Correct decision to postpone Olympics in Japan, says Sir Mo
SIR Mo Farah has admitted he was relieved when he discovered the Tokyo 2020 Olympics had been postponed.
Farah’s return to defend his 10,000 metres title will have to wait another 12 months but the 37-year-old conceded it was the only logical course of action due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Farah told talkSPORT: “In a way, obviously it’s disappointing it has been cancelled, but I am glad it has been cancelled.
“We could have been in a far worse situation - there are no races leading up to it, (and) athletes can’t test themselves.
“I would probably need about six, seven, eight races beforehand to see what kind of shape I am in. It is what it is and it gives us another year of preparation.”
Late last year, Farah announced a U-turn on his decision to quit the track to focus on the marathon, and indicated he would seek to add to his Olympic medal haul in the Japanese capital.
Having flown back to Britain to be with his family when the coronavirus crisis escalated, he revealed he is still managing to maintain his training regime.
Farah added: “I am still running every day, just trying to get through this crisis time.
“We just have to stay together, stay strong. We just have to get through this. It is a test for everywhere in the world and it is growing.”
British tennis number one Kyle Edmund said he accepted this week’s news of the postponement of Wimbledon and looked forward to a return to action as soon as possible.
In a message on the Lawn Tennis Association’s Twitter account, Edmund said: “The correct decision has been made - right now, it is impossible to think of playing tennis with what’s going on.
“We need to get through this for the long term, in order for everything to go on. I’m sure next year, in 2021, we look forward to having all the tournaments back again.”
England rugby union captain Sarah Hunter has written an open letter urging people to embrace her sport’s spirit of “togetherness” in order to combat the pandemic. Hunter hailed the NHS workers who are on the front line fighting the virus, and stressed the importance of staying mentally and physically active as the nationwide lockdown continues.
Writing on the England Rugby website, she said: “In rugby we talk about the strength of the team being the collective rather than the individual and we are seeing the greatest form of ‘Teamwork’ now in how the nation is working together.”
We just have to get through this. It is a test for everywhere in the world and it is growing Sir Mo Farah