Olympics look to 2021
IOC finally signals a postponement of Games is the likely option.
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under Coronavirus, News, Olympics
The Olympic Games are looking to a 2021 event in Japan due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Australian Olympic Committee has told its athletes to prepare for the Olympics to take place in 2021, while Canada will withdraw if the Games take place this year.
“The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) says Australian athletes should prepare for a Tokyo Olympic Games in the northern summer of 2021, following the IOC’s announcement of a potential postponement of this year’s Games and changes in public health landscape in Australia and across the globe,” the AOC said in a statement.
“The AOC believes our athletes now need to prioritise their own health and of those around them, and to be able to return to the families, in discussion with their National Federations.
“The AOC held an Executive Board meeting via teleconference this morning and unanimously agreed that an Australian Team could not be assembled in the changing circumstances at home and abroad.”
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said that postponing may become an option if holding the event in its ‘‘complete form’’ became impossible.
The IOC will hold detailed discussions which will include possibly changing the July 24 start date due to the global coronavirus pandemic, but emphasised that a cancellation of the Games would not solve any of the problems or help anybody.
“Therefore, cancellation is not on the agenda,” the IOC said in a statement, adding that the discussions would be completed within the next four weeks.
In a letter to athletes, IOC president Thomas Bach said: “As successful athletes, you know that we should never give up, even if the chance to succeed appears to be very small. Our commitment to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is based on this experience.”
PM Scott Morrison has already declared Australian Olympians will not be allowed to travel to Tokyo in July under the government’s current restrictions.
Source: Seven News, The Age
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- Tagged with Olympic Games
11 Responses
The IOC have shown how slow and completely out of touch that they are. Pollies are often accused of this, but they are travelling at lightening speed compared to the IOC. As soon as the euro 2020 soccer tournament as postponed for a year they should have known that the writing was on the wall…
so no worries by the suits to but peoples lives at risk let alone the countries they will go back to all in the name of the mighty dollar
So so sad. Yet totally understandable.
As much as I dislike saying this right now FTA is needed now more than ever it may be the only outlet people have during these times!
If there is postponement, it would be the first time in the history of the modern summer Olympics starting from 1896 where it was not held every 4 years. It’s better than cancelling the games.
Games were cancelled in 1916, 1940 and 1945. Postponed until when? The northern winter Nov-March?
Ah yes, you’re right, they were cancelled during the world wars.
The 1936 games were shifted from Madrid to Berlin because of the unpleasantness of the Spanish Civil War 1936-39. Look how well that turned out! Then there were the boycotts from major nations in 1980 and 1984.
So no AFL and now no Olympics, surely that would be the final nail in the coffin for Seven’s plans for its rejuvenation this year.
Maybe Plate Of Origin, Holey Moley and Big Brother can air after the Olympics on 7…in 2021! Seriously glad the IOC is looking at postponement rather than cancellation as was first raised. Clearly they appreciate the world needs something to look forward to once this mess is over which hopefully it will be by then.
But Japan will be under snow from around late Oct-March.