Olympics officially postponed until 2021 … but they’re still calling it Tokyo 2020

We demand at least a new logo.

It’s official. The 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo will be postponed until next year due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

The games will be held either in spring or summer of 2021, but according to Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike, the games will still be called “Tokyo 2020.”

The games may change, but the merch will remain.

While the IOC dragged their feet for quite a while with the decision, an exclusive from USA TODAY Sports’ Christine Brennan yesterday had IOC member Dick Pound saying that the games would be postponed.

The prime minister of Japan came forward Tuesday pushing for a postponement to 2021, and the IOC made it official just a bit later.

Anyway, I hope they make some merch or at least put an asterisk letting us know the games are being held in 2021. It’ll be a collector’s item at the very least.

Report: Japan’s prime minister will propose a one-year postponement to 2020 Olympics

It’s looking more and more certain that the 2020 Olympic Games will not happen in 2020.

It’s looking more and more certain that the 2020 Olympic Games will not happen in 2020.

In an exclusive obtained yesterday by USA TODAY Sports’ Christine Brennan, IOC member Dick Pound told her that the Tokyo 2020 games would in fact be postponed.

The IOC did not issue an official statement, however.

The postponement plan seems to be gaining momentum. NHK TV in Japan reported on Tuesday that Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will propose a one-year postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Whenever this occurs, it will be a logistical nightmare to re-arrange, re-schedule, re-everything … which is most likely why the IOC has dragged its feet so long on this.

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The IOC had their hand forced in postponing the 2020 Summer Olympics

The decision to postpone the Olympics couldn’t have been more obvious. The only question is why it took so long. 

After weeks of public questioning and outcry, senior IOC official Dick Pound confirmed to USA TODAY Sports that the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games would be postponed.

“On the basis of the information the IOC has, postponement has been decided,” Pound told USA TODAY. “The parameters going forward have not been determined, but the Games are not going to start on July 24, that much I know.”

The decision to postpone the Games, perhaps until 2021, has started to feel like a forgone conclusion, but it’s ridiculous that the IOC waited until countries started dropping out en masse to announce the decision. For weeks, athletes and governing bodies of sports have made it clear that holding the Games as scheduled would be a disaster for the competitors and for the greater public health. USA Swimming and USA Track and Field had already called for the Games to be postponed, and by early Monday morning, Canada, Australia and even the home country Japan had expressed reservations about having their athletes compete.

For the athletes and organizers who worked tirelessly to make the Games happen, this is a crushing blow, but one that can’t be avoided. What’s shocking is the level of public outcry it took for the IOC to finally act. Health experts have continually warned that holding the Olympics too soon would risk spreading the coronavirus more. Even now,  countries like Italy and Iran are crumbling under the weight of lives lost.  In the US, the worst is still yet to come.

What has slowly become more and more clear over the past month is that in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, life will not go on as normal.  All large gatherings have been banned across many cities in America. Professional sports remain on an indefinite hiatus, and shelter in place orders have hit many cities.

These are extraordinary times and in the face of all these challenges it’s easy to see which institutions are stepping up to make he difficult decisions that cost money but save lives, and which ones are being dragged there, kicking and screaming.  According to USA TODAY’s Rachel Axon, as late as last week the IOC had insisted that the Games would go on as normal, despite overwhelming evidence that holding an international supporting event during a worldwide pandemic would’ve been nothing short of criminally negligent.

The IOC could have saved athletes a lot of needless stress and worry by coming to this inevitable conclusion weeks ago. Instead, they waited for others to make the decision for them. For weeks it looked like the IOC and the Japanese Olympic Committee were going to put profit over people and public health.  The decision to postpone the Olympics couldn’t have been more obvious. The only question is why it took so long.

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Lolo Jones had a great reaction to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics getting postponed

Relatable.

It was inevitable. The 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo will not be held as scheduled on July 24, which means Lolo Jones’ retirement can wait.

While every other major sports league across the globe suspended seasons amid the coronavirus pandemic, the IOC seemed to be operate in a state of denial — hoping that the Tokyo Olympics could go on as scheduled. But with Canada and Australia both pulling out of the Games, IOC member Dick Pound told USA TODAY Sports that the Olympics would be postponed — likely to be rescheduled for 2021.

This was a significant decision for every athlete involved as just training for these Olympics put their health at risk. And for Jones, who was trying to make a return to the Summer Olympics at 37 after competing in the Winter Games as a bobsledder, this meant a delay on those Olympic dreams.

She wasn’t too upset about that, though.

The Olympics getting postponed meant that Jones could finally take a break from training and enjoy some pizza. She also poked fun at her age compared to the other athletes come 2021 (she’ll turn 39 in August of next year).

