The Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Committees have announced they will not be sending athletes to the Tokyo Olympic Games and Paralympic Games should they take place this summer.
They also urged that the Games be postponed until the summer of 2021 due to concerns regarding the Covid-19 pandemic.
"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," they said in a statement.
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.
This is not solely about athlete health – 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.
The Australian Olympic Committee said it has told athletes to begin planning for the Olympics to be held in the summer of 2021.
The statements come following an announcement from the International Olympic Committee in which it was said that a number of scenarios for the Tokyo Olympics, including postponement, are being considered. That decision will be made within four weeks.
As it stands, the Games are due to be held between July 24th and August 9th.
Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
