The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) has issued a request to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) asking that the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games be postponed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The United States Olympic Committee has requested to the IOC that the 2020 Tokyo Olympics be postponed. https://t.co/nKglxUygDH
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 24, 2020
The USOPC polled Team USA athletes regarding their preference for the summer games. Per the survey, “nearly 93% of athletes reported a preference for postponing the Games versus canceling them outright.” The USOPC released a statement explaining their request:
“We are thankful to the 1,780 Team USA athletes for sharing their voice and honest input with us as we address the issues related to COVID-19 and the Tokyo Games, and make good on our promise to put athletes first. We are now confident that we have heard a wide range of viewpoints and understand the diversity of challenges our athletes face…
“Our most important conclusion from this broad athlete response is that even if the current significant health concerns could be alleviated by late summer, the enormous disruptions to the training environment, doping controls and qualification process can’t be overcome in a satisfactory manner. To that end, it’s more clear than ever that the path toward postponement is the most promising, and we encourage the IOC to take all needed steps to ensure the Games can be conducted under safe and fair conditions for all competitors.”
On Monday, an IOC member said that the Tokyo games will certainly be postponed, likely until the summer of 2021.
Postponing the Olympics is certainly the best option considering the situation. Athletes are also unable to prepare fully because of the coronavirus, and due to the uncertainty of until when the virus will last, there's really no other choice.
Team USA men's basketball, for their part, are also in a tough position with the NBA suspended and the 2019-20 campaign likely to be extended until the summer, which in turn will leave little to no time at all to prepare.
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