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Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Australia and Canada confirm they will not send athletes to Games

The IOC announced they will make a final decision within four weeks

Jack Rathborn
Monday 23 March 2020 08:15 GMT
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Coronavirus: What we know so far

Australia and Canada will not send teams to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics due to the coronavirus pandemic as the IOC deliberate over whether to cancel the Games.

Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori admitted “postponement” is now one of a number of options with the IOC announcing they will monitor the effects of the pandemic before making a final decision within four weeks.

But Australia and Canada have already made a final decision, with the latter insisting they were left with no choice as participating would have contradicted public health advice given to its citizens.

A statement from the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) read: “The (COC) and (CPC) have made the difficult decision to not send Canadian teams to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the summer of 2020.

“The COC and CPC urgently call on the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to postpone the Games for one year and we offer them our full support in helping navigate all the complexities that rescheduling the Games will bring.

Tokyo 2020 chief Yoshiro Mori (second from left) admits the Games could be postponed 

“While we recognize the inherent complexities around a postponement, nothing is more important than the health and safety of our athletes and the world community. This is not solely about athlete health – it is about public health. With COVID-19 and the associated risks, it is not safe for our athletes, and the health and safety of their families and the broader Canadian community for athletes to continue training towards these Games.

“In fact, it runs counter to the public health advice which we urge all Canadians to follow.”

The Australian Olympic Committee’s executive board also agreed to not send any teams in the current climate after discussions on Monday through a teleconference.

“It’s clear the Games can’t be held in July,” said Ian Chesterman, Australian Team Chef de Mission for Tokyo.

“Our athletes have been magnificent in their positive attitude to training and preparing, but the stress and uncertainty has been extremely challenging for them.”

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