SM
Barcelona vs. Brann: 2 hrs 18 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews

Lord Coe admits Tokyo Olympics would not be ideal in spring

:Headline: Lord Coe admits Tokyo Olympics would not be ideal in spring: ID:394547: from db_amp
A new date in 2021 must be found for the Olympic Games.

World Athletics is prepared to be flexible on the dates for the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics, but president Lord Coe appeared to indicate a springtime Games would not be ideal from a track and field perspective.

Initial discussions took place on Thursday between the International Olympic Committee and international sports federations about the best slot for the Games, which will now take place no later than the summer of 2021.

The IOC and the Japanese government announced on Tuesday that the Games were being postponed due to the acceleration of the coronavirus pandemic around the world.

IOC president Thomas Bach said no dates beyond the summer of 2021 had been ruled out, leaving open the possibility of a 'cherry blossom Olympics' next spring.

Coe said the spirit of Thursday's meeting as it was relayed to him was one of co-operation and flexibility, but he did accept that peaking in April and May was difficult for an athlete.

"I wouldn't disagree with that," he said, when it was put to him that athletes rarely find their best form at that time of year.

"All the sports made pretty clear that they had particular challenges around particular times of the year, but I think the one overwhelming view around the table was 'look, we're probably not going to get a solution which meets with the approval of every sport, but there does have to be an element of flexibility'.

"I'm rather inclined to let the IOC get on with that deep dive (of speaking to sports on an individual basis). I think there is a recognition that the decision needs to be made as quickly as possible, because the athletes and the federations will always be seeking clarity."

Athletics' next World Championships are due to take place in Eugene, Oregon in August 2021, which would pose a problem if the Games were scheduled in the summer.

Coe said the organisers of the World Championships were open to discussions around the scheduling of that event, which could be moved to 2022.

"At this stage it's fair to say nothing is on the table, nothing is off the table," he said.

"But clearly it is an advantage in athletics not to have an Olympics and a World Championships in the same year.

"We have already had good discussions with Oregon and what I can report is Oregon are very clear that they will do whatever they can to help in our deliberations on this.

“For me that would be uppermost in my concern – managing the exhaustion and the disappointment all coming together in a perfect storm.”
- Lord Coe on the Tokyo 2020 organising committee

"No hard and fast decisions have been made. It may well be that one of the options is to move into 2022, but that's where our discussions are now taking place."

Coe expressed immense sympathy with Tokyo organisers, having led London's delivery of the 2012 Games.

"By the time you get to the end of that seven-year journey, your teams are running on empty and that included the president, right the way down through the organisation," he said.

"I am hoping that there is a recognition that there is exhaustion suffused with massive disappointment. It was the right decision, but if I was president of an organising committee in those circumstances I would want to be looking at how I would take some of that exhaustion away from my teams before they regathered for yet another year of delivery.

"For me that would be uppermost in my concern – managing the exhaustion and the disappointment all coming together in a perfect storm.

"I'm sure the Tokyo organising committee will be thinking about that."

amp_article__394547 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2020-03-27 18:18:13:
html db last update - 2021-03-08 13:24:59 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html

Click here for more stories about Lord Coe

Share this article now:
Read more about Lord Coe Athletics
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal28204470244664
2Liverpool28197265263964
3Manchester CityMan City28196363283563
4Aston Villa29175760421856
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs28165759421753
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd28152113939047
7West Ham UnitedWest Ham2912894650-444
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2811985044642
9Wolverhampton WanderersWolves28125114244-241
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle281241259481140
11Chelsea27116104745239
12Fulham29115134344-138
13Bournemouth2898114152-1135
14Crystal Palace2878133348-1529
15Brentford2975174154-1326
16Everton2887132939-1025
17Luton TownLuton2957174260-1822
18Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest2967163551-1621
19Burnley2945202963-3417
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd2835202474-5014
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .