Mounting Tokyo 2020 postponement calls put pressure on defiant Olympic chiefs

Pressure mounted on Olympic organisers to postpone 2020 Tokyo Games after powerful US track and field federation urged this summer's showpiece be pushed back due to coronavirus pandemic. USA Track and Field became latest influential sports body to ask for Games to be called off after its he Max Siegel "respectfully requested" in a letter that US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) "vocate ... for postponement of 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo". USOPC h said it was too soon to axe July 24-August 9 Games, much like International Olympic Committee (IOC) he Thomas Bach, who said that it would be "premature" to make such a big decision.

" right and responsible thing to do is to prioritise everyone's health and safety and appropriately recognise toll this difficult situation has, and continues to take, on our athletes and ir Olympic Games preparations," wrote Siegel.

USATF joined a growing chorus of calls from sports organisations to push back Olympics, a day after country's swimming federation asked USOPC to back a postponement until 2021. "We urge USOPC, as a leer within Olympic Movement, to use its voice and speak up for athletes," USA Swimming CEO Tim Hinchey said in a letter. That request for a delay was echoed on Saturday by France's swimming federation which said that Games could t be organised properly in "current context".

Spain's athletics federation n ded its voice.

" board of directors of Royal Spanish Athletics Federation (RFEA), on behalf of majority of Spanish athletes, vocates postponement of Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games", said a press release.

" circumstances do t guarantee an equate preparation or a fair competition with rest of athletes in world, without endangering health (of Spanish athletes)." Spain has recorded more than 1,320 deaths from virus.

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe told AFP Saturday that sporting world was in "uncharted territory".

"I don't think we should have Olympic Games at all costs, certainly t at cost of athlete safety and a decision on Olympic Games may become very obvious very quickly in coming days and weeks," said Coe.

" issue of competition fairness is paramount. We are all managing situation day by day and increasingly hour by hour." 

rwegian Olympic Committee (C) said it h sent a letter to IOC on Friday, motivated in part by a rwegian government ban on organised sports activities which h created "a very challenging time for sports movement in rway".

"Our clear recommendation is that Olympic Games in Tokyo shall t take place before COVID-19 situation is under firm control on a global scale," C said.

IOC 'putting us in danger'

new chairman of United Kingdom's athletics governing body also questioned need to hold Olympics this summer given uncertainty surrounding spre of COVID-19, which has w killed more than  12,700 people worldwide according to an AFP tally. "To leave it where it is is creating so much pressure in system. It w has to be dressed," he of UK Athletics Nic Coward told BBC. Meanwhile, IOC is asking National Olympic Committees (Cs) about impact of crisis on athlete preparation.

In a questionnaire entitled "COVID-19 and preparation for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games", which AFP has obtained, IOC asks Olympic committees of its member countries "how do emergency regulations relating to COVID-19 limit training and preparation of your athletes?"  IOC asks about possible forced alterations or even relocation of training camps, without indicating what it intends to learn from answers. On Friday, Bach defended IOC's refusal to cancel Olympics by saying that Games were furr away than or shelved events, such as football's European Championship which was due to start in mid-June and has been moved to 2021.

"We are four-and-a-half months away from Games," Bach told New York Times.

"For us, (postponement) would t be responsible w." 

'Putting us in danger'

Athletes lashed out at IOC vice to continue training "as best y can", with Olympic pole vault champion Katerina Stefanidi accusing body of "putting us in danger". " IOC wants us to keep risking our health, our family's health and public health to train every day?" asked Stefanidi. World champion fencer Race Imboden of United States said on Twitter that he was "worried" about prospect of Olympics going ahe.

"We keep being told Olympic Games are happening. Starting to realise it's more important to have games go on than athletes be prepared or mentally healthy."  But USOPC chairwoman Susanne Lyons insisted on Friday that organisers h time on ir side. "Our games are t next week, or two weeks from w. y're four months from w," Lyons said. 

Im credits: AP