The 40-year cycle of canceled Olympics might just continue because of the coronavirus pandemic
By Nicole Ganglani | Photo from Inquirer Sports
The first cancellation of the Olympics happened in 1940 due to the Second World War. Forty years after, the 1980 Olympics was also canceled because of the mass boycott that took place in Moscow. Now in 2020, Japan finance minister Taro Aso says the 40-year cycle of canceled Olympics continues, but this time it could be because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s a problem that’s happened every 40 years—it’s the cursed Olympics—and that’s a fact,” says Aso.
Although COVID-19 continues to make its presence felt as more countries are still battling the virus, there’s no final word yet regarding the postponement or cancellation of this year’s Tokyo Olympics.
As of writing, the virus has already infected more than 200,000 people and killed 8,200 people around the world.
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