Canada will not send its athletes to the Tokyo Olympics

The Canadian team will not take part in the 2020 Summer Olympics or Paralympics, according to a report jointly released by the committees Canadian Olympic (COC) and the Paralympic (CPC).

Through a statement they indicated that “The COC and the CPC urgently urge the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to postpone the Games for a year and we offer them our full support to help them navigate all the complexities that the reprogramming of the Games will bring. ”

The decision comes after all sports organizations worldwide decided to suspend activities indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Both committees indicate in the same text that they recognize the problems involved in rescheduling the Olympic Games, but they assure that "Nothing is more important than the health and safety of our athletes and the world community".

Sources close to the Olympic Committees in other countries warn that some of these could follow in Canada's footsteps.

Moreover, eThe Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, showed his willingness to discuss the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games..

"If it is very difficult to go ahead with the organization of the Olympics fully as planned, to prioritize the well-being of athletes it would be inevitable to address the decision to postpone the dates," said the Japanese prime minister today during his speech at a Parliament session.

Abe thus referred to the decision announced on the eve by the IOC to give itself four weeks to study whether or not it can maintain the dates set for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and, if not, decide when they could be played, in view of the "worsening" of the global health crisis caused by the virus.