Canada Will Not Send Athletes to a Summer 2020 Olympic Games

On Sunday evening, the Canadian Olympic Committee announced that it will not send athletes to a summer 2020 Olympic Games. They are backed by the Government of Canada, the national sporting organizations and the athletes’ commissions.

The statements reads: “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. In fact, it runs counter to the public health advice which we urge all Canadians to follow.”

While there’s a chance that the IOC and Tokyo organizing committee will decide to push the Games until summer 2021, there won’t be any Canadians (Sean McColl or Alannah Yip) climbing if the event goes as planned.

On Sunday, the BBC reported that the IOC has given itself four weeks to decide the fate of the 2020 Games. This is a developing story.

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I am once again honoured to call myself Canadian, based on the leadership of the Canadian Olympic Committee (@teamcanada) together with their Athletes’ Commission in putting the health and safety of the country as a whole at the forefront of their call to postpone The Games. I stand in solidarity with my country, and I hope the IOC and the Tokyo Organizing Committee will make the responsible decision to postpone The Games. ? #teamCanada

A post shared by Sean McColl (@mccollsean) on Mar 22, 2020 at 7:33pm PDT

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I am proud to be from a country that is being a leader by putting the health and safety of the global community above all else. Thank you @teamcanada for doing the right thing in this time of global crisis. I hope that the IOC will postpone the Games because this pandemic is bigger than sport. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Photo @vladekzumr ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ @arcteryx @scarpana @canfund

A post shared by Alannah Yip (@alannah_yip) on Mar 22, 2020 at 10:37pm PDT