- The city of Tokyo has officially declared a state of emergency due to COVID rates just three weeks before the start of the Olympic Games.
- No spectators of any kind will be allowed to attend the Games. Previously, domestic fans were set to attend the competition.
TOKYO – News has officially broke Thursday that there will be no spectators of any kind at this year’s Tokyo Olympics.
The city of Tokyo officially declared a state of emergency after their COVID-19 infection rates reached their highest levels since mid-May.
Japanese officials declared the state of emergency this week that will take effect on Monday and run through August 8, spanning the entire duration of this year’s Olympic Games.
The International Olympic Committee had already made the decision to ban international spectators from attending the Games, letting only domestic Japanese fans fill the stands.
Now, no spectators of any kind will be able to attend the Games, leaving athletes who have worked their entire lives for this honor without the proper in-person support they deserve.
Seiko Hashimoto, the head of the Japanese Olympic Committee said that organizers have “no choice but to hold the Games in a limited way.”
The decision does not come without reason. Tokyo reported 920 new infections Wednesday which is the highest daily caseload since May. With more infected people walking around and new variants of the diseases popping up, the health of the athletes is the most important thing on the minds of the IOC.
So how could these new regulations affect those looking to bet on the Olympics?
Well for one, those looking to back the Japanese teams across all sports will now be rooting for a team without fan support in the stands. With only domestic fans in the stands, it was expected that the only spectators in the audience would be very pro-Japan over the majority of the events.
Without that support, the odds for the Japanese team are expected to change in the coming days.
Currently, Japan’s total medal line is sitting around 32.5 Gold medals at the Olympics via the Olympic online sportsbooks.
Japan Total Gold Medals
- Over 32½ Medals -105
- Under 32½ Medals -135
Total medals for the Japanese team sits at 59.5, with the under as the -140 favorite.
Japan Total Medals
- Over 59½ Medals +100
- Under 59½ Medals -140
Those looking to bet on the under for these lines should consider locking in their picks before the odds skew more against Team Japan. Having fans in the stands is a key contributor to team morale, and it is only a matter of time before the sportsbooks adjust to this change.