Chairwoman of the U.S Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), Susanne Lyons. (Image via Inside the Games)

Lyons: No need to rush on the 2020 Summer Olympics

Alfonsus Adi Putra
Sports & Culture
More Sports
Mar 21, 2020
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It is too early to decide the fate of the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Japan. At least, that was what the U.S Olympic Chiefs said on Friday. The statement came after a major U.S sports federation requested the game to be postponed due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

In a conference call, the chairwoman of the U.S Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), Susanne Lyons, asserted that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) does not have to rush on giving the final verdict for the 2020 Tokyo Games. She said that more expert advice and information is required to make an immediate decision.

Lyons said that there are four months to go, not one week or two weeks from now. Therefore, let IOC gather the information and expert advice to make an immediate decision. However, at this point, no need to rush the IOC.

Hours after Lyons’ comments, the U.S sports bodies underlined the divisions within U.S sport on calling postponement. For example, the U.S swimming federation president, Tim Hinchley, sent an open letter to the USOPC chief executive, Sarah Hirshland, to “advocate for the postponement” of the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Hinchey said that the lives of U.S swimmers were “turned upside down” as they struggled to find training facilities and reconfigure schedules. Therefore, Hinchey said that as the leading voice in the Olympic Movement, USOPC needs to speak up for the sake of the athletes.

U.S Swimming was the biggest sports federation to call for an immediate postponement. In addition, the call for the postponement received many supports from the athletes and former athletes.

On the other hand, Hirshland said that not all athletes favored the postponement. She said that there are athletes who saw the upcoming Olympics as their last. Therefore, the perspective of the athletes is also divided on the matter.

Source: https://bit.ly/3bbT8sr

Sports , Events , 2020 , Summer-Olympics , U.S , Asia , Japan , COVID-19