|
Post by Admin on Mar 25, 2020 5:05:28 GMT
No team has ever followed winning the Women's World Cup by claiming Olympic gold the following year, and, based on a technicality, that trend is guaranteed to continue in 2020.
That's not because the 2019 Women's World Cup champion U.S. women's national team will necessarily falter on the Olympic stage, but it's because the Olympics have been postponed. The IOC and Japanese government announced Tuesday that the 2020 Tokyo Games will be pushed to 2021 due to the global coronavirus pandemic, with the exact timing yet to be determined. According to the IOC's statement, the Games "must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021." There are myriad knock-on effects from such a monumental decision, some of which apply directly to the USWNT.
Here are three of the key ones:
Alex Morgan has more time
Morgan is due to give birth to her first child in April, and she had always maintained that she would do what she could to immediately get back into top shape so she could participate in the Olympics. She even joined U.S. training (obviously in a limited capacity) last month ahead of a decisive Olympic qualifying match to stay in touching distance of the team. A three-month postpartum window is incredibly tight, though, even for the most world-class of athletes, and the intensity of the workouts to get back to full fitness coupled with the focus on Vlatko Andonovski's decision whether or not to bring her to Japan as part of an 18-player roster would have put plenty of pressure on both the player and coach.
Now, that is no longer a concern, not for the dynamic U.S. center forward and not for her manager, who has been very supportive of her personal quest ever since taking charge and replacing Jill Ellis in late October.
Depending on the timing of the 2021 Olympics, Morgan could have up to another year to get back into full shape and top form, something that seems like way less steep of a mountain to climb. The postpartum period differs for everyone and can't possibly be predicted ahead of time, but with a much longer recovery period at her disposal, you can bet on Morgan to be raring to go when the Olympics actually take place.
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Mar 26, 2020 0:03:03 GMT
Lorinda McClain's phone has not stopped buzzing since it became clear the Olympics would be postponed. Friends in the gymnastics community have reached out to ask McClain if her daughter would now be allowed to compete for a spot on the U.S. team. Family members have texted to see if they should start saving money so they can travel to Tokyo next year. “People are breaking down our doors,” Lorinda told Yahoo Sports on Tuesday. “All we can say is, ‘We don’t know yet, people. We don’t know. We’ll let you guys know as soon as we know something.’ ” Konnor McClain is one of the world’s best gymnasts not yet eligible to showcase her talent on the Olympic stage. The runner-up in the junior all-around competition at last year’s U.S. Championships was born February 1, 2005, 32 days too late to meet the cutoff to be allowed to compete this year with her country’s senior national team. With the International Olympic Committee postponing the Tokyo Games to 2021 on Tuesday as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, McClain suddenly has new hope of being able to participate. She’s awaiting word from the governing bodies of competitive gymnastics whether they will keep age eligibility rules exactly the same or grant athletes born in 2005 the right to try out for their country’s Olympic teams. A USA Gymnastics spokeswoman told Yahoo Sports on Tuesday that her organization does not yet know whether the IOC or the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique will adjust the age cutoff. An unnamed international official told the Wall Street Journal that the age criteria was unlikely to change, but FIG Secretary General Nicolas Buompane told Yahoo Sports on Wednesday that no decision has yet been made. “Your question and many more are keeping us busy,” Buompane said. “The most fair and adequate solutions will have to be found first of all in the interest of the athletes but also all other stakeholders concerned.” The decision ultimately could hinge on whether FIG’s executive committee prioritizes sending the world’s best gymnasts to the Olympics or being fair to current members of senior national teams. For example, the pool of promising U.S. juniors born in 2005 includes McClain, Skye Blakeley and Sydney Barros. If allowed to compete at the U.S. Trials, any of those three would have realistic hope of outperforming older gymnasts and seizing one of six spots on the country’s Olympic team.
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Apr 7, 2020 21:16:20 GMT
The revision has been made to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent finalisation of the new dates of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, replacing the previous version approved by the IOC Executive Board in July 2017.
The Qualification Principles are the reference for all the qualification systems, which are the regulations established by International Federations (IFs) that vary between each sport (and sports discipline, where applicable).
The qualification systems consist of rules, procedures and criteria for participation in the competitions of the Olympic Games, in line with the Olympic Charter, and are approved by the IOC Executive Board.
The key points of the Revised Tokyo 2020 Qualification System Principles are:
EXTENDED QUALIFICATION PERIOD AND NEW DEADLINES The new qualification period deadline is 29 June 2021, and IFs can define their own qualification period deadlines should these be prior to this date. The revised final sport entries deadline has now been set at 5 July 2021. The revision of the qualification systems will be finalised as quickly as possible, to give certainty to the athletes and National Olympic Committees (NOCs).
QUOTA ALLOCATIONS Athletes and NOCs that have already obtained an Olympic qualification quota place will retain this despite the postponement of the Games. In all, 57 per cent of the total athlete quota places have already been allocated so far, with approximately 5,000 athlete quota places still to be assigned.
