MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th March, 2020) Even if the 2020 Olympic Games take place as scheduled despite the mounting pressure on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Tokyo amid the COVID-19 pandemic, for many athletes, training and qualifying process for this year's main sporting event have been affected by the global spread of the disease.
While completely ruling out full cancellation of the Games, the Tokyo Organizing Committee on Monday admitted to considering different scenarios. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in turn, said on Monday that postponement of the Olympic Games was not ruled out and acknowledged that it was difficult to hold the event under the current circumstances. Canada and Australia announced that they would not send their teams to Tokyo should the Games be held this summer, calling for a one-year postponement instead.
IOC President Thomas Bach said on Sunday that a final decision on the possible postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo would be made in four weeks.
At the same time, according to the IOC's press release, only 57 percent of athletes have already qualified for the Olympics as of March 18. With multiple qualifying events canceled throughout the world in past weeks over the coronavirus concerns, sports facilities closing and physical distancing measures implemented, many athletes have seen their training schedule disrupted.
Russian high jumper Ilya Ivanyuk, who won bronze medals at the 2018 European Championships and the 2019 World Championships, is among those whose training process fell victim to the virus. The athlete traveled to Portugal for a training camp, but things went off the rails due to the pandemic and the camp was canceled.
"We will be taken home, so everything is okay. But it is unclear what will happen next. Our training for the Games gets badly affected because we will be quarantined after our return and we will be unable to go to another training camp [in Russia's Kislovodsk]," Ivanyuk told Sputnik.
Speaking about the potential postponement of the Olympics, the athlete noted that there was no harm in doing so given the current circumstances, but added that he would be ready if the Games went ahead as planned.
"Most of us [athletes] around the world are in a similar situation. Many have to self-isolate," Ivanyuk said. "There are risks, however, that some athletes, who have been training hard for this year, will be unable to keep in shape."
Austrian discus thrower Lukas Weishaidinger, who won bronze medal at the 2018 European Championships and competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics, is now training at his home in Upper Austria, where he has a small private gym and a discus throwing field. His usual training ground in Lower Austria has closed.
"It's right next to the forest, so I don't put myself or anyone else in danger. Sometimes my six year old niece Leni is watching � from about 10 m distance [outside]. My coach is watching the practice session via Skype, we still talk a lot," Weishaidinger told Sputnik. "We are quite used to this � [we used to do so on] weekends, when I am home and training. New is only that we do this for more days in a row."
Despite the circumstances, the athlete stays optimistic.
"As my international rivals [such] as Daniel Stahl or Piotr Malachovski, just to name two, are all training, I also train as hard as ever, try to stay positive. I still hope that our summer season still will go ahead. I am in good shape. Regarding Tokyo, I wait for the final call of the IOC," Weishaidinger said.
Russian decathlete Ilya Shkurenyov, the silver medalist of the 2018 Berlin European Championships and bronze medalist of the 2019 European Indoor Championships, similarly remains focused on his training.
"I don't think about this [possible postponement of the Olympic Games] at all. It has no influence on my training process," he told Sputnik. "I just keep training for the season regardless of whether the Olympic Games take place or not."
Earlier on Monday, Mike Ryan who is in charge of WHO emergency program, said the decision on the Olympic Games would be made very soon. Ryan added he was certain the IOC and the Japanese government would only hold the games if it was safe for athletes and the audience.
