While golf tournaments in Asia have been cancelled this month in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, one senior International Olympic Committee member addressed the issue of whether the Olympics could be postponed, moved to another city or canceled if the situation is too dangerous in July.
Dick Pound, a longtime member of the IOC, told the Associated Press on Tuesday that the Olympics would more likely be canceled altogether if the situation is too serious for officials to hold the Games in Tokyo, rather than moving them to another city or holding them later in the year. But Pound also said all indications are it’s “business as usual,” a sentiment that has been expressed by other Olympic officials five months out from the opening ceremony.
“You just don’t postpone something on the size and scale of the Olympics,” Pound told the AP. “There’s so many moving parts, so many countries and different seasons, and competitive seasons, and television seasons. You can’t just say, `We’ll do it in October.’”
He added that moving the Games to another host city seems unlikely because few places would have the facilities in place on short notice.
The International Golf Federation did not respond to a request for comment.
Pound told the AP he estimates the IOC has a three-month window to make a decision on the Games. A CDC official warned Tuesday that the coronavirus could cause “severe” disruptions in the United States.
The Tokyo 2020 organizing committee announced this month it has established a “coronavirus countermeasures task force,” to be led by Toshiro Muto, its chief executive officer. Muto has said the Games will be held as scheduled.
Luella Chavez D’Angelo, chief marketing and communications officer of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, said earlier this month that the USOPC has its own internal group studying coronavirus and its effects. The group, led by chief of sport performance Rick Adams in consultation with medical, technical and HR officials, is in contact with the CDC on a daily basis, she said.
In the interview with the AP, Pound encouraged athletes to keep training for the Olympics, which will be held July 24-Aug. 9. About 11,000 athletes are expected to compete, with about 600 coming from the United States. The Olympic golf tournament will begin July 30 with the men. Justin Rose and Inbee Park are the defending Olympic champions.
“As far as we all know, you’re going to be in Tokyo,” Pound said. “All indications are at this stage that it will be business as usual. So keep focused on your sport and be sure that the IOC is not going to send you into a pandemic situation.”