But as Jones initially responded with some excellent jokes, she also made note that this was the only appropriate decision that the IOC could make.

It was the right thing to do, indeed.

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The IOC won’t do the right thing with the Olympics, so nations need to do it for them

The IOC won’t do the right thing with the 2020 Olympics, so nations must join together and force their hand.

If the IOC isn’t going to do the right thing, it’s up to participating nations to do it for them.

The International Olympic Committee has refused to make a decision on the postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo so far, despite a pandemic of coronavirus which has overwhelmed hospitals, shut down sport leagues worldwide, and threatened to crater the global economy.

Canada became the first country to go ahead and make their own decision this week, announcing Sunday that it would not be sending its athletes to the 2020 Games if they weren’t postponed. The Canadians have shown the way — it’s now up to the other countries to follow suit.

The IOC so far has taken the “let’s cross our fingers and hope this all works out” approach, undoubtedly terrified of the massive logistical nightmare that will come from rescheduling the games. I’m also certain that there are no small financial considerations being taken into account.

But the idea that the world will have beaten COVID-19 by this summer is preposterous. It’s not going to happen. To try and host the games would be reckless, not only for the health of the athletes, but for global health.

(Though, quickly, this virus will also affect athletes. An Olympic swimmer contracted the disease and described it as the “worst virus I have ever endured.” Forget this being something that only affects the elderly or immunocompromised. One of the best athletes alive was left weakened in bed for weeks.)

(EPA-EFE/HANNIBAL HANSCHKE)

For a global health community that is trying to stem the tide of people infected with COVID-19, a novel virus with no built-in immunity … anywhere, the extensive travel and crowding that would come with an Olympic games is like a perfect recipe for a massive outbreak of the disease.

Experts say vaccines could be a year away at least. This isn’t going away anytime soon.

It’s clear, it’s on the individual nations to force the IOC’s hand.

The United States looks like it might be heading in that direction — the USA Track and Field team has already called for the postponement, as has USA Swimming.

There is power in numbers. Canada has taken the first step, and it’s time for other countries to follow suit.

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Olympic swimmer opens up on coronavirus battle: ‘The worst virus I have ever endured’

“COVID-19 is no joke!”

With the Tokyo Olympics scheduled for this July, pressure from around the sports world has been focused on the IOC to postpone the Games given the risks athletes and visitors would face with the global coronavirus pandemic.

We’re already seeing athletes struggle with the virus.

South African swimmer Cameron van der Burgh won gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London for the 100-meter breaststroke. He’s a world-class athlete and is just 31 years old, but he’s been struggling with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

In a Sunday Twitter thread, van der Burgh discussed his multi-week battle with the coronavirus, calling it “by far the worst virus” he had ever faced and urged the public to take preventive measures seriously.

According to van der Burgh, his symptoms have improved — and he no longer has a fever — but he raised issues that the IOC need to consider, especially when it comes to athletes preparing for the Olympics.

In a letter released on Sunday, the IOC set a deadline of four weeks to come to a decision on postponing the Tokyo Games. The IOC has, however, ruled out the possibility of cancelling the Olympics.

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USA Track and Field pushes for 2020 Tokyo Olympics to be postponed for athletes’ safety

It joins USA Swimming in calling for the Olympics to be postponed.

Less than 24 hours after USA Swimming published a letter to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee asking for it to advocate that the 2020 Tokyo Olympics be postponed, U.S. Track and Field publicly did the same.

The International Olympic Committee has repeatedly expressed its hope that the Summer Games will take place as scheduled and encouraged athletes to continue training as usual. But that’s simply not possible for many anymore amid the global coronavirus pandemic.

In a letter dated Friday but tweeted out Saturday morning, USATF chief executive officer Max Siegel said the health and safety of the athletes are the governing body’s top priority, but the COVID-19 outbreak has hindered athletes’ abilities to safely train.

So it’s asking the USOPC to make a case to the International Olympic Committee for postponing the Games, echoing what USA Swimming argued. However, unlike the swimming governing body which suggested 2021, USATF didn’t suggest a timeframe for the Games to happen.

In USATF’s letter, it wrote

This is a critical time for our athletes to train and compete, as they seek to put themselves in the best possible position to represent out country, Team USA and Team USATF. Our goal remains to achieve athletic excellence during the Olympic Games, but not at the expense of the safety and well-being of our athletes.

