It’s now exactly two weeks to the day that the Olympics are due to open and I think we might have to come to terms with the fact that this thing looks like it’s going to go ahead.

Because they are clearly pulling out all stops to push on.

Last night Japan declared a Covid state of emergency in Tokyo and instead of that ending the thing altogether, they’ve just decided to ban fans.

They’ve have pared it back to almost a skeleton event, bar banning spectators from the events outside Tokyo like the surfing.

I don't know what else they can do to keep the Covid risk down while still holding the event.

But here’s a question for you. 

Now that fans are banned, does it need to be called off?  

What is it that we’re worried the Olympics will do Covid wise? 

I mean clearly it’s not like the Olympics themselves pose a risk of introducing Covid to Japan.

Japan’s registering an average of close to 1700 cases a day. 

It’s clearly now at low risk of creating super spreader events amongst fans.

And frankly, no one should be too worried about athletes catching Covid. 

They are consenting adults, who’ve been offered vaccines, choosing to go to a country registering quadruple digit Covid numbers.

They’re more than capable of making their own decisions and then living by.  

In a way, I’m starting to come around to the idea of holding the Olympics. 

If only because it represents some of kind half-version of normality returning.

The vaccinated world is charging towards the other side of Covid now and the Olympics feel like part of that wave. 

Obviously a lot can change in just a few weeks – we saw that with the cricket in India – so who knows how this plays out.  

But the athletes are arriving, the events are scheduled, the banners are going up.  

The closer we get, the more it looks like this is gonna happen.