Uncertainty Over Safety of 2021 Olympic Games Is Life For Bob Bowman, Allison Schmitt & Others

Bob Bowman. Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

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Bob Bowman: “We’re very comfortable now with ‘I don’t know.’ ”

Even with the Olympic Games being pushed back to 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, health officials in Japan have expressed uncertainty that the virus will be contained by then.

“To be honest with you, I don’t think the Olympics is likely to be held next year,” Kentaro Iwata, a professor of infectious disease at Kobe University, said on a teleconference Monday. “Holding the Olympics needs two conditions; one, controlling COVID-19 in Japan, and controlling COVID-19 everywhere.”

The Games are still 458 days away, but it is still unclear when it will be safe to hold large gatherings, let alone have people fly from all over the world to Tokyo, which has had a recent spike in COVID-19 cases.

World record holders Lilly King and Katie Ledecky have been struggling to find adequate training facilities while their usual pools have been shut down, according to The USA Today. Both have found space in backyard pools in their respective states as both are looking to defend their Olympic gold medals from 2016. Ledecky is going for an unprecedented third straight gold in the 800 as well as the inaugural gold in the 1500, while King is searching to be the first woman to defend the 100 breast Olympic gold.

Allison Schmitt, who is pushing for what would be her fourth Olympics, has been swimming for 45 minutes a day about three days per week in Phoenix. Her coach Bob Bowman, who also led Michael Phelps throughout his entire career told The USA Today:

“I’ve been having individual Zoom meetings with the kids on our team, three or four coaches and one of the swimmers, and the main thing that we get to say is, ‘We don’t know,’ ” Bowman said.

“They ask, ‘When do you think we’ll be back?’ ‘I don’t know.’

“‘Think there’ll be a season?’ ‘I don’t know.’

“We’re very comfortable now with ‘I don’t know.’ ”

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Daniel Smith

4 years ago

https://youtu.be/67XZ0XOOCVQ

Colleen Hazlett

4 years ago

Take a breath it’s more than a year from now.

Peter Scott

4 years ago

Optimism is great but sometimes reality says different. The postponement of the Olympics for a year is based on a commercial decision. Science says different a year from now doesn’t translate into any large change in the Covid 19 situation from today. Without vacines and a massive testing program in place things will not be back to normal until way after this date. Sadly?stay safe?

Glen Edwards

4 years ago

Reply to Peter Scott

Peter Scott pessimist

Peter Scott

4 years ago

Reply to Peter Scott

Glen Edwards realist?? sadly but I hope I am wrong?stay safe?

Glen Edwards

4 years ago

Reply to Peter Scott

Peter Scott you too. ?

Peter Scott

4 years ago

Reply to Peter Scott

Glen Edwards thanks??

Kimberly Joy

4 years ago

This isnall so ridiculous for an overblown flu with a minimum 98 percent survival rate.

Danilo Trias

4 years ago

Reply to Kimberly Joy

Kimberly Joy higher survival rate. In Boston, LA County and Santa Clara they administered COVID 19 tests to randomized people who were never tested and found up to 40% have antibodies. The epidemiologist in Boston and Standford said that means their is a 50-80 fold rate of positives that are not being reported because many are asymptotic or had mild to moderate symptoms. They went on to say that the mortality and morbidity rate is HIGHLY inflated. The actual mortality rate is 50 folds lower that the number being used

Heather

3 years ago

Reply to Kimberly Joy

Liz Young

4 years ago

Can swimming world post some positive things? Last several posts I have seen have all been so negative about all the things our swimmers will not get back anytime soon.

Joanne Newton

4 years ago

Reply to Liz Young

Liz Young
1. Adam Peaty and his girlfriend are expecting a baby in September
2. An Olympic medalist has recovered from covid and although he was extremely ill and needed rehabilitation, he is now on the other side of this virus.
3. Many swimmers are giving verbals to swim for different colleges
4. They have been posting many ideas on how to stay mentally and physically motivated while out of the pool
5. They have posted great dry land exercises to help us stay fit

There you go!!!

Liz Young

4 years ago

Reply to Liz Young

Joanne Newton thanks. The first 2 that popped up today were about possible no swimming for what feels like forever. My daughter (collegiate swimmer) has been out of the water since February. We are “CoVangry”. Inhave seen those articles as well.

Craig Lord

4 years ago

Reply to Liz Young

Liz, we post tons of ‘positive’ stuff every week. And this post is full of positivity… it is down to your perspective. Folk of the calibre of Bowman and Schmidt understanding what it means to let go of that which you cannot control .., that’s an important positive, one that allows you to understand that if you do so, you get to put all your energy into what is certain and what you can control. How positive is that!? 🙂 Positively is not talking things up when clearly they are mediocre or down, nor ignoring anything that isn’t somewhere up in the ‘wow’ zone, which isn’t real life, its false positivity. Breathe, smile, we’ll all be fine (but don’t forget those who won’t be).

Ric Joline

4 years ago

I am surprised. I wouldn’t be ok with “I don’t know”…

Craig Lord

4 years ago

Reply to Ric Joline

Ric, I guess what they’re saying is you have to be because uncertainty is what you have and changing that is out of your control: swimmers and coaches are big on ‘focus on what you can control and put your energy into that’… in other words, don’t worry about the uncertainty – it’ll be here until it’s not so put energy into what is possible not what’s impossible right now.