“Continued training is dangerous”: Canada and Australia refused to participate in the Olympics 2020 due to coronavirus

The tension around the Tokyo Summer Olympics, which is facing cancellation or rescheduling due to the coronavirus pandemic, continues to increase. After a number of sports organizations (from national Olympic committees to international federations) called for no competition this year, it came to a complete refusal to participate in the Olympics.

The first to take such a bold step was the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC). He announced that he would not send his team to the Games if they were held in the summer of 2020. This decision was made jointly with the Paralympic Committee of Canada, the commissions of athletes, national sports federations and the Government of Canada.

“The issue is not only the health of athletes, but also public health. Due to the coronavirus infection of COVID-19 and the risks associated with it, continued preparation for these Olympic games is a danger to both our athletes and the health and safety of their families and other residents of Canada. In fact, this contradicts the recommendations of the health authorities, which we urge all Canadians to follow, ”the statement said on the official COC website.

In Canada, they assured that they would welcome the decision to postpone the Games for a year and put up with all the difficulties it would lead to, and also thanked the International Olympic Committee for refusing to completely cancel the Olympics. The committee called the need to postpone the competition until better times a manifestation of collective responsibility in the fight against the spread of coronavirus.

Soon, the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) published its own statement regarding participation in the upcoming Olympic Games. The organization did not directly speak about the refusal of the arrival of the national team in Tokyo after four months, but reported that the Australian athletes will now prepare for the competition next year. The AOC Executive Board unanimously decided that in the circumstances, a national team would not be formed.

“Some of our athletes are based abroad, others train in large centers throughout Australia as part of teams or according to their own training programs. Due to travel restrictions and other restrictions, we find ourselves in a completely hopeless situation. The IOC has developed key principles that put the health of athletes in the first place and ensure that the Committee acts in their interests and in the interests of sports. This decision reflects these principles. Now we can make plans for the future with more confidence, ”said AOC Executive Director Matt Carroll.

He also thanked the chairman of the Athletes Commission, Steve Hooker, for his valuable contribution to the discussions at which he presented the views of Australian athletes.

If it is announced that the Games in Tokyo will go according to plan, and Canada and Australia will not play at them, then this will be the first time since 1988 when entire countries refused to participate for their own reasons. Then, 32 years ago, the DPRK boycotted competitions in South Korea for political reasons. The current edition of the Olympic Charter says that withdrawal from the competition without the consent of the IOC Executive Committee can be interpreted as a violation of the rules and lead to sanctions.

Other countries may follow Canada and Australia. However, the Russian team has no plans to refuse to participate in the Tokyo Olympics. This was stated by the former president of the Russian Olympic Committee (OCD) Leonid Tyagachev.

“We will not repeat what Canada and Australia have done. They can be in solidarity for many reasons. Also, they are not so strong in summer forms - they have only individual results. In principle, we always act as it happens in the world, in accordance with the state of the coronavirus and concerns about this. We need to train, preparing for the Olympics, but keeping pace with the times of the IOC decisions, the proposals of Japanese leaders and doctors. It is necessary to prepare, if possible, to participate, ”the NSN quoted Tyagachev as saying.

The position of the functionary was later confirmed in the ROC itself, assuring that Russian athletes will continue to prepare for the competition until the final decision on their conduct is made. The committee also called on the world sports community to stop putting pressure on the IOC and to be patient.

“OCD regularly holds the necessary consultations with partners in the Olympic movement and is ready to share its experience in crisis situations. We consider it unacceptable to exert any pressure on the organizations responsible for holding the Games and encourage them to make hasty decisions. Panic is the worst remedy in the current circumstances. OCD calls on all participants in the sports community to remain Olympic calm, to act systematically and constructively in preparation for the 2020 Games, to do everything possible to form a single, collegial position on issues that concern us all related to the Olympic Games in Tokyo, ”the ROC said.

The final decision on the timing of the Games is expected to be made within four weeks. This was announced the day before by IOC President Thomas Bach. He assured that the likelihood of a transfer of competitions to a later time exists.