures. And athletes caught in the middle of political fights between nations. The 2022 Winter Olympics has ended in Beijing, China, but the biggest headlines weren’t about the games. American-born athletes with Chine ... Show More
18m 9s
Jun 2024
The Doping Scandal Rocking the Upcoming Olympics
A new doping scandal is rocking the world of competitive swimming, as the Paris Olympics approach. These allegations are raising questions about fairness in the sport and whether the results at the summer games can be trusted.Michael S. Schmidt, one of the reporters who broke the ... Show More
26m 49s
Jan 2022
The Beijing Winter Olympics: High stakes for China
The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics will begin in 4 weeks’ time with more than 2,000 athletes from across the globe expected to take part. Officials have set up a bubble to keep arriving athletes and officials separate from the general population, all part of attempts to prevent cor ... Show More
48 m