Former Olympic champion left ‘exhausted’ from Covid-19
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee on Monday called on the International Olympic Committee to postpone the Tokyo Games, a move that leaves the international governing body little choice but to do so.
In a joint statement, USOPC board chair Susanne Lyons and CEO Sarah Hirshland cited the wishes of U.S. athletes. A survey was sent to roughly 4,000 athletes over the weekend and, of the 45% who responded, nearly 65% said their ability to train has been severely impacted or they are unable to train at all because of COVID-19 restrictions.
Asked if they thought the Games could be “conducted on a fair playing field if they continue as scheduled,” 68% said no.
“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,” Lyons and Hirshland said.
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