Tokyo Olympics: In a first, Tokyo-bound athletes will be required to sign a waiver form, declaring that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) would not be responsible if they face any health risks or even death at the Tokyo Olympics including contracting COVID-19 or heatwave. The bizarre health waiver form was sent to athletes and participants on Friday, requiring everyone to go to the Games at their “own risk”.
The document, detailing the conditions for participation in Tokyo Games was obtained by Japan’s Kyodo News. Signing the waiver form is an extraordinary step from the IOC which has been confident about conducting the Tokyo Olympics.
On Thursday, during a virtual conference between athletes and Olympic officials, Lana Haddad, IOC’s COO, informed them that the form has been updated with COVID-19 related considerations. Even though IOC and the organising committee have promised a safe games with additional measures in place, the COVID-19 guidelines ask the athletes to be accountable for their decision to participate.
“As you must have followed the news all around the world on COVID-19, no government, no health authority can or has taken over guarantees against infections. This is a risk that we all bear. This is really to provide transparency and ensures the informed consent from the games’ participants,” Haddad said.
Tokyo Olympics: This is bizarre and for the first time that the IOC has asked athletes to take such an undertaking. Even at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, athletes were not asked to sign such a waiver even amid fears of Beijing’s air pollution. There were also fears of SARS during that time.
As for Rio Olympics 2016, many athletes pulled out due to fears of the Zika virus but even then athletes were not asked to sign such a waiver form. Even the Vancouver Winter Olympics went on without such notification amid the swine flu epidemic.
“We trust that the measures laid out will mitigate the risks and impacts involved in participating in the games, and we fully count on your support to comply with them,” the playbook said.
“However, despite all the care taken, risks and impacts may not be fully eliminated, and therefore you agree to attend the Olympic and Paralympic Games at your own risk,” it added.
However, when asked why there was such a waiver, IOC President Thomas Bach said this was standard practice.
“This is really to provide transparency and ensure the informed consent from the games’ participants. The entry forms are consistent with the standard practice of all other big event organizers. And the forms are within the framework of the law, if I may add,” Haddad added.
While the COVID-19 pandemic is in full swing and Japan in the midst of the fourth wave, Japanese people, scientists and doctors have opposed to the Tokyo Olympics. However, IOC and the Japanese Olympics organising committee have been defiant on staging the Games “no matter the virus”.