据CNN报道,考虑到新冠疫情可能带来的危险,加拿大和澳大利亚分别宣布将不会参加2020年东京奥运会。
两国奥委会同时建议此次奥运会推迟到2021年举行。尽管推迟将带来一系列的问题,但是加拿大代表认为运动员和各国团体的健康与安全是最重要的。而不参加2020年东京奥运会的决定不仅是考虑到运动员的健康,同时也是考虑到大众的健康安全。
而澳大利亚奥委会周一进行了电话会议,匿名投票支持不着急运动员组成国家代表队。并在声明中表示,目前运动员的首要任务是确保自己和周围人的健康安全。
世界奥委会同时表示正在考虑推迟而非取消此届奥运会。
由于疫情在全球爆发,多地的健身、训练场馆均已关闭。有运动员表示希望奥运会能够推迟,因为目前很多运动员无法进行训练。而四年一届的奥运会对很多运动员来说是人生仅有一次的机会。
Canada and Australia will not send athletes to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo because of the risks associated with the coronavirus outbreak, the Olympic committees for both countries said in separate statements.
Both countries' Olympic committees also are calling for the Games to be postponed until 2021.
"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 Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee said in a joint statement Sunday. "This is not solely about athlete health -- it is about public health."
The Australian Olympic Committee's executive board met by teleconference Monday and unanimously agreed that an Australian Olympic team could not be assembled given the changing circumstances across the world, the committee said in a statement.
The committee also said "our athletes now need to prioritise their own health and of those around them, and to be able to return to the families."
"It's clear the Games can't be held in July," said Ian Chesterman, Australian Team Chef de Mission for Tokyo. "Our athletes have been magnificent in their positive attitude to training and preparing, but the stress and uncertainty has been extremely challenging for them."