Olympic Office Emphasizes The Importance Of Athlete Safety
JAKARTA - Senior Olympic official John Coates emphasized that Tokyo should hold a simplified summer Olympics next year. Not forgetting to remind him, the health and safety of athletes are very important aspects.
Coates heads the International Olympic Committee's coordinating commission for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This event was postponed until 2021 due to the global pandemic COVID-19.
“The good news is that all 42 venues have been secured. The competition schedule remains the same, ”the IOC vice president wrote in the Daily Telegraph, Friday, a day after the one-year countdown for the opening ceremony.
"But we must reduce the cost impact of delays as well as simplify matches to ensure they can be managed efficiently, safely and sustainably, in this new context.
“With one year left, there is no clear picture of what form the simplified match will take. The situation with COVID-19, both domestic and international, is constantly changing. "
The man from Australia wrote that enforcing retaliation against COVID-19 is not an easy task. However, he welcomed the top-level commitment from the Japanese government, the Tokyo local government, and the Olympic organizing committee to complete it.
Tomorrow would have marked the day we would have been celebrating in the # Tokyo2020 Olympic Stadium. We are with you Tokyo, and we are #StrongerTogether. See you in 2021. Join the # 1YearToGo event: https://t.co/JlwoVeBcrM pic.twitter.com/HK91OMJkHp
- Olympic Channel (@olympicchannel) July 23, 2020
"The IOC and our Japanese partners ... are doing everything in their power to ensure that not only will the Olympics take place next year, but athletes remain first and foremost in all of our planning," he added.
“Yes, we want the world's athletes to have a moment of their Olympic competition, as they dreamed of. But critically, they must experience that moment in an environment where their health and safety ... are guaranteed. "
'' Sport is about more than just the athletes. It takes the support of many different types of people to make it happen.''@rikakoikee, who has been battling leukemia, shares her message with the world. # 1YearToGo to # Tokyo2020 event: https://t.co/JlwoVeBcrM # StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/EIswCl4zc5
- Olympic Channel (@olympicchannel) July 23, 2020
Coates - who is also president of the Australian Olympic Committee - added that the reaction of his country's athletes to the postponement was inspirational.
"All athletes with the Tokyo dream in their hearts should recalibrate their plans for a match ... they have shown extraordinary resilience in making that adjustment," he wrote.
United by our differences, we have the strength to achieve the incredible. # StrongerTogether # 1YearToGo until @ Tokyo2020.
- Olympics (@Olympics) July 23, 2020