AIS may be locked down as Olympic training base
The Australian Institute of Sport is being considered as a “quarantined training base” for sports in the lead up to the Olympics.
The Australian Institute of Sport is being considered as a “quarantined training base” for sports in the lead up to the Olympics after preparations have been thrown into chaos due to COVID-19.
“Some individual sports are looking at holding pre-Tokyo training camps at the AIS,” a source said. “It’s an option for some sports but not confirmed.”
On Wednesday night Australian Olympic Committee chief executive Matt Carroll and chef de mission Ian Chesterman put questions forward to the International Olympic Committee about the state of the Games in the face of the global health crisis.
On Thursday Carroll and Chesterman will address the media to provide an update.
Sport Australia co-ordinated a phone hook-up on Wednesday with federal sports minister Richard Colbeck updating all the national sporting organisations around the protocols regarding COVID-19.
“Today was the first call we’ve had, a number of sports pushing for the group call.
“The clear messaging from the sports is that we need these COVID-19 meetings if not twice, at least, once a week,” one sport’s leader said.
Another sports boss said while in the past there would be excitement around an upcoming Games at this point the mood was low — understandably so considering the pandemic.
“All indications are that the Olympics is going to continue but there is an absolute drop in intensity and energy around that messaging,” the administrator said. “The urgency, at this time of the Olympic cycle, where the excitement is building is not there. The messaging from the AIS was very clinical; just keep preparing.”
The IOC remains fully committed to the Tokyo Olympics but one of its members Hayley Wickenheiser has slammed the decision to proceed with the Tokyo Olympics during the coronavirus crisis as “insensitive and irresponsible”.
It comes as Spain — one the countries hardest hit by the deadly pandemic — calls for the Games to be postponed for 12 months after the Euro 2020 football tournament was pushed back to 2021.
But the IOC is holding firm against the growing pleas to stop the biggest event in world sport from going ahead.
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