Canada refusing to participate in 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Published March 23, 2020 at 2:50 am
Canadian athletes won’t be participating in this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games — unless the event is pushed back a year.
The decision was made by the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC), backed by their Athletes’ Commissions, National Sports Organizations, and the Government of Canada.
The COC and CPC have requested that the Games be pushed back a year, and are calling on the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), and the World Health Organization (WHO) to make that happen.
“While we recognize the inherent complexities around a postponement, nothing is more important than the health and safety of our athletes and the world community,” the COC said in statement on Sunday.
“This is not solely about athlete health – it is about public health. With COVID-19 and the associated risks, it is not safe for our athletes, and the health and safety of their families and the broader Canadian community for athletes to continue training towards these Games.”
At this time, the IOC has confirmed that it won’t be cancelling the Games but has not yet answered the call to postpone them.
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“The COC and CPC would like to thank our athletes, partners and the Canadian sport community for their patience and for lending us their voices during these unprecedented times. We remain hopeful that the IOC and IPC will agree with the decision to postpone the Games as a part of our collective responsibility to protect our communities and work to contain the spread of the virus.”
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