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US Olympic CEO tells athletes to plan for Games like no other
LOS ANGELES, Jan 28, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – American athletes should prepare for
the Tokyo Olympics but expect a Games unlike any other due to Covid-19, US
Olympic and Paralympic Committee chief executive officer Sarah Hirshland said
Wednesday.
In a letter to Team USA athletes posted on the US Olympic website,
Hirshland warned competitors to be adaptable and open to making sacrifices
with changing situations possible before the scheduled July 23 Olympic
opening ceremony in Japan.
“Our expectation today is that the Games will go forward,” Hirshland
wrote. “They will look and feel different than any previous Games, as we will
all be asked to continue to make sacrifices and adaptations to protect the
health of our community.
“We’ll learn more in the coming weeks, and the USOPC and the NGBs
(national sport governing bodies) will continue working extraordinarily hard
to mitigate against the unexpected, and to give every Team USA athlete the
best opportunity to achieve their sporting dream — with as little
distraction as possible.
“At the same time, know that the safety and well being of Team USA is our
number one concern and it guides every decision we make.”
A major distraction and worry for athletes worldwide came in a recent
report the Olympics would be called off. IOC leaders and organizing chiefs
dismissed the report but not before worldwide concern, including by those
hoping to compete in Tokyo.
“Amidst a lot of uncertainty and questions, the countdown to the Tokyo
Games continues,” Hirshland wrote. “Though we can expect there will be a lot
of speculation and opportunity for misinformation in the weeks and months
ahead, know that we will share official updates with this community as soon
as we have them.”
The Tokyo Olympics, planned for last July and August, were postponed in
the wake of the global Covid-19 outbreak and reset for similar dates this
year as vaccines begin to reach populations across the globe.
Even so, there are expected to be numerous changes and safeguards in place
to allow for competition at the Tokyo Olympics due to the virus pandemic.
“There’s still a lot to be excited about,” Hirshland said. “After all,
these are the Olympic and Paralympic Games — and they have a long history of
bringing the world together and bringing out the best in those who compete
and celebrate them.”
With just under six months until the Olympics, Hirshland offered support
to the American Olympic community.
“The collective commitment and focus through these unprecedented times is
nothing short of remarkable,” she wrote. “It’s an exemplary demonstration of
unity, teamwork and the very spirit that defines Team USA.”
BSS/AFP/FI/ 0832 hrs