PUT GAMES ON HOLD: WEST
TOWNSVILLE Olympic hopeful Tori West believes another year of training will only bring her closer to a medal in Tokyo.
The heptathlete believes a decision to postpone the Olympics to 2021 is inevitable amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Australian Olympic Committee released a statement yesterday suggesting to its athletes to prepare for a delayed start to the Olympics, expected to commence in 2021.
It comes after postponement was put on the table for the first time during an IOC crisis meeting on Sunday and Canada said it would boycott the Games if they went ahead as planned.
West, who had half the allotted points to qualify for the heptathlon in Tokyo, had planned to squeeze in two late qualifying events before the Games.
She has not stopped training in the wake of the virus outbreak, instead moving it indoors and to isolated beaches.
But with an extra year up her sleeve ahead of a rescheduled event, West believes her dreams of a medal finish are one step closer.
“To be honest I am not upset about it, I think it is totally necessary to postpone the Games,” she said.
“Things might have cleared up in time for Tokyo, but the big problem is qualifying events and training. For me, this is the most intelligent decision, and it gives us more time to train.
“The secret to my event is putting in consistent and strong training blocks.
“That is what I am going to use this extra year for. This gives me a chance to really set my sights on a medal, I am just going to knuckle down, keep working hard and stay positive.”
West has adapted her training regimen to keep her indoors through most of the day, incorporating a lot of cross-training and unique repetitions into her routine. She also spends time out on the sands running to maintain her fitness.
With the global spread of coronavirus forcing lockdowns on borders and government legislation to shut public places indefinitely, West said it had given her a new perspective on her sport.
“I am just adapting, all we can do is control the controllables,” she said. “There is bigger things in this world than just sport.
“It is a good time too for athletes to reassess how important sport is in your life and whether you are finding that balance.
“I have always said it is a grand and noble pursuit to be an Olympic athlete. But what matters is that same pursuit and energy you put to your Olympics dream, you should put that to other things in life.”
The AOC remains adamant the Games cannot move forward in 2020, with athletes’ welfare needed to be put above Olympic preparations.
Australian chef de mission Ian Chesterman suggested an Australian team could not be assembled if the Games were to go ahead as scheduled on July 24.
“It’s clear the Games can’t be held in July. Our athletes have been magnificent in their positive attitude to training and preparing, but the stress and uncertainty has been extremely challenging for them,” he said.