ZCZC
BSP-01
OLY-2020-2021-HEALTH-VIRUS
Athletes anticipate duller Games but still with a glint of gold
LAUSANNE, March 18, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – An Olympics under the dark cloud of
Covid-19 may not be the experience athletes had hoped for, but they are still
eager to grab their chance to shine, be there fans or not.
With the postponed Olympics set to start on July 22, the organisers are
still wrestling with the issue of how many spectators they can safely allow
in venues.
A decision on whether any foreign visitors will be allowed into the
country to see the spectacle is expected before the torch relay begins,
without any spectators because of coronavirus restrictions, on March 25.
AFP asked athletes what they thought of the prospect of a Games in front
of small crowds or even without any spectators at all.
American middle-distance runner Craig Engels could have expected to race
in front of 68,000 spectators in the rebuilt National Stadium in Tokyo. “It
kind of sucks not having friends and family there because any time I’ve ever
imagined finishing my final race at an Olympics, I imagine running up to the
stands and hugging my parents,” said Engels, who beat Olympic champion
Matthew Centrowitz Jr to win the US title in 2019.
“I think I’ll still be running in 2024 so at least my whole dream of the
Olympic experience isn’t shot,” said the 26-year-old.
“But it sucks for those athletes who are retiring this year.”
– ‘Weird dichotomy’ –
One of those is 38-year-old Indian boxer Mary Kom, who is a six-time world
champion but whose best Olympic performance was a bronze in London in 2012.
“We are in a situation that is beyond our control and against our wishes.
Therefore we have to accept the reality,” said the mother-of-three. “The
empty or full stadium wouldn’t affect my bout and my performance though
crowds and supporters make it interesting and thrilling.
“To me, the only thing that will be in my mind is to win the game and
realise the long-cherished dream. The environment outside the ring is
secondary.”
American sprinter Brittany Brown, the 200m silver medallist at the World
Championships in Doha, said no fans would be “disappointing because this is
every four years”.
“The Olympics is also a celebration. So knowing that your family and
friends can’t be there is disheartening,” she said.
“At the same time it’s encouraging because you know that the organisers
are taking proper precautions. It’s a weird dichotomy — you’re happy because
they are prioritising safety, but also disappointed because you’re like
‘Gosh, I really wanted to share this moment’.”
Other track and field athletes agree they will miss the crowds.
“It won’t be as euphoric, but we’ll deal with it,” said French world
record holder Kevin Mayer, who won the decathlon in Rio in 2016.
French pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie, who won the gold medal in London
and silver in Rio — where he infamously broke down in tears at what he
called the crowd’s biased support for eventual gold medallist and home
favourite Thiago Braz, said he had learned to compete without fans.
“We’ve had a whole season behind closed doors,” he said. “It won’t have
the same flavour but… when you put 10 people on the start line, everyone
wants to win, whether there is an audience or not.”
Germany’s brightest medal hope in swimming, 1,500m freestyle and 10km open
water world champion Florian Wellbrock said he is “definitely in favour” of
the Games going ahead, albeit in front of empty seats.
– ‘It kinds of sucks’ –
“The fact that athletes can show in races what they have fought and worked
for all their lives is and, remains for me, the most important meaning of the
Olympic Games,” the 23-year-old swimmer told the German swimming federation’s
magazine.
Some competitors in less popular sports see stadiums half full rather than
half empty.
“Most of us don’t compete in front of crowds,” Bronwen Knox, an Australian
water polo legend who won bronzes at the 2008 Beijing and London Olympics,
told the Sydney Daily Telegraph.
Both Engels and Brown lamented the impact of likely health rules on the
experience of the 11,000 competitors.
“You hear about how fun the Olympic village is, all the stories about
meeting new people,” Brown said.
“So part of the excitement of the Olympics is the experience of being an
Olympic athlete that you’re thinking about, as well as competing and
training. It’s disheartening that we won’t have that, but I’m sure there will
be other experiences.” Engels agreed.
“Obviously I need to make sure I make the team first,” Engels said. “But it
will suck not being able to socialise as much in the Olympic village. I was
really looking forward to going to basketball games and seeing all the other
athletes.
“So it kind of sucks that that is not going to happen this year — but
there’s always Paris.”
BSS/AFP/FI/ 0816 hrs