Cate and Bronte Campbell press pause on Tokyo Olympics dream

The Olympic dreams of hundreds of Australian athletes have been postponed – including those of the swim stars the Campbell sisters.

Olympic swimming stars Cate, left, and Bronte Campbell at Dee Why Beach in Sydney after hearing of the postponement of the Tokyo Games. Picture: Phil Hillyard

The Olympic dreams of hundreds of Australian athletes have been postponed — including those of swim stars the Campbell sisters.

Olympians Bronte and Cate Campbell are two of more than 400 athletes who have been told by the Australian Olympic Committee to aim for a Games in July 2021. The AOC held an executive board meeting via teleconference on Monday and “unanimously agreed” that an Australian team could not be assembled as COVID-19 spread through the world.

Cate, who is aiming for her fourth Olympic Games, told The Australian she was ready for any obstacle that came her way.

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“I haven’t had a straightforward career by any stretch of the imagination so every setback that I’ve ever encountered that can either be the end or you can focus on the next step to get around that obstacle,” Cate, 27 said, on the weekend. Youngster Bronte said with so many athletes’ training compromised because of COVID-19 it would not have been a level playing field — or pool.

“Faster, higher, stronger — that’s what the Olympics is all about and that holds a lot of weight for me because you want to turn up on the global stage and everyone is at their best and everyone’s competing,” the 25-year-old said..

World javelin champion Kelsey-Lee Barber said the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics will “level the playing field again”.

Barber said shifting the Games to 2021 would be the best result for athletes around the globe.

“I’m really happy that the conversation is there and it’s on the cards,” Barber said.

“I think it would be a different story if we were saying either yes or no regarding this year. I’m feeling very optimistic that they are talking about (2021). It is smart to postpone as it levels the playing field again and gives athletes the opportunity to go out and try and qualify now.’’

Barber, who won the world title in Doha last October, said she was confident the momentum from that breakthrough performance would continue into next year.

“I will try and ride that confidence all the way through to next year,” she said. “There is absolutely no reason why that shouldn’t still be a lift for me and something which keeps my motivation up.”

Canberra-based Barber, who is coached by her husband Mike, will reassess her training program with the coronavirus restrictions set to impact given the shutdown of the Australian Institute of Sport gymnasium.

Distance star Stewart McSweyn had already booked a spot on his first Olympic team after winning the national 5000m and 10,000m titles but is fully supportive of the decision to put his dream on hold. “You’re a bit disappointed but I will have other opportunities and next year will come around quick,” McSweyn said. “You’ve got to reset, refocus training and then be ready to go with all systems next year.’’

Commonwealth Games 800m bronze medallist Luke Mathews said it was a relief not to “be in limbo” anymore.