Spectators From Overseas Are Barred From Tokyo Olympics

[BumRushDaShow]

20. It's been 20 years since both events were held the same year (1992)

WINTER, SUMMER OLYMPICS SWITCH TO 2-YEAR ROTATION

Thomas Netter, Special to The Tribune
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
OCTOBER 15, 1986 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND

The International Olympic Committee voted nearly unanimously Tuesday to hold the Summer and Winter Games in different years in a move aimed at focusing more attention on the winter events. The Olympics will go on as scheduled in 1988 and 1992. Then another Winter Olympics will be held in 1994 and they will go on a four-year cycle. The Summer Games will remain on the present schedule. This will put the international events two years apart. The IOC also agreed to a cautious, partial opening of certain sports to professionals, who have been banned for most of the Games history.

But it left the crucial question of allowing tennis pros to play unanswered, pending a meeting in Istanbul in May. Willi Daume of West Germany, chairman of the IOC`s eligibility committee, said the games would now be open to professionals in four sports, beginning in 1988: ice hockey, equestrian events (with the agreement of the International Equestrian Federation) and soccer, as well as track and field events involving athletes that are professional in other sports.

In soccer, the IOC said, all North American, Asian and South American players who had yet to compete in a World Cup could participate in the 1988 events. IOC officials said there was virtually no opposition to the proposal of holding the Summer and Winter Games in different years. ''I think it is a good decision,'' said Linda Chase, vice president of the Organizing Committee from Anchorage, which hopes to stage the 1992 Winter Games. ''The Winter Games have always received less attention than the summer events. This will focus new attention on the winter events.

''If you talk to many people about the Olympics, they usually mention the swimming or hurdles or the track and field events. But they don`t talk about the ski jumping or the luge, which are just as exciting.'' Chase and others said a key result of the decision would be to spread out the coverage on television, which is the most lucrative aspect of the Games and is currently packed into one year. The move is expected to lead to even larger revenues for coverage of the winter events. Although the Winter Olympics involve fewer events than the Summer Games and are acknowledged to appeal to a smaller audience, they still command a wide audience and increasing television revenues.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1986-10-15-8603170646-story.html

I expect because Tokyo probably spent lots of $$$$$$$ to get ready and then you have the athletes who are "aging" and may end up going "past peak" performance should it get delayed another year. The youngest would probably be fine if they delayed and the multiple repeats would probably chalk it up and be done with it (but then they had already been there done that). However some of the "middle" group might end up getting impacted as much as the repeaters, going "past peak", although they could refine techniques that might be a benefit.

It's really as shame for any who train so hard for this and then the whole thing gets upended.