In some cases, the qualification quota places are obtained by the NOC and in other cases they are obtained directly by a specific athlete. In all cases, and as per the Olympic Charter, the respective NOC retains the right to select the athletes to represent it at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
The priority remains to reflect, where possible, the allocation method/pathway of the original qualification systems for each sport. This principle encourages IFs to follow a like-for-like approach by replacing those lost opportunities for allocating quotas with the same number of events.
Regarding the scenario where the quota allocation was originally based on ranking, the IFs retain full discretion to define the new ranking deadline and pathway. The IOC recognises the sensitivity of such decisions. A sport-specific balance needs to be found between protecting those athletes who were close to qualifying based on the previous 2020 deadlines and also ensuring the participation of the best athletes at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 by allowing the top performers of the 2021 season to qualify.
The IFs are encouraged to engage with their respective member federations and their own athletes’ commissions in order to reach a consensus on a fair and transparent decision.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA In line with the principle that athletes who have qualified for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 remain qualified, it is possible for IFs to extend the age eligibility criteria, if such exist, and allow athletes who are eligible in 2020 to remain eligible to compete at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 from 23 July to 8 August 2021. The only exception will be if the IF establishes that the one-year relaxation of the upper age limit represents a safety and/or medical risk for athletes.
Regarding the eligibility criteria for the lower age limit, if there is one, the IOC recognises the full authority of IFs to assess the eligibility of those athletes who are not eligible in July 2020 but will meet the lower age limit in 2021.
Athlete health is the guiding principle in the scheduling of any remaining Olympic qualification events. With the postponement of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 until 2021, the IOC has urged that any such events be confirmed only once the COVID-19 impacts can be assessed, allowing fair access and appropriate preparation for all competing athletes and teams. Through this period, the IOC is also maximising information and support for athletes through the athlete-focused Athlete 365 platform.
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Jul 22, 2020 19:41:35 GMT
As the one-year countdown gets underway for the postponed 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, the athletes aren’t the only participants gearing up for the biggest battle of their career. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike is vowing to do her best to keep the games alive. Tokyo 2020 “can become a symbol of how the world has united to overcome the hardship and how humanity has strengthened its bonds,” Koike told CNBC in an interview on Tuesday, just weeks after securing a resounding second-term election victory. The governor refrained from guaranteeing the event would take place a year from now, acknowledging hurdles tied to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. “In order to realize such hopeful games, we will continue to do our best to fight against the infectious disease,” she said. She also acknowledged the importance of shoring up support for the games among people in Japan. According to a poll released by Kyodo news agency last week, less than a quarter of respondents want to see the games held in 2021. Just over 36% favored a further delay to the games and nearly 34% think the event should be cancelled outright, the poll found. In addition to making sure the games are carried out safely, the governor said she’s also been tasked with keeping the costs of the event in check. The decision in March to postpone the Olympics dealt a blow to Tokyo’s economy at a time when the pandemic has pushed Japan into a recession. Proposals have been floated to scale back aspects of the event, such as the opening and closing ceremony, which could satisfy some of the health and financial concerns. When asked whether a slimmed down version of the games would go ahead without spectators altogether, Koike declined to comment, insisting that “first of all, we have to win the victory against the coronavirus.”
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Apr 6, 2021 19:55:18 GMT
North Korea, citing the coronavirus, has become the world’s first country to drop out of the Tokyo Olympics.
It’s true that the North is extremely sensitive about COVID-19, knowing that a widespread outbreak in a country with an already battered health system could be disaster.
But North Korea also has previously used big sporting events to set up diplomacy with the United States meant to win it much-needed sanctions relief in return for nuclear disarmament pledges. Some see pulling out of the Olympics as the North sending Washington a message.
Here’s a look at the North Korean decision and what it might mean.
___
LEGITIMATE VIRUS FEARS
A state-run website said Tuesday that North Korea’s Olympic Committee has decided not to take part in the Tokyo Games slated to begin in July “to protect players from the world public health crisis caused by COVID-19.”
North Korea has previously boycotted Olympics and other international sports events for political reasons or failed to appear when none of its athletes or teams qualified. But this is the first time North Korea has pulled out of a major international sports event citing an infectious disease, according to Seoul’s Unification Ministry.
Pyongyang has developed a reputation for withdrawing from talks with Seoul and Washington before returning at the last minute to boost its bargaining power. But given that the country has been on high alert over COVID-19, experts say there is little chance that it will reverse its Olympics decision.
North Korea has shown “a coronavirus-related neurosis since it declared an emergency anti-virus system in January last year,” said Park Won Gon, a professor of North Korea studies at Seoul’s Ewha Womans University.
Park said it’s highly unlikely that North Korea will secure enough vaccines for its 26 million people or report major progress in its anti-virus fight by July.
North Korean officials know how disastrous a major virus outbreak would be in a nation with public healthcare infrastructure that has been in shambles for decades. North Korea has so far taken some of the world’s most draconian anti-virus steps, including a 15-month-long closure of its international borders and the departure of foreign nationals.
North Korea still officially claims to be coronavirus free, an assertion many foreign experts dispute.
North Korea’s decision to skip the Olympics shows that it “thinks contact with foreigners is the most dangerous thing now,” said Seo Yu-Seok at the Seoul-based Institute of North Korean Studies.
|
|