Sumo and the Olympics

[Morning 83]

14 hours ago, Kaminariyuki said:

Japan should certainly get the next, as yet uncommitted, summer Olympics, IMO. Even in the increasingly unlikely event that the games are held this summer, they are not going to be the event that was bargained for in good faith.

Olympic Games are typically run at a loss for the host country. I don't think Japan would like that drain again so soon, except for the prestige or felt faceloss.

[Asashosakari 19,403]

Not to mention that the Japanese public seems to have soured on the whole idea anyway.

[Ichimawashi 573]

All good points.  I think actually LA last time made money but could equally well say that with the Soviet bloc countries staying out in retaliation for Carter’s decision to skip the Moscow Olympics, they had a good case for a rerun as soon as reasonable.  Actually, as I recall Canada did surprisingly well in LA without the Soviet bloc countries in the mix.  We were aware of why it was happening, but it was nice to see in a country who had to host the games three times before winning a gold medal on home soil.

[Yamanashi 3,861]

On 21/04/2021 at 23:14, Ichimawashi said:

All good points.  I think actually LA last time made money but could equally well say that with the Soviet bloc countries staying out in retaliation for Carter’s decision to skip the Moscow Olympics, they had a good case for a rerun as soon as reasonable.  Actually, as I recall Canada did surprisingly well in LA without the Soviet bloc countries in the mix.  We were aware of why it was happening, but it was nice to see in a country who had to host the games three times before winning a gold medal on home soil.

I well remember those LA games.  McDonalds ran a promotion in which you got a free McDLT or shake or fries based upon an American winning a medal in a particular sport.  After the USSR boycotted, McD almost went broke giving out free hamburgers for American medalists in Soviet-heavy sports like rhythmic gymnastics and modern pentathlon.

[yohcun 401]

1 hour ago, Yamanashi said:

I well remember those LA games.  McDonalds ran a promotion in which you got a free McDLT or shake or fries based upon an American winning a medal in a particular sport.  After the USSR boycotted, McD almost went broke giving out free hamburgers for American medalists in Soviet-heavy sports like rhythmic gymnastics and modern pentathlon.

Take that, capitalism!

So that's what that Simpsons episode was parodying. I didn't know it was a real thing that happened.

[Gospodin 191]

Without any foreign tourism and thus less than anticipated foreign interest in the country, the often cited "detour profitability" will not materialize, neither short-term nor long-term. A loss is a given, but it seems chances to recoup it are also dim.

On another note: what gradually came along was accelerated by the pandemic: with the exclusion of foreign visitors the games ceased to be, well, games. The Olympics have now completely morphed from an international gathering into mass World Championships, with all competitions carried out at the same place over a small period being the sole difference. Not that much interesting. The future doesn´t look bright for the IOC et al.

[WAKATAKE 2,660]

13 hours ago, Gospodin said:

Without any foreign tourism and thus less than anticipated foreign interest in the country, the often cited "detour profitability" will not materialize, neither short-term nor long-term. A loss is a given, but it seems chances to recoup it are also dim.

On another note: what gradually came along was accelerated by the pandemic: with the exclusion of foreign visitors the games ceased to be, well, games. The Olympics have now completely morphed from an international gathering into mass World Championships, with all competitions carried out at the same place over a small period being the sole difference. Not that much interesting. The future doesn´t look bright for the IOC et al.

When the IOC dropped amateur wrestling from the Tokyo Olympics, their future was already not bright for me.

[Vulch 3]

On 20/04/2021 at 20:44, Kaminariyuki said:

And sumo should et at least an exhibition sport status during the games, not just a tournament in between the Olympics and Paralympics.

I don't see the requirement that new Olympic sports must be open to all or have both mens and womens competitions as appropriate going down well in certain quarters...

[fwuzzle23 66]

4 hours ago, Vulch said:

I don't see the requirement that new Olympic sports must be open to all or have both mens and womens competitions as appropriate going down well in certain quarters...

I'm pretty sure the people in said quarters understand the difference between amazumo (which already has women competing in it) and ozumo.

[Asashosakari 19,403]

Obligatory mention that the IOC will now only admit new sports whose governing bodies are actually in a position to ensure that the best in the world will be competing in the Olympics. That ain't true of the International Sumo Federation, and it's most likely not gonna become true in our lifetime. (Not that that's the only reason why sumo will never be an Olympic sport, but it's by far the biggest roadblock.)

Also, officially sanctioned demonstration sports (which I guess were meant by "exhibition sport status") ceased to exist after the 1992 Olympics, nearly three decades ago.

Edited April 29, 2021 by Asashosakari

[Tsuchinoninjin 1,274]

Considering how badly they butchered climbing, we probably don't want to see sumo in the olympics.

[Kaminariyuki 499]

On 29/04/2021 at 11:59, Asashosakari said:

Also, officially sanctioned demonstration sports (which I guess were meant by "exhibition sport status") ceased to exist after the 1992 Olympics, nearly three decades ago.

