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The 2020 Tokyo Olympics could be in peril if the coronavirus outbreak is not under control in the next three months. Dick Pound, a former Canadian swimming champion who has been on the International Olympics Committee since 1978, said there's a two-to-three-month period to decide if the Olympics will start at their scheduled time or if they should be postponed to minimize risk or canceled altogether, according to The Associated Press.
That deadline could put the participation of Team USA Basketball in potential peril, considering the tight window NBA players have to participate in these events.
“In and around that time, I’d say folks are going to have to ask: ‘Is this under sufficient control that we can be confident about going to Tokyo or not?’” said Pound.
The coronavirus has spread through China for the past two months, taking the level of concern to a no-fly zone.
As the Tokyo 2020 Games draw near, Pound said “a lot of things have to start happening. You’ve got to start ramping up your security, your food, the Olympic Village, the hotels. The media folks will be in there building their studios.”
Should the committee decide the games can't go forward as scheduled in Tokyo, “you’re probably looking at a cancellation,” added Pound.
The modern Olympics have only been canceled during wartime. The 1940 Olympics were supposed to take place in Tokyo but were called off due to World War II. The 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil continued as scheduled despite the outbreak of the Zika virus.
“As far as we all know, you’re going to be in Tokyo,” said Pound. “All indications are at this stage that it will be business as usual. So keep focused on your sport and be sure that the IOC is not going to send you into a pandemic situation.”
A postponement or cancellation of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics would throw in a major wrench for Team USA, considering so many NBA stars have already demonstrated interest in participating after an all-time low seventh-place finish at the 2019 FIBA World Cup has the Americans thirsting for gold once again.
