Simone Biles and her coach, October 8, 2019 during the World Gymnastics (illustration photo). - Matthias Schrader / AP / SIPA

Officials from the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) announced Wednesday that they have recruited three mental health experts to support American athletes in the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics next year. Like athletes around the world, the Americans were scheduled to start Olympic events July 24 through August 9, before the global coronavirus pandemic forced the Games to be postponed until 2021.

"As our world continues to evolve due to the challenges posed by a global pandemic and the postponement of the Games, we want to ensure that our athletes have the resources to focus on their mental health," said Bahati VanPelt, chief services to USOPC athletes.

The IOC refuses to hear about the Olympic Games behind closed doors in Tokyo via @ 20minutesSport https://t.co/IJN97eGLcf

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Dr. Cody Commander, director of sport psychology, University of Oklahoma athletics department, will be responsible for the mental health of Olympic athletes, while Emily Klueh, athletics consultant at the University of Michigan , and Dr. Todd Stull, a graduate in psychiatry and addiction medicine, will be responsible for the mental health of Paralympic athletes.

The trio contributed to the development of a long-term strategic mental health plan, including the extension of telemedicine offerings and an emergency action plan for American athletes. The services offered following the pandemic and the postponement of the Olympic Games include 24-hour telephone advice with certified professionals.

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  • Covid 19
  • United States
  • Olympic Games
  • OJ 2020
  • Coronavirus
  • Sport