No kidding and I didn't even notice...

 

[Yamanashi 3,861]

This is the grim experience when there's no vaccine available.

[Seiyashi 4,097]

16 hours ago, Yamanashi said:

This is the grim experience when there's no vaccine available.

To be precise, vaccination doesn't necessarily stop transmission - look at Singapore's hospital cluster where vaccinated hospital staff still got infected. But it does drastically reduce the consequences of getting it, such that it's no worse than the flu. 

[Kaminariyuki 499]

On 06/05/2021 at 06:50, Yamanashi said:

This is the grim experience when there's no vaccine available.

Actually, hard to believe as it is, Japan has many millions of as-yet undistributed vaccine doses. They seem to now be ramping up, so hopefully the situation will soon be improving in Japan and elsewhere.

[Kaminariyuki 499]

On 06/05/2021 at 06:50, Yamanashi said:

This is the grim experience when there's no vaccine available.

Of course, that's what Yamanashi probably meant by "available," available to the public. 

[nagora 88]

On 29/04/2021 at 18:59, Asashosakari said:

Obligatory mention that the IOC will now only admit new sports whose governing bodies are actually in a position to ensure that the best in the world will be competing in the Olympics. That ain't true of the International Sumo Federation, and it's most likely not gonna become true in our lifetime. (Not that that's the only reason why sumo will never be an Olympic sport, but it's by far the biggest roadblock.)

Also, officially sanctioned demonstration sports (which I guess were meant by "exhibition sport status") ceased to exist after the 1992 Olympics, nearly three decades ago.

There is a parallel world where members of the IOC are regarded as paragons of virtue interested only in pursuing the best for sport and the men and women who engage in those sports.

This world in inhabited only by members of the IOC.

[Asashosakari 19,403]

25 minutes ago, nagora said:

There is a parallel world where members of the IOC are regarded as paragons of virtue interested only in pursuing the best for sport and the men and women who engage in those sports.

This world in inhabited only by members of the IOC.

Did you quote my post simply because it included the letters "IOC" or was this an actual response to something I wrote in there? I'm a bit confused.

[nagora 88]

11 hours ago, Asashosakari said:

Did you quote my post simply because it included the letters "IOC" or was this an actual response to something I wrote in there? I'm a bit confused.

It was a response to your comment that "the IOC will now only admit new sports whose governing bodies are actually in a position to ensure that the best in the world will be competing". I'm not convinced that the IOC are in a position to throw stones on the issue of having quality management for the benefit of sports.

[Asashosakari 19,403]

13 hours ago, nagora said:

It was a response to your comment that "the IOC will now only admit new sports whose governing bodies are actually in a position to ensure that the best in the world will be competing". I'm not convinced that the IOC are in a position to throw stones on the issue of having quality management for the benefit of sports.

It wasn't a comment on the IFS's organizational capabilities, it was "amateur sumotori need not apply".

[Akinomaki 40,604]

On 09/03/2021 at 15:47, Akinomaki said:

On 18/12/2019 at 21:15, Akinomaki said:

Hakuho has a part in the Olympics - but maybe not as planned: he'll be a torchbearer to run in the Olympic torch relay in Sumida-ward, where the kokugikan is located.

Hakuho has a tough schedule: the torch relay in Sumida ward is on July 19th, the day after day 15 of the July basho, which is planned to be in Nagoya http://www.sumo.or.jp/Admission/isolate/606/. The 2nd part has the kokugikan as the goal, planned arrival at the kokugikan 16:01h JST, logically Hakuho should be running as the last to be the one there. https://gtimg.tokyo2020.org/image/upload/production/lxwifuxxyoqkvommhxqb.pdf

On 05/04/2021 at 18:05, Akinomaki said:

Looks like the basho really will be in Nagoya, and Hakuho with that knee may hardly finish the basho - but so far he has not declared he won't run. Today he started rehabilitation in the heya by walking around the keiko ground - the time to start shiko stamping again will be carefully chosen. o

NHK streams the torch relay run live and the videos remain (VPN for Japan needed) https://sports.nhk.or.jp/olympic/torch/

The yusho interview was filled with deep emotions, no time to think about tomorrow - will Hakuho return to Tokyo after celebrations and run in the relay?

Edited July 19, 2021 by Akinomaki

[Jakusotsu 5,981]

Well, the opening ceremony is about to start in an hour, and still no word of Hakuho...

[Eikokurai 3,437]

14 minutes ago, Jakusotsu said:

Well, the opening ceremony is about to start in an hour, and still no word of Hakuho...

Well, it would be a surprise, no? 

[Jejima 1,398]

I have been looking for information for the yokozuna dohyo-iri (I told my 5 year old son, Peter, that we would be able to watch it....) - but can't find it anywhere. Is it definitely going to happen?

Edited July 23, 2021 by Jejima

[Jakusotsu 5,981]

12 minutes ago, Jejima said:

I told Peter that we would be able to watch it....

You're a very bold man...