Unfortunately, while our world class athletes are willing to push themselves to their athletic limits in pursuit of Olympic success, the likelihood that they will be able to properly train in a safe and adequate environment, and replicate the excellence we have all come to expect, does not appear likely in the midst of this global crisis. As we have learned, our athletes are under tremendous pressure, stress and anxiety, and their mental health and wellness is among our highest priorities.

The right and responsible thing to do is to prioritize everyone’s health and safety, and appropriately recognize the toll this difficult situation has, and continues to take, on our athletes and their Olympic Games preparations. We are all experiencing unfathomable disruptions, and everyone’s lives are being impacted accordingly.

The swimming and track and field governing bodies represent two of the biggest Olympic sports in the U.S., and, as USA TODAY Sports noted, they combined for 31.5 percent of Team USA’s 558 total athletes at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

In some cases, they, like so many other athletes in the U.S. and around the world, cannot train while social distancing or go to their practice venues, many of which have closed. Current and retired athletes have been vocal about why they think the Olympics should be pushed back. The Opening Ceremony is scheduled for July 24.

Here’s how Olympian Lolo Jones reacted to USATF’s request:

A member of the Japanese Olympic Committee’s executive board, Kaori Yamaguchi, a retired judo athlete, said the IOC is “putting athletes at risk” by encouraging them to continue training.

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USA Swimming calls for Tokyo Olympics to be delayed to 2021

With the coronavirus crisis leaving many athletes unable to train, USA Swimming wants the summer Olympics pushed back to 2021.

Many countries across the globe have gone under lockdown in response to the coronavirus outbreak with no clear timeline for a return to normalcy, yet earlier this week, the International Olympic Committee asked athletes to “continue to prepare” for the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics “as best they can.” The IOC said Tuesday in a statement that there is “no need for any drastic decisions” with four months until the Games’ scheduled start date of July 24th – but various leaders and organizations are now calling for the Olympics to be postponed.

A member of the Japanese Olympic Committee said this week that the IOC would be “putting athletes at risk” by continuing with the event as scheduled, and that sentiment has been echoed by USA Swimming, which publicly requested that the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee advocate that the Games should be moved to 2021.

In the statement, USA Swimming noted that many American athletes have had their worlds “turned upside down” by the crisis, and that pushing forward with the Olympics would call “into question the authenticity of a level playing field for all.”

“Our top priority at USA Swimming has been, and will continue to be, the health and safety of our athletes, coaches, staff, volunteers, and other members.
As this global pandemic has grown, we have watched our athletes’ worlds be turned upside down and watched them struggle to find ways to prepare and train – many for the biggest competitive opportunity of their lives. 
Our world class swimmers are always willing to race anyone, anytime, anywhere; however, pressing forward admidst the global health crisis this summer is not the answer.”

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Simone Biles’ strong response to USA Gymnastics’ birthday tweet

See Simone Biles’ important response to USA Gymnastics on Twitter.

The most dominant women’s gymnast in history turned 23 years old on Saturday, but Simone Biles wants more from USA Gymnastics than a careless birthday tweet.

The official USA Gymnastics Twitter account shared a highlight of Biles from the 2019 U.S. Gymnastics Championships on Saturday, and wrote that Biles “will only continue to amaze us and make history.” USA Gymnastics incorrectly tagged Biles, though, mistakenly tagging a fan-made account. Biles saw the message, though, and responded by reiterating her call for an independent investigation into the the Larry Nassar scandal.

Biles has repeatedly called for an independent investigation, and was one of the many victims who harshly criticized USA Gymnastics’ proposed $215 million settlement offer.

It was reported last November that after Biles had raised concerns about Nassar in 2015, she was not a part of USA Gymnastics’ internal investigation at the time. Biles publicly announced in 2018 that she was sexually abused by Nassar, and according to the Wall Street Journal, Biles was only then approached by USA Gymnastics after her revelation.

Aly Raisman has also repeatedly called for an independent investigation to uncover wrongdoing from within USA Gymnastics.

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Inside an Olympic swimmer’s intense training regimen ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

For The Win spoke with Olympic swimmer Caeleb Dressel about a typical training day and his love of meatloaf.

When Olympic athletes are in the spotlight for about a month once every four years, fans only see the results of years or even a lifetime of hard work.

They don’t know about all the early mornings, the two-a-day workouts, the recovery, the injuries, the mental battle of staying focused when the ultimate goal could be years away. Those things, and so much more, contribute to an athlete standing on the podium, but in that moment, they’re all absent to viewers.

So we asked Olympic swimmer Caeleb Dressel, who’s actively in the “heat” of his training cycle, what a typical day looks like as he eyes trials in June for the 2020 Tokyo Games this summer.

