Australian Olympic Committee approach Prime Minister Morrison for athlete restriction relief

The Australian Olympic Committee has made representation to the Federal Government on behalf of athletes to be granted relief from COVID-19 restrictions.

The Australian Olympic Committee has made representation to the Federal Government on behalf of athletes to be granted relief from COVID-19 restrictions and resume group training.

Hopes among athletes and coaches is intensifying that, maybe even as early as today, Prime Minister Scott Morrison will announce an easing to restrictions to enable training for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games (in 2021) to be ramped up.

Athletes are coaches are prepared to work in small numbers under social isolation rules.

Australia's Cedric Dubler is a decathlon from Eric Brown’s UQ Sport squad.(Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC / AFP)

“The AOC has been working constructively with the Federal Government and is looking forward to the release of guidelines around the safe return to sport,” the AOC said in a statement to Quest Newspapers and The Courier-Mail last night.

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On March 22 Morrison made the call to ban athletes from attending the Games in Tokyo which had been scheduled for July this year.

Athletes have not been able to train in groups of more than two since April.

All sports have been severely disrupted by the ruling, but it has been particularly difficult for athletes from the likes of swimming and water polo - who reply on pool wotk - and gymnastics - whose athletes had been banned from gymnasiums.

Australian Water Polo League player Gabi Palm, a junior from the Barracudas Club, is Australia’s No.1 goalkeeper. (AAP Image/Renae Droop)

Rowing crews of more than two people have also suffered, as have many.

But hopes are high all that will change between today’s PM update, and the May 10 national cabinet meeting.

Athletes such as rowers, softballers, soccer players, runnes, field athletes, BMX, triathlon, hockey and the like have at least been able to continue one-on-one sessions with either a teammate or coaches.

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But they also need the benefits of group training when athletes bounce ideas off each other, enjoy banter and support networks.

Three weeks ago the coach of Australia’s leading swimming club, Dean Boxall from St Peters Western, issued a plea for Olympic swimming prospects, who are not “land animals’’, to resume pool work in small numbers while adhering to social distancing restrictions.

On Wednesday PM Morrison urged Australia’s to download the COVID-19 safe app, indicating it was the ticket to community sport returning.

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While he did not specifically mention Olympians at that news briefing, he did so a week earlier when he indicated their time could come soon to return to a more normal training environment.

In the last seven days Quest Newspapers and The Courier-Mail has revealed community rugby union (early July), football (mid-July) and tennis (this weekend with isolation restrictions) plan to return.