German athletics chief calls on IOC to postpone Olympics

HAMBURG: German athletics chief Juergen Kessing wants the Tokyo Olympics postponed, just as other sports have done lately in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

“I would have wished they (the International Olympic Committee) would follow the example of football and like the European championships also postpone the Olympic Games in Tokyo by one year,” Kessing said. Football’s UEFA decided on the Euro tournament on Tuesday and Kessing said a similarly clear decision is needed from the IOC as well.

The IOC is under pressure to make a decision and postpone the Games scheduled for July 24-August 9. It is pressing ahead for now and says it was too early for a decision but IOC president Thomas Bach has also told the New York Times they are “considering different scenarios.”

A growing number of athletes and organisations, including Norway’s Olympic Committee and the US swimming federation, want the Games postponed for health reasons and because many athletes can’t train because of government restrictions. “Everyone has experienced unimaginable disruptions, mere months before the Olympic Games, which calls into question the authenticity of a level playing field for all,” US swim chief Tim Hinchey said in an open letter on Friday to national Olympic committee CEO Sarah Hirshland.

“Our athletes are under tremendous pressure, stress and anxiety, and their mental health and wellness should be among the highest priorities. It is with the burden of these serious concerns that we respect fully request that the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee advocate for the postponement of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 by one year.