Florida’s chief financial officer Jimmy Patronis has offered to host the Olympics games as the restrictions in Tokyo continue to increase.
By: Pro Tour Cycling
Embed from Getty ImagesWith the 2021 Tokyo summer games being on the fence about being able to run, one of the least restricted places on the planet since the beginning of the pandemic, the state of Florida has offered to host the Olympic Games.
Florida’s chief financial officer Jimmy Patronis wrote to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on January 25th to offer the state as a potential replacement host for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, amid the coronavirus crisis.
In this letter, Patronis explains how they have handled trips and all the information about the Covid-19 vaccine.
“With media reports of leaders in Japan ‘privately’ concluding that they are too concerned about the pandemic for the 2021 Olympics to take place. There is still time to deploy a site selection team to Florida to meet with statewide and local officials on holding the Olympics in the Sunshine State. I would welcome the opportunity to pitch Florida and help you make the right contacts to get this done.”
Okay, so could Florida actually pull this off? Yeah, if anyone could do it, it’s Florida. Since the start of the Pandemic Florida has been the host of some of North America’s biggest sporting events. Events including the initial NBA and MLS Bubbles were hosted in Florida. In the world of Cycling, group rides and races have literally been taking place since April. The covid restrictions are perhaps the lightest of all places when it comes to sports in the state of Florida.
While Florida would struggle to match the parkour of Tokyo in the road race, it would give the sprinters a shot of winning an Olympic medal. The state has everything needed from a track and field perspective, however there is no indoor velodrome in Florida at this time. Perhaps they could slap something together in a few months time given the go-ahead from the IOC.
With Japan rethinking the @Olympics now is a great time for @IOA_Official to deploy a site selection team to Florida. (Especially as we’re about to host the Super Bowl LV.)
— Jimmy Patronis (@JimmyPatronis) January 25, 2021
➡️ Read my full letter to the International Olympic Committee: https://t.co/8OkzDc3d7H