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USA Swimming’s letter to the USOPC advocating for the postponement of the 2020 Olympic Games due to the coronavirus outbreak can count Swimming Canada among its supporters.
A letter from Swimming Canada CEO Ahmed El-Awadi Friday states that it is “very much aligned” with the position of USA Swimming CEO Tim Hinchey in pushing for a postponement of the Games this summer for the benefit of athletes and the larger public-health situation.
El-Awadi writes, in part:
Telling athletes to prepare for an Olympic Games during a global pandemic raises serious issues. We hold the opinions of our brothers and sisters at USA Swimming in high regard, and share many of the same concerns around health and safety. That includes the safety and well-being of our athletes – both physically and mentally – and the safety of the community at large.
Each day that goes by without a decision creates more stress and anxiety for our athletes, who are worried not only about themselves but about their communities.
In the sport of swimming it is extremely difficult to maintain training without pools, which are closed across the country and in many countries worldwide. Our athletes have worked for years to pursue their Olympic and Paralympic dreams on a level playing field against the best in the world. They are doing their very best to adapt to the changes they are facing to their normal daily training environment, which is a testament to their character.
El-Awadi also expresses respect for the process the IOC and other governing bodies are going through and is actively working with appropriate agencies to determine Canada’s response in the coming months.
Swimming Canada’s support joins others governing bodies, including the British Olympic Association, in emphasizing the well-being of athletes. Like other bodies, it is facing pressure to try to reschedule its trials, originally set for late March.
El-Awadi’s full letter is available here.
Postponement the only option to be made??