United States Olympic Committee calls for Tokyo 2020 to be postponed

The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee today called for the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games due to the effects of Covid-19 around the world.

Its president, Susanne Lyons, and its executive director, Sarah Hirshland, surveyed the athletes and released the statement stating that most athletes agree to postpone the competition.

“We thank the 1,780 Team USA athletes for sharing their voice and giving us feedback as we address issues related to the Covid-19 and Tokyo games, and we deliver on our promise to put athletes first. Now we are confident that we have heard a wide margin of opinion and we understand the diversity of challenges facing our athletes, “begins part of the statement issued by the officials.

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“Our most important conclusion from this broad response from athletes is that even if current health concerns are resolved late in the summer, the major disruption to the training environment, doping controls, and the qualification process cannot be overcome by in a satisfactory way, “said Lyons and Hirshland.

“To that end, it is extremely clear that the path to postponement is the most promising, and we encourage the International Olympic Committee to take all necessary steps to ensure that the Games can be conducted safely and fairly for all competitors.” they stated.

The Team USA communication comes hours after Canada and Australia expressed their refusal to send athletes to the Olympics if the tournament is held as scheduled, this within the Covid-19 pandemic crisis.

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