IOC "Determined to Proceed with Tokyo Olympics"... Athletes Criticize as "Training Impossible, Irresponsible"

IOC "No Need for Extreme Decisions on Tokyo Olympics at This Stage"
Canadian IOC Member "Cannot Understand Situation Changes... Irresponsible"
Concerns Over Difficulty Completing Athlete Selection by June

World Taekwondo President Choi Jung-won is preparing for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) video conference on the afternoon of the 17th at the World Taepyeong-ro Federation meeting room in Taepyeong-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Lim Juhyung] Despite the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) reaching a 'pandemic' status, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced its intention to proceed with the '2020 Tokyo Olympics,' drawing criticism from some IOC members and athletes.

Hayley Wickenheiser, a former Canadian ice hockey player and current IOC member, criticized on Twitter on the 17th (local time), stating that the IOC "does not understand the changing situation" and called it "irresponsible."

She further explained, "Training facilities are closed due to COVID-19, and regional qualifying tournaments for Olympic spots have been postponed. Athletes do not know where to train right now, spectators cannot travel due to various countries' travel and entry restrictions, and sponsors cannot conduct any emotional marketing."

Tokyo Olympic Village Apartments / Photo by Yonhap News

Katarina Johnson-Thompson, a British national track and field athlete, also pointed out, "Tracks, gyms, and public facilities are closed, and the government advises against going outside. Training is impossible under these circumstances. Athletes are being forced to do the impossible."

IOC President Thomas Bach held a video conference with the presidents of international sports federations for summer Olympic sports on the same day to discuss response measures related to the spread of COVID-19.

After the meeting, the IOC stated, "We are committed to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and at this stage, there is no need to make any extreme decisions. If athlete selection is completed by June 30, there will be no problems preparing for the Olympics."

However, concerns have been raised that athlete selection may not be completed by the scheduled time. Currently, 57% of the total event quotas have been decided, but the remaining 43% of qualifying competitions are being suspended one after another.

Regarding this, The New York Times editorial on the same day argued, "Contrary to IOC President Thomas Bach's promise to proceed with the Olympics, the situation is becoming more difficult over time. Athletes' training has been disrupted, and qualifying tournaments have been suspended or postponed, making athlete selection practically difficult."

The media especially pointed out the risk of mass infections at venues, noting, "Among the athletes who participated in the 2016 Rio Olympics, about 4,000, or 36%, come from 15 countries with the highest number of COVID-19 cases."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.