Athletes will overcome Olympic ‘hurdle’

Three-time Olympian Justin Anlezark backs Aussies to adapt

Toowoomba Olympian Justin Anlezark (pictured in action at the 2008 Beijing Olympics 2008) believes Australia’s athletes will easily adapt to the change in dates for the Tokyo Olympics.

OLYMPICS : The decision to move the 2020 Tokyo Olympics back a year will thrown the plans of every athlete into a state of disarray.

With preparation often planned down to the day, a year’s postponement is a massive change.

Three-time Olympian, Toowoomba’s Justin Anlezark, believes moving the games was the right decision to make.

“At the end of the day, world health is the most important thing,” Anlezark said.

“The Olympic Games attract millions of people from all over the world and are a great spectacle.

“But there is a duty of care for the people that must come first before the games.”

Despite the change in their schedules – Anlezark who competed in the Sydney, Athens and Beijing Olympics – said Australia’s athletes would adapt.

“Periodisation is a massive part of every athlete’s life,” Anlezark said.

“They (athletes) have absolutely everything mapped out and planned.

“Health, sleep patterns, gym sessions, recovery, how they want to be performing at a certain, where they want to in terms of their preparation by a certain date.

“When you’re talking about the Olympics a lot of athletes have a window and now that window has moved.

“They will adapt though, it’s part of being an athlete, something you have to do a lot.

“If you show up to a competition and it’s raining you don’t pull the pin, you adapt.

“If you’re sick you don’t just give up on training, you adapt.

“As an athlete you learn how to shift your focus pretty quickly to what is important and what you need to do to give yourself the best opportunity to succeed.”

The almost singular focus will also help athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic and their Olympic preparations.

“Going to the Olympics is a lifelong dream for nearly every athlete,” Anlezark said.

“After Athens when I broke my finger I thought, ‘that’s it I’m done’.

“But then I thought ‘no I have a chance to be a three-time Olympian’, a milestone so very few athletes have achieved, from there I did everything I could to book my place in Beijing.

“Right now athletes will be looking at this in probably three different ways.

“Those that weren’t ready will see it as a chance to improve and get ready, the athletes at their peak will see it as chance to ease back and refocus.

“And the athletes who were maybe on the cusp of retirement, using the Olympics as a last hurrah, will change accordingly.

“All of them though will be focused on getting there.”

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