{"id":423758,"date":"2020-03-22T18:53:58","date_gmt":"2020-03-23T01:53:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=423758"},"modified":"2020-03-22T23:31:03","modified_gmt":"2020-03-23T06:31:03","slug":"canada-will-not-send-athletes-to-2020-olympics-steps-up-postponement-pressure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/canada-will-not-send-athletes-to-2020-olympics-steps-up-postponement-pressure\/","title":{"rendered":"Canada Will Not Send Athletes to Summer 2020 Olympics, Steps up Postponement Pressure"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Canadian Olympic Committee<\/strong> Sunday night escalated the pressure on the International Olympic Committee to postpone the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, releasing a statement that it has<\/a> \u201cmade the difficult decision to not send Canadian teams to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the summer of 2020.\u201d<\/p>\n

That statement by the COC and Canadian Paralympic Committee was backed by the nation\u2019s Athlete\u2019s Commission and national sport organizations as well as the government in light of the coronavirus global pandemic.<\/p>\n

From the statement:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe COC and CPC urgently call on the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to postpone the Games for one year and we offer them our full support in helping navigate all the complexities that rescheduling the Games will bring. While we recognize the inherent complexities around a postponement, nothing is more important than the health and safety of our athletes and the world community.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Swimming Canada was quick to support<\/a> USA Swimming\u2019s push for a postponement of the Games last week, but this represents a broader and more comprehensive push from a nation that sent the ninth-largest delegation to the 2016 Rio Olympics. It piles on wide support from athletes<\/a> in favor of postponement and is a step further than the French foreign minister’s casting of doubt on French participation<\/a> in the Games. Australia also has stated that it would not except Olympic athletes<\/a> from its travel bans aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19.<\/p>\n

The release cites the decision as rooted in both athlete and the greater public health: \u201cWith COVID-19 and the associated risks, it is not safe for our athletes, and the health and safety of their families and the broader Canadian community for athletes to continue training towards these Games. In fact, it runs counter to the public health advice which we urge all Canadians to follow.\u201d<\/p>\n

The IOC Sunday said that it will discuss the future of the Olympics over the next four weeks<\/a>, the organization reticent to make what it would deem<\/a> a premature call to postpone. Only three Olympics – 1916, 1940 and 1944 – have ever been cancelled, all due to world wars.<\/p>\n

The Statement in Full:<\/a><\/h3>\n

Team Canada will not send athletes to Games in summer 2020 due to COVID-19 risks<\/strong><\/p>\n

TORONTO (March 22, 2020) \u2013 The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC), backed by their Athletes\u2019 Commissions, National Sports Organizations and the Government of Canada, have made the difficult decision to not send Canadian teams to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the summer of 2020.<\/em><\/p>\n

The COC and CPC urgently call on the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to postpone the Games for one year and we offer them our full support in helping navigate all the complexities that rescheduling the Games will bring. While we recognize the inherent complexities around a postponement, nothing is more important than the health and safety of our athletes and the world community.<\/em><\/p>\n

This is not solely about athlete health \u2013 it is about public health. With COVID-19 and the associated risks, it is not safe for our athletes, and the health and safety of their families and the broader Canadian community for athletes to continue training towards these Games. In fact, it runs counter to the public health advice which we urge all Canadians to follow.<\/em><\/p>\n

The COC and CPC reviewed the letter and news release sent Sunday by the IOC. We are thankful to the IOC for its assurance that it will not be cancelling the Tokyo 2020 Games and appreciative that it understands the importance of accelerating its decision-making regarding a possible postponement.<\/em><\/p>\n

We also applaud the IOC for acknowledging that safeguarding the health and wellness of nations and containing the virus must be our paramount concern. We are in the midst of a global health crisis that is far more significant than sport.<\/em><\/p>\n

The COC and CPC would like to thank our athletes, partners and the Canadian sport community for their patience and for lending us their voices during these unprecedented times. We remain hopeful that the IOC and IPC will agree with the decision to postpone the Games as a part of our collective responsibility to protect our communities and work to contain the spread of the virus.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Our coverage:<\/em><\/p>\n