Alena Sharp stayed in the Olympic Village at the Rio 2016 Games. She roomed with Canadian basketball coaches and watched compatriots medal in platform diving. She thrived on being part of a bigger team.
All of those experiences helped Sharp, 39, understand why Team Canada announced on Sunday night that it would not send Olympic or Paralympic athletes to the Tokyo games if they went on as scheduled this summer. The Canadian committees urged the IOC to postpone the Games by one year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Sharp said she was initially shocked by the decision.
“But at the same time I’m also proud that Canada is the first one to step up and maybe open the IOC’s eyes that this isn’t the best situation for athletes,” said Sharp, who along with No. 7 Brooke Henderson, would have represented Canada based off of current rankings.
On Monday, International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound told USA TODAY Sports that the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games are going to be postponed, likely to 2021, with the details to be worked out in the next four weeks.
Sharp thought about the Olympic Village, and how easily the virus could spread in such close quarters with athletes coming together from around the world.
“That would just be a nightmare,” she said.
While many Olympic hopefuls can’t train with so many businesses and facilities shut down, Sharp said her club in Phoenix, Seville, still carries a packed tee sheet. The club has taken several precautions to help keep members safe. Golf carts don’t have sand bottles or ice chests. The rakes are gone. The cups are flipped upside down. Flagsticks aren’t to be touched.
Sharp had originally signed up for last week’s Cactus Tour event in Phoenix but with mixed feelings eventually pulled out, deciding that she wouldn’t compete again until the LPGA is back up and running.
The LPGA hasn’t hosted an event since the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open in mid-February. Sharp played three times before the tour shut down, finishing tied for ninth at the ISPS Vic Open. The LPGA has postponed the next four events, including a major, with the next one scheduled for May 14-17 just outside Tampa, Florida.
“I’m just hopeful that we can play as soon as possible,” said Sharp, “but I don’t see it happening until June.”
Sharp’s gym recently closed so she moved to in-home equipment. She bought a hitting mat and net at Dick’s in case her golf club shuts down. She also recently took up pickleball.
“The news is on quite a bit,” said Sharp. “We started watching HGTV in between segments of the news. We started playing Mario Kart on Nintendo Switch. (The news) can be overwhelming at times.”