Athletes express concern at IOC’s insistence to go ahead with Olympics
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An increasing number of athletes from various sporting disciplines are speaking out against the International Olympic Committee’s intentions to run the Games as scheduled this July. Although sports personalities have expressed their job that the worst of the crisis will be over by then, they are insisting that to prepare for such an event training needs to take place now, putting them and their families in danger.
A number of members of the same Committee have also expressed their disagreement with this decision, describing it as irresponsible. This decision was taken after European football federation UEFA decided to postpone this year’s European Championships until next Summer.
Katerina Stefanidi, gold medal winner in Rio 2016 insisted that it was very dangerous to train under the present circumstances. This was worse, the Greek star added, for team competitions as well as particular disciplines, including gymnastics, which required a number of sportsmen and women using the same objects after each other.
Doubts on the regular organisation of the Summer event in Tokyo continued to grow as a number of qualification tournaments had to be scrapped, resulting in less than 60% of athletes booking their place in the finals so far. However, the Japanese Government is still pushing through with its plans, with Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, insisting: “I want to hold the Olympics and Paralympics perfectly, as proof that the human race will conquer the new coronavirus, and I gained support for that from the G-7 leaders.”
