While nations around the world are cancelling events at an alarming rate, criticism continues to mount over plans to proceed with the one event that brings together those very nations.
The latest update from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) called for a wait-and-see approach to be taken before determining whether the 2020 Tokyo Olympics can still proceed as planned. The summer games are due to run from July 24 through August 9, with a final decision to come within the next four weeks on whether that schedule remains feasible.
Many world leaders are calling for a postponement in the wake of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic which has more than 336,000 cases worldwide and caused more than 14,600 deaths as of Sunday evening (including 1,600 in the past 24 hours).
“I know that this unprecedented situation leaves many of your questions open,” Thomas Bach, president of IOC said in a statement issued to world athletes, both qualified and in the process of qualifying for 2020 Tokyo. “I also know that this rational approach may not be in line with the emotions many of you have to go through.”
As previously reported by BoxingScene.com senior writer Keith Idec, the hosting nation’s Japanese Olympic Committee has a meeting scheduled for March 27 to discuss such plans. One board member, Kaori Yamaguchi has already expressed her concern in proceeding with current plans in place, given the number of qualifying events that have already been postponed due to the current virus outbreak.
Such sentiments were echoed on the world level.
“No one wants to see the Olympic Games postponed,” Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics and head of the Association of National Olympic Committees (NOC) acknowledged though not without a disclaimer. “We cannot hold the events at all costs, certainly not at the cost of athlete safety. A decision on the Olympic Games may become obvious very quickly.”
Coe’s perspective clearly comes from that of the athlete, having represented Great Britain’s track-and-field team in 1980 Moscow and 1984 Los Angeles—claiming Gold medals in the Men’s 1500 meters and Silver medals in the Men’s 800 meters in both games. His professionally qualified view is that moving forward in present form is “neither feasible nor desirable” to the participating athletes, particularly those who are still awaiting rescheduled dates in order to qualify for Tokyo 2020.
Recent estimates from IOC indicate that 4,700 of more than 11,000 Olympic slots remain at large, including 77 in boxing. Boxing qualification tournaments from around the world were forced to shut down due to COVID-19 outbreaks, with USA Boxing announcing on March 17 its plans to review current selection procedures for male and female Olympic boxers. Meanwhile, all amateur tournaments have been postponed until the first week of May.
However, the concern from the IOC is not limited to fighter safety. The more pressing issue, it seems, is finding a way to properly house the summer games in the event of a postponement.
“There is a dramatic increase in cases and new outbreaks of COVID-19 in different countries on different continents,” noted Bach. “This led… to the conclusion that the IOC needs to take the next step in its scenario-planning.
“A decision about a postponement today could not determine a new date for the Olympic Games because of the uncertain developments in both directions: an improvement, as we are seeing in a number of countries thanks to the severe measures being taken, or a deteriorating situation in other countries.”
NOC leaders in Brazil and Slovenia have already requested a postponement until 2021, while Norway has vowed to not send its athletes to Tokyo until the current COVID-19 outbreak is contained, if not resolved outright.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox