ATHLETES’ GRIM WARNING TO ORGANISERS OF GAMES Huge Olympic village would be a breeding ground for this deadly virus
OLYMPIC athletes have voiced fears that official accommodation could become a coronavirus breeding ground if the Tokyo Games go ahead this summer.
The Olympic Village has been built to house up to 18,000 competitors from all over the world in the Japanese capital and the prospect of mixing in the confined space has set alarm bells ringing.
Athletes fear the virus might spread alarmingly and that self-isolation stand-down periods, in the case of an outbreak, could make events untenable.
Indian table tennis player Sharath Kamal said: “As an athlete, I obviously want the Olympics to happen but it should not happen.
“The epicentre of the virus will keep changing. First it was China, now it is Italy and Iran too is badly affected in Asia. I don’t see the scenario being safe for the Olympics to start on time.
“Everyone is talking about social distancing but it is one thing which won’t be possible at the Olympics. Thousands of athletes would be staying in the same village.”
Up to 600,000 fans were originally expected to travel to Japan for the Games, bringing with them additional risk of infection. The International Olympic Committee and Tokyo 2020 organisers have said the event, due to run from July 24 to August 9, would go ahead as planned – though IOC President Thomas Bach admitted for the first time yesterday that they were strongly considering a delay.
And a growing number of competitors are questioning the wisdom of carrying on regardless – particularly with training plans having to be ripped up because of shutdowns around the world.
Superstar South African swimmer Chad le Clos has revealed he has been forced to abandon his Turkey training base because of measures to contain the virus.
He said: “On Monday the plan was to stay six or seven weeks [in Turkey]. Suddenly, the country is going into lockdown and hotels are probably going to be closed. We had 36 hours to get out.
“Luckily I got tickets the same night. It’s such a whirlwind. One minute you’re training hard, everything’s gone great, and then you have to leave.”
Le Clos, whose father Bert wept tears of joy when his son won gold in London in 2012, had set up in Turkey after an earlier camp in Italy had been cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak, but is now at home in Cape Town and uncertain of his future plans.
The multiple world and Olympic champion said: “There’s no real plan going forward. I have no coach, no training partners. If they shut the gyms here, I don’t have a plan B [for a pool].
“It’s scary. I’ve spoken to some guys stuck in their homes. They can’t do training. I was told Penny Oleksiak, the Canadian Olympic champion, hasn’t swum in 20 days in Toronto.”
It has become a general message across the world. The Spanish
Football Federation President Luis Rubiales asked IOC member Juan Antonio Samaranch jnr for a postponement at a meeting with other Spanish sports federations.
Rubiales said: “At this time, health must prevail over any other issue and we must be on the side of our Government. Sport is our reason for being, but now it must be in the background.”
Serbian and Croatian sports bodies added their opposition. Serbia’s Youth and Sports minister
Vanja Udovicic said: “Japan has invested a lot of resources into the Olympics and they are adamant that the Games should go ahead, but that defies common sense and we cannot support it because human lives come first.”
Zlatko Matesa, President of the Croatian Olympic Committee, said: “Sports is not an issue now as competing has become impossible… in my opinion they should and will be postponed for a few months.”