Canada, Oz say no to 2020 Games

TORONTO/TOKYO, March 23

Major sporting nations Australia and Canada quit the Tokyo 2020 Olympics today as organisers faced global pressure to postpone the Games due to the coronavirus crisis for the first time in their 124-year modern history. Putting back the July 24-August 9 event, as is looking inevitable, would be a massive blow for host Japan which has pumped in more than $12 billion of investment. Huge sums are also at stake for sponsors and broadcasters. But a groundswell of concern from athletes — already struggling to train as gyms, stadiums and swimming pools close around the world — appears to be tipping the balance, along with the cancellation of other major sports events.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Japanese government have both edged back from weeks of blanket insistence the Games would go ahead, announcing a month-long consultation over other scenarios including postponement. The Olympics have never before been delayed, though they were cancelled altogether in 1916, 1940 and 1944 during the World Wars and major Cold War boycotts disrupted the Moscow and Los Angeles Games in 1980 and 1984, respectively.

“The moment the IOC indicates that it is thinking about other solutions, it has already decided to delay the Games,” said French Olympic Committee president Denis Masseglia.

‘Stress and uncertainty’

Canada and Australia both bluntly said they would not participate if the Games were not put back to 2021. “We are in the midst of a global health crisis that is far more significant than sport,” said Canada’s Olympics committee (COC) and Paralympics committee (CPC) in a statement.

“Our athletes have been magnificent in their positive attitude to training and preparing, but the stress and uncertainty have been extremely challenging for them,” said Australia’s Olympics Chef de Mission Ian Chesterman.

Paralympic athletes were considered at particular risk from the epidemic given some had underlying health problems. More than 14,600 people have died globally from the coronavirus.

Russia urged global sporting authories to avoid “panic” over the Olympics and US President Donald Trump expressed confidence in Japan’s government to make the “proper” call.

But a raft of other nations pressed for a quick decision from the IOC, which is led by its powerful president, Thomas Bach, a German lawyer and former Olympics fencing champion. Athletes were broadly supportive of postponement, though sad.

“Competing in the Olympics is my #1 goal but I fully support this decision and I commend our leadership for taking a stand,” tweeted Canadian tennis player Gabriela Dabrowski.

Only a few dissented, reigning Pan American 400 metres hurdles champion Sage Watson calling Canada’s move “premature”.

Today’s announcements followed growing pressure from big stakeholders including US Track and Field, UK Athletics and other national Olympics committees. “An Olympic Games in July this year is neither feasible nor desirable,” World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe said. “We owe it to our athletes to give them respite where we can.”

Abe and Bach under pressure

Japan’s government seemed to be bowing to the inevitable despite the losses and logistics headaches it would face. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told the parliament that if holding the event as planned was too difficult, “we may have no option but to consider postponing”. He has staked his legacy on the Games and was hoping for a boom in tourism and consumer spending.

Both Japan and the IOC have stressed that calling off the Games entirely is not an option. But finding a new date could be complicated as the summer 2021 calendar is already crowded, while 2022 will see the soccer World Cup and the Beijing Winter Olympics. Japanese sponsors, from Toyota Motor Corp to Panasonic Corp, were nervously watching. But Tokyo stocks sensitive to the success of the Olympics surged today, after sharp falls in prior weeks, thanks to expectations of a delay rather than a cancellation.

Postponement could be a major blow to the IOC’s prestige after weeks of saying the Games would go ahead as planned. Many athletes already felt disrespected during the Russian doping scandal when Bach ensured Russians could carry on competing, albeit as neutrals. Now his iron grip on the IOC could weaken after various national committees at the weekend distanced themselves from his stance.

“IOC president Thomas Bach’s stubbornness and arrogance has spectacularly failed in this instance and he has weakened the Olympic movement,” Britain’s Olympics gold medal track cyclist Callum Skinner wrote on Twitter.

Bach is up for re-election in 2021. Global Athlete Group said the IOC’s planned, month-long consultation was irresponsible. “Over the next four weeks the world is going to increasingly shut down, the Covid-19 virus will sadly take more lives, and without a clear answer, athletes are still being indirectly asked to train,” it said. — Reuters

Who’s saying what

Human lives take precedence over everything, including the staging of the Games. —Thomas Bach, International olympic committee president

It’s clear the Games can’t be held in July. Our athletes have been magnificent in their positive attitude to training and preparing, but the stress and uncertainty has been extremely challenging for them. —Ian Chesterman, Australian chef DE mission

I don’t think we should have the Olympic Games at all costs, certainly not at the cost of athlete safety and a decision on the Olympic Games may become very obvious very quickly in the coming days and weeks. —Sebastian Coe, World athletics chief

Our clear recommendation is that the Olympic Games in Tokyo shall not take place before the COVID-19 situation is under firm control on a global scale. —Norwegian Olympic Committee

IOC president Thomas Bach’s stubbornness and arrogance has spectacularly failed in this instance and he has weakened the Olympic movement. This isn’t the first time he has put his own motives above the athletes and the movement. —Callum Skinner, British track cyclist

So wait… does this mean that athletes face up to another FOUR weeks of finding ways to fit in training — whilst potentially putting ourselves, coaches, support staff and loved ones at risk just to find out they were going to be postponed anyway!!! —Dina Asher-Smith, British sprint star

It (a postponement) is not only best from a performance statement for the athletes, but also for what these athletes are going through right now in terms of their mental health. —Bob Bowman, Swimming great michael phelps’ coach

The IOC wants us to keep risking our health, our family’s health and public health to train every day? You are putting us in danger right now, today, not in 4 months. —Katerina Stefanidi, Greece’s olympics pole vault champion

Starting to feel a little worried about how the Olympic Games are being treated in respect to the athletes. We keep being told the Olympic Games are happening. Starting to realise it’s more important to have the games go on than the athletes be prepared or mentally healthy. —Race Imboden, US world champion fencer