Of course I want to be in Tokyo – Moolman-Pasio
VETERAN cyclist Ashleigh MoolmanPasio said that while she is respectful of the Japanese public’s opposition to this year’s Olympic Games, she is desperate to participate in the event later this year.
Moolman-Pasio will be heading to her third Olympics and was named as part of a provisional list of 64 athletes yesterday by the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc).
Not included were South Africa’s two track superstars, Caster Semenya and Wayde van Niekerk, who have yet to qualify for their respective events. They will have until July 5, when Sascoc has to submit its final list of athletes to the International Olympic Committee, to complete the necessary qualifying times – in Van Niekerk’s case for the 400m and Semenya’s the 5 000m.
The Japanese public remain strongly opposed to the Games taking place in July and August as the country endures its fourth wave of the Covid-19 virus. But the IOC has remained firm that the Games will go ahead, with the Japanese government for now defying the growing opposition from the public to give its backing to the Games being staged.
“Of course I want to race in Tokyo, it’s something I’ve been working towards,” said 35-year-old Moolman-Pasio.
“This will possibly be my last Olympic Games so I want to go there and make my country proud.
“We have to be responsible and we must respect the pandemic and what the world is going through at the moment, but around the world many sporting disciplines have demonstrated that sport can continue in a safe and respectful way, alongside the Covid pandemic.”
Moolman-Pasio cited her own sport, cycling, as one which had adjusted to the demands of the pandemic and the need for biosecure environments, in order to continue with competitions.
“Professional cycling is continuing; we’ve had to adjust to the new protocols and we are all respectful of these protocols.
“I want to go, of course, but I very much understand if something had to change because of the pandemic.”