1940 Summer Olympics

The 1940 Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XII Olympiad, were canceled due to the development of World War II. The city where they should have been held was Helsinki (Finland), after the resignation of its initial venue, Tokyo (Japan).

On July 31, 1936, the election was held in Berlin (Germany), the site of the Olympic Games of that year. Tokyo was unanimously chosen to host the 1940 edition. Had the schedule been fulfilled, the tests would have taken place between September 21 and October 6. However, the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937 forced the country to give up on them.

As an alternative venue, the International Olympic Committee chose Helsinki, the capital of Finland, which scheduled the events between July 20 and August 4. In this case, the outbreak of the Second World War forced a definitive suspension of the edition. Years later, Helsinki became the venue for the 1952 Olympic Games, while Tokyo would host them in 1964.

History

Tokyo Election

At the opening ceremony of the 1932 Olympic Games, the mayor of Tokyo, with the support of the Japanese government, asked the Japanese members of the International Olympic Committee, Jigorō Kanō and Seiichi Kishi, to recommend the capital as a venue of the 1940 Olympic Games. In August 1936, the IOC selected Tokyo as the venue with 36 votes, compared to 27 for contender Helsinki (Finland). In addition, Sapporo was chosen as the venue for the Winter Games, which were held that same year. The definitive confirmation took place at the annual meeting of the IOC of 1937, which was held in Warsaw (Poland).

Tokyo had developed a program that would begin on September 21 with the opening ceremony, and end on October 6. The Meiji Jingu Gaien Stadium, venue for the 1930 Far East Games, was planned to be used as an Olympic stadium, which would also concentrate the swimming venues in its surroundings. Currently, that stadium does not exist, and the Stadium is located on its land. Tokyo Olympic. As exhibition sports, judo and baseball were chosen. The total budget for the organization of the Games exceeded 12 million yen, contributed mostly by the Government of Japan.

Although Japan had already prepared the calendar, the country was forced to give up the Olympic Games in Tokyo and Sapporo due to the development of the Second Sino-Japanese War, which broke out in 1937. The resignation was made official on the 16th of July 1938.

Helsinki Election

With the resignation of Tokyo as the main venue, the International Olympic Committee selected in 1938 Helsinki, the capital of Finland, as an alternative venue. Johan Wilhelm Rangell played an important role in the election, thanks to his connections with the IOC. In less than two years, the new headquarters had to expand the hotel capacity to accommodate the approximately 160,000 people who could attend, and due to the lack of time, alternative measures were suggested, such as accommodation in private homes offered by volunteers. an Olympic Village would be built in the vicinity of Helsinki, which could later be reused.

The organizing committee even made public the program for the Games, which would begin on July 20 with an opening ceremony and conclude on August 4. The Helsinki Olympic Stadium, opened in 1938, would be the center of athletic activities. Helsinki contemplated the introduction of gliding as an Olympic discipline, something that never took place. As there was little time to get everything ready, the Finnish government granted an extraordinary loan of 200 million Finnish marks, while the Helsinki City Council would contribute another 100 million. By the beginning of 1939, some 60 nations had confirmed their presence.

With the outbreak of World War II, the Olympic Games were suspended. The same thing happened years later with the 1944 edition, which should have been held in London.

Sports

Although never actually held, the following events were scheduled at the 1940 Summer Olympics as Olympic disciplines: