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Most in Japan oppose holding Olympics in 2021: polls

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A majority of Japanese people oppose holding the coronavirus-postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics next year, favouring a further delay or outright cancellation of the massive event, new polling showed Tuesday.

The new data shows public sentiment has shifted little since the summer, when surveys in Japan also found only a minority backing plans to hold the Games next year, despite the imminent arrival of new vaccines.

A poll released Tuesday by national broadcaster NHK found just 27 percent of respondents support holding the Games next year, with 32 percent backing cancellation and 31 percent favouring a further postponement.

The remaining respondents said they were unsure or gave no answer.

Olympic organisers and Japanese officials have ruled out any further delay of the Games, which are the first in history to be postponed during peacetime.

They have insisted Tokyo 2020 can be held even if the pandemic is not under control by the new opening date of July 23, 2021.

But the Japanese public do not appear convinced.

A poll published on Monday by the Jiji press agency similarly found 21 percent favouring a cancellation and nearly 30 percent a further delay.

And a Kyodo news agency poll published December 6 also found a total of 61.2 percent opposed to holding the Games next year.

The figure comes with just over seven months to go until the postponed Games are scheduled to open.

The start of vaccination campaigns in some parts of the world has boosted the confidence of organisers that the Games can go ahead, though innoculation will not be mandatory for athletes or spectators.

But even as the vaccines are being rolled out, new waves of the virus are surging in many places, including Japan, which has seen a comparatively low toll from the outbreak, recording fewer than 2,600 deaths so far.

Postponing the Games and devising coronavirus countermeasures has proved a logistical nightmare for organisers, and carries a steep price tag.

The delay and health measures will add at least an extra $2.4 billion to the existing $13 billion budget for the Games.

Organisers are due to release an updated budget later this month, but their figures for the cost have been hotly disputed, with an audit report last year estimating the national government spent nearly 10 times its original budget between 2013-2018.

Organisers countered that the estimate included items not directly related to the Games.

– AFP

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Singapore

Soh Rui Yong sets new national road mile record with 4:30 finish at Westminster Mile in London

Soh Rui Yong has set a new Singaporean road mile record at the Road Mile at the Sir Roger Bannister Westminster Mile in London, finishing with a time of 4:30. Just days after breaking his own 5km national record, the 33-year-old marathon runner encouraged others to pursue their dreams.

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SINGAPORE: Singaporean long-distance runner Soh Rui Yong has set a new national record in the road mile, finishing with a time of 4 minutes 30 seconds at the Road Mile at the Sir Roger Bannister Westminster Mile in London.

The record-breaking performance comes just eight days after Soh set a new national record in the 5km road race in Battersea Park, London.

In a Monday (23 September) Facebook post, Mr Soh shared his excitement at achieving yet another milestone. He expressed his happiness in “capping the off-season with another national mark.”

The previous road mile national record of 4 minutes 32.44 seconds was set by 22-year-old Ethan Yan at the 2023 World Road Running Championships.

Soh, who is 33 years old, took the opportunity to encourage others to continue pursuing their goals.

“Having patiently built a foundation, now the real work begins as I prepare for a winter marathon. ”

According to a statement from Singapore Athletics on Facebook, this achievement marks the shortest race distance in which Soh, a double SEA Games Marathon Gold Medallist, has ever held a National Record.

Soh now looks forward to the Valencia Half Marathon on 27 October, where he will race alongside fellow Singaporean Shaun Goh.

Goh, 27, set a new national record in the men’s 10km road race with a time of 31:00 at the Run Prix 10km in Melbourne on 22 September, placing 20th out of 188 runners.

His time beat Soh’s previous record by 37 seconds, marking a significant achievement for the young athlete.

Singapore Athletics further highlighted that the road mile record appears to be a family affair, as Soh’s sister, Romaine, currently holds the women’s national record for the event with a time of 5:24.19, also set in Riga last year.

