Out of Japan today comes a letter from Tsunekazu Takeda, President of the Japanese Olympic Committee, addressed to FIG President Bruno Grandi. In it, Takeda appeals Grandi to encourage gymnasts to participate in the 2011 World Championships, which are scheduled for Tokyo Oct, 7-16.
In the days after the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan March 11, an FIG official visited the venues that will host the World Championships, declared them to be undamaged and competition-ready. Following the partial nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear reactor that raised radiation levels in Tokyo and surrounding areas, the FIG backpedaled, announcing it would make a final decision in May about where the 2011 Worlds would be held.
Moscow, which took over the 2011 World Figure Skating Championships in the wake of the disaster, has made a fomal bid to host the 2011 World Gymnastics Championships as well.
In his letter, Takeda pointed out that Tokyo was not damaged by either the earthquake or the tsunami and implied that keeping the World Championships in the country was a matter of national honor. "Hence, it is very important for Japan to actually host a premier international event to uplift the devastated people, especially the young children," he wrote.
Japanese gymnasts are poised to do well no matter where the Japan already has a national hero in two-time World Champion Kohei Uchimura, who should be the favorite for gold as well in 2011, no matter where the meet takes place. The Japanese women's team, including two-time World medalist Koko Tsurumi and 2010 Longines Prize for Elegance winner Rie Tanaka, is also poised to be among the top teams competing.
On March 24, Hidenori Futagi, President of the Japanese Gymnastic Association, posted his take on the 2011 Worlds. "We do believe that we will host the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships Tokyo successfully and hope to turn grief and sorrow of Japanese people into energy and courage," he wrote.
Here's the complete text of Takeda's letter to Grandi, which can also be viewed on the 2011 World Championshps website:
Dear President,First of all I would like to thank you for your compassion towards the magnitude 9 earthquake that hit the north coast of Japan on 11 March. Despite this humanitarian disaster, people are slowly recovering from what has been left and together with the support from all over Japan and from all over the world, we are making ways to overcome this destruction.In line with this, I am writing to ask for your strong supporting message towards the 43rd FIG Artistic World Gymnastics Championships Tokyo which is going to be held on 7 Oct. to 16 Oct. As you may already know the metropolitain government of Tokyo has not been affected from the earthquake, nor the tsunami. Hence, it is very important for Japan to actually host a premier international event to uplift the devastated people, especially the young children.As an Olympic family and friend, I would like to ask for your strong message that athletes' participation to the World Championship is vital, not only to compete but also to bring the people's hopes up and encourage them to overcome this disaster.Young children watching athletes perform will certainly be a good cause and show human excellence right in front of their eyes.JOC together with the Japan Gymnastic Association, we will await many of the athletes' participation to these events.May I ask once again to have your widely spread out to make an appeal to the athletes to encourage them to participate to the championship.Yours sincerely,Tsunekazu TanekaPresident
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