Isaiah Shim
Sports Editor
The National Basketball Association (NBA), all spring and winter collegiate championships, the Masters, the National Hockey League, the Boston Marathon and countless more, all cancelled or postponed due to COVID-19. It seemed inevitable that the Olympics and Paralympics would be next.
On March 24, it was announced that the Olympic Games, set to begin in Tokyo on July 21, would be postponed to a later date.
In a joint statement released by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the organizers of Tokyo 2020 said, “”In the present circumstances and based on the information provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) today [Tuesday], the IOC president and the prime minister of Japan have concluded that the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community.”
Since the first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896, the Games had only been cancelled three times, once during World War 1 (1916) and twice during World War II (1940 and 1944), but this is the first time that the Games have ever been delayed.
On top of that, the Paralympics, which were also scheduled for an August 24 start in Tokyo, have also been postponed. Shortly after, International Paralympic Committee President, Andrew Parsons announced that the Paralympics would be held from August 24- September 5, 2021.
In an at-home video Parsons spoke about the changes, “The new dates provide certainty for the athletes, reassurance for the stakeholders, and something to look forward to for the whole world,” he said.
“When the Paralympic Games do take place in Tokyo next year, they will be an extra-special display of humanity uniting as one, a global celebration of human resilience and a sensational showcase of sport,” he said.
Numerous athletes gave their thoughts on the postponements, one of them being British Paralympic wheelchair racer Hannah Cockroft.
In an interview with BBC Sport, Cockroft understood why the decision was made, but was still disappointed, “We’ve been working really hard – the Games is the pinnacle for every Paralympian,” she said.
The five-time gold medalist also looked ahead to what this cancellation meant for the athletes moving forward, “We put so much into being in the shape of our lives for these Games, to add another year to those four is tough. Everyone will still be confused about what to do next and where to go but it is an extra year to get fitter and faster.”
The Olympics and Paralympics will both be held in Tokyo in 2021 with the Olympics looking at a summer start and the Paralympics starting on August 24 and ending on September 5.
