Precautions stop athletes in tracks
TASMANIA’S Olympic hopefuls are playing the waiting game as precautions over coronavirus stall key qualification meets.
The Australian Track and Field Championships had been due to run from Saturday until next Sunday but were put on ice due the virus.
Hobart javelin thrower Hamish Peacock remains in limbo, waiting to take his shot for qualification.
For the time being the Hobart-based athlete is continuing with his training program locally. “Basically we don’t know,” Peacock said.
“I imagine they’re postponing it waiting on the IOC to make a decision (over Tokyo) and will see what happens over the next couple of weeks, worldwide.”
“You just keep preparing as if you were competing anyway.
“It doesn’t change too much you just know there’s uncertainty, that it might not happen at all.”
It will be a similar story for many Tasmanian Olympic hopefuls including sprinter Jack Hale and cyclists Georgia Baker and Amy Cure.
“There’s not much info at the moment other than that the National Championships have been postponed and we just assume that they’ve (Athletics Australia) got to make decisions based on other people’s decisions,” Peacock said.
He said the dominoes will start to fall once a decision is made about the Olympics.
“At the end of the day the IOC is the one who makes the call on the Olympics, it’s just a waiting game to see what decisions are made.”
Athletics Australia President Mark Arbib said Athletics Australia will “endeavour to keep members informed as we move into these unchartered waters and work to qualify our athletes for Tokyo”.
Athletics Australia decided last week that there will be no international travel for athletes, coaches and support staff until further notice.