As the world deals with the COVID-19 pandemic and most sports leagues and events have shut down operation for the foreseeable future, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) released a statement yesterday saying it was too early to make “any drastic decisions” in regards to the staging of this summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, reports swimmingworldmagazine.com.
“The IOC remains fully committed to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, and with more than four months to go before the Games, there is no need for any drastic decisions at this stage; and any speculation at this moment would be counter-productive,” the IOC said in a statement.
The International Olympic Committee’s executive board met in Lausanne yesterday, and IOC President Thomas Bach is expected to hold a teleconference today with the heads of all national federations, according to a report by Reuters.
The Olympics are scheduled to begin July 24 and run through August 9, and with the NBA, Euro 2020, NHL and other major sports organizations around the world suspending their seasons, the IOC’s premier gala remains one of the few events still scheduled.
Although the IOC has remained steadfast that the Olympic Games would go on as scheduled, despite more than 180,000 worldwide cases of the Coronavirus, there have been some conflicts concerning that likelihood. Recently, Tokyo 2020 Executive Board member Haruyuki Takahashi expressed his personal feelings that the Games should be postponed until next year, or 2022.
However, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe responded by stating Japan would indeed hold the Olympics on their scheduled dates.
With many qualifying competitions canceled around the world, concerns have arisen that athletes will be on uneven playing fields in their preparation for the Games.
The IOC recognized that the Coronavirus has impacted training but encouraged athletes to do “as best they can.”
The IOC noted that 57 percent of the athletes who will compete in Tokyo have already qualified for the Games, and that the organization will work with national federations to adapt the qualifying system for Tokyo.