Reflecting on his record-setting performance, Soh drew inspiration from Sir Roger Bannister, the first man to run a mile in under four minutes.

“Sir Roger Bannister has always been an idol of mine, not just because he was the first man to break 4 minutes, but how he did it as a medical student at Oxford University. ”

“This drew me to give it a go at the Sir Roger Bannister Westminster Mile, racing the traditional distance along the centre of London.”

Reflecting on the grueling nature of middle-distance running, he remarked, “Miles hurt in a much different way than the marathon. While my legs start to go about 2 hours into a marathon, my arms start to fall into lactic acid paralysis 2 minutes into a mile that I’m racing all out. ”

Soh explained how he struggled with pacing early on, eventually finishing with a time of 4:30.

He expressed a desire to return to middle-distance racing in better form, hoping to break 4 minutes and 20 seconds in future attempts.

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Singapore

Singapore’s Shaun Goh breaks men’s 10km road race national record in Melbourne

Singapore runner Shaun Goh set a new national record for the men’s 10km road race, finishing with a time of 31:00 at the Run Prix 10km in Melbourne. He surpassed the previous record held by Soh Rui Yong by 37 seconds. Goh placed 20th out of 188 runners, and his next target is the Valencia Half Marathon.

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SINGAPORE: Shaun Goh, 27, has set a new Singapore national record in the men’s 10km road race with a time of 31:00 at the Run Prix 10km in Melbourne on 22 September.

Goh placed 20th in a field of 188 runners at the race, surpassing the previous record held by fellow Singaporean Soh Rui Yong by 37 seconds.

Soh’s record of 31:37 was established in October 2023 during the Valencia Half Marathon.

Upon hearing of Goh’s achievement, Soh, 33, congratulated him on becoming “the fastest Singaporean ever over 10km, road or track.”

According to Singapore Athletics, this milestone adds to a series of record-breaking performances by Goh in 2024.

Goh, an information security analyst, went into the Melbourne race with the specific goal of breaking the national record.

He shared with Singapore Athletics that the race conditions were optimal, and he felt strong during the first 5km.

Goh said he felt relatively strong throughout the first half, which helped him maintain his pace.

In the latter half, he focused on overtaking runners who had started too aggressively.

Despite encountering a challenging stretch of headwind, Goh managed to finish strong.

“I’m very happy with how I was able to close hard at the end of this 10km, and I owe this to my coach, who prepared me well to finish strong at the end of races even though fatigue,” Goh explained.

According to Singapore Athletics, Goh’s official time of 31:00 is his “gun time,” while his net time (actual time spent running) was slightly faster at 30:58.

This marks the first occasion a Singaporean has come close to breaking the 31-minute barrier in a 10km road race.

Goh’s performance also surpassed Soh Rui Yong’s national track record for the 10,000 meters, which stands at 31:10.70.

Goh’s latest feat comes after a series of impressive performances in recent months.

Earlier in July, he clocked a personal best of 31:52 at the Southern Cross University 10km in Gold Coast.

In the same month, Goh also won the Pocari Sweat 2.4km National Championships, setting a new personal record of 6:53.90.

With this achievement, Goh’s average pace was 3:06 per kilometre, translating to a remarkable 7:26 per 2.4km segment.

Singapore Athletics noted this pace as a new benchmark, noting that Goh “has shattered the Men’s 10km Road National Record” and set a challenging precedent for future races.

Goh’s next target is the Valencia Half Marathon on 27 October, where he hopes to surpass his current personal best of 69:53.

Looking ahead to this event, Goh expressed confidence, stating that he aims to further improve his form and continue breaking barriers on the international stage.

Singapore Athletics has highlighted the increasing competitiveness among long-distance runners in Singapore, with several national records being rewritten in 2024.

Alongside Goh’s achievements, female runner Vanessa Lee also set a national record in the women’s 10km road race earlier this year, marking a trend of fast times on the road exceeding track performances.

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