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Olympics could be delayed, admits athletics chief Coe
LONDON, March 19, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – World athletics chief
Sebastian Coe admitted on Thursday that the Tokyo Olympics could
be moved to later in the year by the coronavirus outbreak, but
said it was too early to make a definitive decision.
Olympic bosses acknowledged on Wednesday there was no “ideal”
solution as a growing number of athletes expressed concern.
The COVID-19 pandemic is playing havoc with the global
sporting calendar, forcing the postponement of Euro 2020 and a
suspension of the tennis season.
International Olympic Committee chairman Thomas Bach said
earlier this week that starting on schedule on July 24 remained
the organisation’s goal.
But Coe, who is a member of the Tokyo Olympics Games
Coordination Commission, conceded in an interview with the BBC
that a delay was possible.
“That is possible, anything is possible at the moment,” said
Coe when asked whether the Games could be postponed to September
or October.
“But I think the position that sport has certainly taken, and
it was certainly the temperature of the room in the conversation I
had the other day with the IOC and our other federations, is that
nobody is saying we will be going to the Games come what may.
“But it isn’t a decision that has to be made at this moment.”
Coe, who played a pivotal role in securing the Olympics for
London in 2012, said postponing the Games until 2021 could present
problems.
“That seems on the surface of it an easy proposition, but
member federations actually avoid Olympic years often to have
their world championships,” he said.
Britain’s retired four-time rowing Olympic gold medallist
Matthew Pinsent called for decisive action.
“On a global front we have other priorities and I think the
Olympics should at the very least be saying we should postpone or
indeed just cancel at this stage and we’ll talk about postponement
later on,” he told the BBC.
“I just don’t think there’s much of a choice at this stage.”
BSS/AFP/ARS/1759 hrs