The International Olympic Committee (IOC) should review plans to go ahead with the Tokyo Olympics during the coronavirus pandemic and ensure dialogue with athletes, the Sport and Rights Alliance (SRA) and the World Players Association (WPA) said on Saturday.
Professional athletes could be particularly vulnerable to falling seriously ill with the new coronavirus, the head of a global union representing them said on Thursday. Brendan Schwab, the executive director of the World Players' Association, added that some players are being asked to sign away rights that would normally give them legal and financial protection should they fall ill.
Professional athletes across the world should not be rushed back to action once the coronavirus pandemic subsides, and they must have a strong say in determining the conditions for their return, the World Players Association said on Tuesday. Sports competitions around the world have come to a screeching halt this year as the virus spreads across the globe, starving clubs, leagues and federations of revenues and putting tens of thousands of professional athletes on hold.
The US track and field federation joined another leading US Olympic sport, USA Swimming, in seeking a delay to the Games. Neither US Olympic officials nor the IOC were immediately available for comment on USATF's request.
The research suggests that due to strenuous exercise, elite athletes are more likely to inhale virus particles and direct them to the lower areas of the lung.
Pressure had been building on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and its president, Thomas Bach, with some athletes and sporting bodies angry that a seemingly inevitable decision had taken so long.
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