IOC, AOC not ‘living in bubble’ as plans for Tokyo 2020 continue amid COVID-19 pandemic
The AOC says the Tokyo Olympics will either go ahead or be cancelled, as it defends itself and the IOC from critics.
Australian Olympic Committee CEO Matt Carroll maintains his organisation and the International Olympic Committee are not “living in a bubble” as they prepare for the Tokyo Games to go ahead.
The AOC said the Games will either go ahead or be cancelled – postponement is off the table.
While some have criticised the Olympic movement for proceeding with the Games as planned, Carroll said they and the IOC are well aware of the crisis facing the world because of COVID-19.
“The AOC do not live in a bubble,” Carroll said. “I think sometimes people think we are not listening … but we are thinking to member sports, government, medical advice … and Australian Institute of Sport … the decision will be made in a timely way.”
He added: “The IOC are not in an Olympic bubble, they are full aware impact it is having families and the community.”
Carroll noted the AFL and NRL had made calls just days out from the competition when pressed on the AOC and IOC not making a call now on the Games.
Carroll said Bach told them in an IOC hook up they had “four months” and didn’t need to make a decision now. Carroll said they asked dozens of questions to the IOC about quarantine, health, and what would happen if a virus broke out during the Games.
“If things change then the IOC change,” Carroll said. “(But) the (IOC) have not talked about postponement to date.”
Carroll admitted anti-doping measures had been “compromised”.
Chef De Mission Ian Chesterman said it could be a “fantastic thing” if the Games “could come off in a corona-free environment”.
The AOC put questions centring around health and wellbeing athletes in the coming weeks to the IOC to ensure the their safety if the Games go ahead as planned.
“We recognise there is a global health crisis. We recognise that people are suffering – people are sick, people are losing jobs, businesses are struggling amid enormous community uncertainty. Things are changing everyday and we all must adapt,” Carroll said in a statement earlier today.
“Equally the IOC, advised by the World Health Organisation, has assured us that the Olympic Games in Tokyo are proceeding in four months. We owe it to our Australian athletes to do everything we can to ensure they will participate with the best opportunity in those Games.
“We gain confidence from the IOC’s overriding principles regarding staging the Games. Namely, to protect the health of everyone involved and support the containment of the virus. And secondly to safeguard the interests of the athletes and of Olympic sport,” Carroll said.
Chesterman said urgent adaptations to the qualification processes for each sport should be clearer by early April when International Federations (IF) for each sport submit their revised systems to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
“Last night we spoke with IOC President Thomas Bach who reminded us of the IOC’s determination to give the athletes their moment, with an Olympic Games in Tokyo, beginning with the Opening Ceremony on July 24th.”
“There are a number of challenges all athletes are facing between now and then, but two stand out.
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