“This is a tough period right now,” he explained recently to For The Win on the phone while at Toyota Team USA Day in Plano, Texas.

“It sometimes gets hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel just because it’s not just this year. It’s not just 2020 [Olympics] training. It goes … all the way back to high school. It just kind of accumulates and builds upon each other, the stuff you’ve learned year to year. But it’s been a tough couple months just because trials are close in the grand scheme of things but also very far away.”

After winning two gold medals in relays at the 2016 Rio Olympics, the 23-year-old Florida native is looking for more. A sprinter, he’s training for the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle races, along with the 100-meter butterfly.

There’s a good chance Dressel will qualify for all three individual events at Olympic trials, as he’s currently one of the most dominant swimmers in the world. At world championships in July, he won a record eight medals, six gold, and broke Michael Phelps’ decade-old world record in the 100 butterfly.

So with less than four months until Team USA’s Olympic trials for swimming, here’s a look at Dressel’s typical training day, his favorite meal and how he balances eating just enough to have energy in the pool but avoid an unfortunate disaster.

7 a.m.: Wake up and eat some carbs

His club team, Gator Swim Club, practices at the University of Florida — Dressel swam for the Gators for four seasons from 2015 to 2018 — but after the college swimmers, so he actually gets to sleep in.

Getting ready for his first practice of the day, Dressel said he’ll eat something small like a bagel, toast or oatmeal. He’s not looking for a full meal by any means, but he also doesn’t want to go to practice on an empty stomach.

“I never eat a lot before I get in the water because I don’t want to, you know,” he said. “Anything with carbs is what I go for if it’s not a full meal.”

8 – 10 a.m.: First practice (plus a snack)

Dressel’s practices are always two hours, and after the morning one, he heads to the weight room and grabs a small snack on the way.

“I try to get something small like chocolate milk or a bar,” Dressel said. “Whatever bars they have in the weight room [at] a little fuel area.”

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10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Hit weight room, then breakfast/lunch (but not brunch!)

Dressel said sometimes he’s only in there until noon, and after that, it’s time for what he described as “breakfast-lunch,” which is always balanced with more carbs, some protein, fruit and vegetables.

“I still get three meals in, it’s just that my breakfast is late,” he explained. “That’s why I have a bunch of those little snacks before. But sometimes, I’ll be done with weights, and it will be a late breakfast or an early lunch.

“And then I’ll eat again before I leave for afternoon practice, and then I’ll eat after afternoon practice. I’m kind of like a horse: I just kind of eat throughout the day, so I’m not ever hungry. I don’t want to go to practice hungry.”

Sometimes there’s a nap in there too between the weight room and lunch and leaving again for afternoon practice around 4 p.m.

5 – 7 p.m.: Second practice, then dinner (maybe meatloaf)

And by the time this one is over, he’s — UNDERSTANDABLY — very tired. So he quickly heads home to “get food as fast as I can.”

Dressel said he doesn’t count calories and joked that he actually wouldn’t even know how to do that. For dinner, he said he just eats until he’s full, which is “kind of great, but if I wasn’t swimming, I think that’d be a problem.”

But he agreed that Michael Phelps’ estimation of eating 8,000 to 10,000 calories a day at his peak is a lot, but for all Dressel knows, he’s in that same range too.

His favorite big meal to have at the end of the day? Meatloaf.

“I love meatloaf so much,” he said.

After dinner: Think about something other than swimming

When he’s done eating meatloaf or whatever the day’s dinner is, he said he tries to enjoy a little down time and relax. That includes playing video games or just hanging out with his roommates or fiancee.

“[I] just try to have some moment in there where I’m not thinking about anything,” Dressel said.

“Practice does take a lot out of me mentally because I have to be on it for every stroke, every turn, every breakout. Anything I do, I want to be as focused as I can, so by the time practice is done, I’m kind of physically and mentally fried. So I just want to go and not think about anything for maybe 30 minutes to an hour.”

And just like that, the day is over. He said as he starts to wind down a bit before bed, he’ll read, journal and get ready to “start the day over and try to do it better.”

10-10:30 p.m.: Time for bed

Dressel said this is his “sweet spot” for what time to crawl into bed, looking for eight or nine hours of sleep before starting the next training day all over again.

“Sometimes you lose a little bit [of motivation],” he said. “Sometimes I break down a little bit. But at the end of the day, I know what my goals are, and I know I have to stay focused. Just try to keep the same attitude. It does get tough, not just physically, but mentally.

“Sometimes I just get fried doing the same thing over and over, but that mundane-ness is what, I think, kind of makes people great — coming in, doing the same thing, keeping good habits, keeping a good attitude and doing it with good people.”

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