BOA to reassure medal hopefuls in crisis call
British medal hopefuls will be invited to a crisis conference call to be reassured the Covid-19 surge in Japan has not blown the Olympics off track.
Stef Reid, the Paralympian sprinter and long jumper, summed up anxiety among athletes as she said speculation was “playing with emotions and mental health”.
Six months from the rescheduled opening ceremony, governing bodies and Japan are now determined to reassure the world that the Games will go ahead.
In the coming days, the British Olympic Association will attempt to put rumours to bed by inviting all concerned team members to a video call to relay commitments they have been given by the International Olympic Committee.
“The noise on cancellation from lots of wise observers isn’t helpful,” said Andy Anson, BOA chief executive, after a week in which Sir Keith Mills, chief executive of London 2012, suggested it was “unlikely” that the Games would take place.
“We’re in consistent dialogue with the IOC, with the Tokyo Organising Committee, and we’re hearing directly what the Japanese government is saying, and they’re adamant the Games are going ahead.”
Mark England, the chef de mission of Team GB, has already sent out a letter reassuring athletes, and the BOA also staged a conference call with sponsors to ensure spending plans continue.
“If you’re running a big company, hearing the news of Dick Pound [IOC member] and Keith Mills saying
there is a risk the Games won’t happen, then you’re making spending decisions difficult,” Anson said. “It’s not helpful for athletes because they need to know that the plan is for the Games to happen. It’s up to us to keep communicating that.”
The prospect of cancelling the Games remains almost unthinkable for the BOA, which has previously warned that it could struggle to continue operating if the delayed Games are cancelled at the 11th hour.
Contingency plans for a funding shortfall include a deal to increase its credit facility by £1million to £3 million. “The biggest risk is if the Games are cancelled very late in the day,” Anson said.
World Athletics president Lord Coe, the IOC and the Japanese government also moved to debunk reports the Games were in danger. Coe said there was a “cast-iron determination” to deliver them.