Money talks, which is the short answer for why it took this long for the swells at the International Olympic Committee to listen to reason.
For weeks, IOC leaders framed their refusal to shut down Tokyo 2020 as a noble cause instead of a cash grab. But that’s because they could afford to.
Five days earlier, asked whether postponing the games would hurt the committee’s ability to pay its bills on time, president Thomas Bach didn’t have to think long. “The IOC has no cash flow problems,” he replied.
Never mind that the very same athletes who actually make the games go were expected to continue sacrificing and put their lives on hold in the meantime.