CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Wednesday, March 25, 2020 | 19 SPORTS

OLYMPICS Tokyo ticket holders checking terms and conditions

TOKYO — Holders of tickets for from December 2019, organizers “It is a little disappointing because the postponement, Morita can go the Tokyo Olympics face an anxious said $800 million had been raised the closing ceremony is the day next year and understands the wait to see if they will be offered through ticket sales. before my birthday... so I was think­ world is going through an unprece­ refunds following the postpone­ Now, with the IOC and Tokyo ing it would be a very special day,” dented crisis. ment of the Games. organizers confirming the post­ she said. “Of course it would be disappoint­ On Tuesday, the International ponement following mounting Yamada said she has read through ing... but of course this crisis is hap­ Olympic Committee and Tokyo pressure from athletes in the wake the ticket terms and conditions sev­ pening all over the world,” said organizers confirmed the Games of the coronavirus pandemic, ticket eral times but still cannot work out Morita before Tuesday’s announce­ will be delayed until no later than holders are worried about what this what postponement means. ment. “It is not just about me and the summer of 2021, saying the deci­ means for them. When previously contacted about about the Olympics. There are many sion was made to safeguard the Last week, the Asahi Shimbun ticket refunds prior to Tuesday’s people in pain so we must accept it.” health of the athletes, everybody newspaper reported tickets might postponement, Tokyo 2020 organiz­ Others are less certain they will be involved in the Olympic Games and not be refundable, citing Olympic ers merely said they were monitor­ able to attend the rearranged the international community. organizers and contractual details ing the situation. Games. Tokyo 2020 hasn’t confirmed how connected to the tickets. “The terms and conditions do not “I am worried about what I many tickets have been sold but in Kokoro Yamada has two tickets state that ‘tickets cannot be refund­ should do. I adjusted my schedule the bidding process, organizers said for the closing ceremony, which e d ’, so the article is not accurate,” and bought them,” said business­ over seven million seats would be have cost her 440,000 yen ($3,980). Tokyo 2020 organizers said. woman Manari Osaki. available. All domestic tickets for Yamada turns 30 the day after the Another Tokyo resident, Keiko “It messes up my plans and I may the Olympics have been sold, Games’ originally scheduled closing Morita, has spent approximately 2 not be able to go see the Games.” according to organizers. ceremony on Aug 9 and the tickets Olympic torches are made at a Tokyo factory. The torch relay, which million yen on tickets. In the most recent Games budget were a present to herself. was due to start on Thursday, has been canceled. Despite being inconvenienced by REUTERS Upheaval won’t derail De Grasse’s golden dreams

Sprint star eyeing success at postponed Games following Canadian uncertainty They’re trying to Andre De Grasse intends on being “It’s going to be a bummer and a dis­ a major part of the show at appointment if the Olympics went protect us. We’re the Tokyo Olympics after the Games on without us. humans first and were postponed. “Having the Olympics (in 2021), On Tuesday, the International that’s all I can really hope for mov­ athletes second. We’ll Olympic Committee confirmed the ing forward.” get through this.” Games will be delayed until no later The 25­year­old who lives and than the summer of 2021. trains in Jacksonville, Florida, was Andre De Grasse, on Canada’s Had the Games remained on cleaning his house when he hap­ stance of only competing at a postponed Olympics schedule to take place this summer, pened to check his phone and see Canada’s Andre De Grasse celebrates after winning 200m silver at the world championships in , Canada’s fastest man would not the news of Canada’s conditional Qatar, on Oct 1 last year. The 25­year­old will be able to go for glory at the postponed Tokyo Olympics have been on the start line. withdrawal on Sunday night. next year after Canada had said it would not compete if the Games went ahead this summer. AP Before Tuesday’s postponement, He didn’t sleep much. explained. “I was letting it go and Canada had decided not to send a This was supposed to be his year playing it by ear day­by­day and see­ team to the Olympics due to the cor­ — his first chance for Olympic gold ing if this thing got better. sprinting. In fact, he thought his was just a role player in the show­ to myself, ‘I can be one of the fastest onavirus pandemic unless the without looming a few “They’re trying to protect us. path to glory was as a point guard in down between Bolt and American men in the world,’” De Grasse Games were delayed a year. steps away. Only now a new crop of We’re humans first and athletes sec­ basketball. rival . recounted. “When I watch, it fuels Canada was among a number of talent has arrived on the scene in ond. We’ll get through this.” That changed when he bumped A year later at the Rio Games, De that and makes me hungry to win countries that had been pressing the Americans and These days, he’s in Florida with into a friend on the bus in high Grasse took center stage and again and have that feeling that I felt International Olympic Committee . It’s shaping up to be his girlfriend, American hurdler Nia school. He boasted he could beat clowned around with Bolt, though in Rio.” on a postponement. But Canada quite a showdown. Ali. His workouts, now that cities him in a race. Race on. it wasn’t all fun and games. Bolt was He’s healthy again, too. made the strongest statement of all De Grasse is, by most measures, and states are closing gyms and urg­ Wearing baggy basketball shorts looking for the world record, possi­ Bothered by hamstring injuries in by flat­out saying it wouldn’t go if Canada’s highest­profile summer ing social distancing, have been and borrowed spikes, De Grasse bly to even break the 19­second bar­ 2017 and in ’18, he flashed his famil­ the Games had started on July 24 sports star. The country brought 314 reduced to running on a soccer field started from a standing position rier in the 200. He fell short, and iar — and fast — form at the world this summer. athletes to the Rio Games in 2016. It and chasing around their daughter, instead of uncoiling from the blocks. among the reasons he cited was De championships last fall in Doha, The IOC said the postponement captured 22 medals, with De Grasse Yuri, who turns 2 in June. Ali also He won. Grasse’s decision to push him the Qatar. De Grasse took bronze in the of the Games was made to safeguard bringing home three. has a son, Titus. A coach, Tony Sharpe, happened night before in the semifinals. 100 behind Coleman and Gatlin. the health of the athletes, everybody Although De Grasse wasn’t con­ “I’m with the kids, at home, a lot,” to see him from the stands, took him De Grasse ended up earning silver Later, he picked up silver in the 200 involved in the Olympic Games and tacted individually by Team Canada De Grasse cracked. “I feel like I’m under his wing and helped fine­tune during the 200 in Brazil, along with behind Lyles. the international community. in regard to its decision, he did active because I’m chasing them that raw speed. bronze medals in the 100 and as part And now he looks certain to get Speaking before Tuesday’s receive a survey. around. We go swimming in the De Grasse burst on the scene in of the 4x100 relay team. his chance of a rematch in Tokyo announcement, De Grasse, who has He didn’t fill it out. backyard.” 2015, when he tied for the 100­meter He occasionally watches his thanks to Tuesday’s postponement. seven Olympic and world champi­ “I didn’t know how I felt about the De Grasse didn’t take the most bronze medal at the world champi­ Olympic races — for inspiration. onship medals to his credit, said: situation at the time,” De Grasse conventional route into the world of onships in . Back then, he “There’s a lot of motivation to say AP VIA XINHUA