London 2012 CEO says Tokyo Olympics happening is 'unlikely'

The former chief executive of London 2012 has cast serious doubt on Japanese government claims that the Tokyo Olympics are still on track amid a Covid-19 surge.

Sir Keith Mills suggested it is “unlikely” that the Games will take place this summer, adding that organisers will be making secret plans for a cancellation.

He was interviewed after Japan's Prime Minister, Yoshihide Suga, vowed to forge ahead despite rising opposition and worry over rising infections in Tokyo.

Entrepreneur Mills, who also chairs the Invictus Games pioneered by Prince Harry, told BBC Radio 5 Live: “Personally, sitting here looking at the pandemic around the world in South America, North America, in Africa and across Europe it looks unlikely I have to say.

“If I was sitting in the shoes of the organising committee in Tokyo – and thankfully I’m not – I would be making plans for a cancellation I’m sure they have plans for a cancellation but I think they will leave it to absolutely the last minute in case the situation improves dramatically and in case the vaccines roll out faster. It’s a tough call and I wouldn’t like to be in their shoes.”

With the world in a race against time to get vaccinated, close to 80 per cent of Japanese believe the Olympics, already postponed by a year because of the pandemic, should be delayed again.

The logistical minefield has been underlined by chaos at the much smaller Australian Open, where 72 players are confined to their hotel rooms in Melbourne for 14 days. Mills laid bare the complexity of arranging the world's biggest sporting event.

“It is such a complex event to organise, it affects every part of government and the whole country, we had 200,000 people working on the Games so it’s a massive undertaking and I feel so sorry for the guys in Tokyo,” he added.

“If we were faced with the same situation it would have been catastrophic and my heart really goes out to them. It is a tragedy for everyone, for the country Japan and for Tokyo and all the effort and money they have put into it, it’s a tragedy for the athletes and for the 200 or so Olympic committees and all of the sports federations who rely almost entirely on the money the Olympic Games generates."

Taro Kono, Japan's administrative and reform minister, became the first figure within the government to voice doubt, saying the Games "could go either way" last week after a state of emergency was extended beyond the Tokyo region.

However, Suga said in a policy speech at the start of a regular parliament session on Monday: “We will press ahead with preparations, with determination of building watertight anti-infection measures and holding an event that can bring hope and courage to the world.”

Japan has been less severely hit by the pandemic than many other advanced economies, but the recent surge in cases spurred it to close its borders to non-resident foreigners and declare a state of emergency in Tokyo and major cities.

The number of hospitalised coronavirus patients with serious symptoms in Japan has hit a record high (970), with more than 5,700 new cases across Japan confirmed on Sunday night. Meanwhile Hiroshima prefecture is taking matters into its own hands and preparing to carry out large-scale PCR testing of 800,000 residents – a rarity in Japan which lags way behind many other countries in testing numbers.

The IOC expects just 6,000 athletes at the opening ceremony, down from an initial figure of about 11,000 from 200 nations, the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reports.