Katarina Johnson-Thompson criticises IOC for Olympics preparation advice

Katarina Johnson-Thompson has questioned advice that athletes should continue their preparations for Tokyo 2020 “as best they can” as the International Olympic Committee came under fire for insisting it remains “fully committed” to delivering the Games this summer despite the coronavirus outbreak.

The IOC insisted it was planning ahead as normal after holding consultations with sporting federations, the first in a series of talks which will continue with national Olympic committees, athletes’ representatives, the International Paralympic Committee and others in the coming days.

A statement said: “The IOC remains fully committed to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, and with more than four months to go before the Games there is no need for any drastic decisions at this stage; and any speculation at this moment would be counter-productive. The IOC encourages all athletes to continue to prepare for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 as best they can.”

I understand that sport isn’t everything and there are more important issues sourrounding coronavirus but thought I would speak out purely on what my situation of it has been. Hope the UK, France and the rest of the world stay safe and look after each other in these crazy times❤️ pic.twitter.com/0zxECDetpM

— KJT (@JohnsonThompson) March 17, 2020

But that brought a critical response from a number of competitors, while Canada’s former Olympian Hayley Wickenheiser, now a member of the athletes’ commission, said the IOC must acknowledge uncertainty over the Games. Johnson-Thompson questioned how the IOC’s advice could be squared with the reality many athletes find themselves facing, with several countries on lockdown, facilities closed, and competitions cancelled or postponed.

The 27-year-old Team GB heptathlete posted a message on social media, saying she was heading back to the UK from France, where she had been left unable to train because of the closure of facilities, with a planned race and training camp in the United States having already been cancelled. “We’re trying to follow information with how to continue safely whilst reducing the risk to everyone around us and the information of the IOC and local government are at odds with one another,” Johnson-Thompson wrote.

“The IOC advice ‘encourages athletes to continue to prepare for the Olympic Games as best they can’ with the Olympics only four months away, but the government legislation is enforcing isolation at home with tracks, gyms and public spaces closed. I feel under pressure to train and keep the same routine which is impossible.”

The British middle-distance runner Jess Judd also criticised the IOC’s statement. “How on earth are we meant to carry on preparing best we can?” Judd, the former world junior silver medallist over 800m, wrote on Twitter. “Will someone share with me what races we can do to get times and whether trials will go ahead and when training can return to normal?!”

For Wickenheiser it was too soon to say the Olympics should be postponed, but she said: “To say for certain they will go ahead is an injustice to the athletes training and global population at large. We need to acknowledge the unknown.”

Wickenheiser, a former hockey player with four Winter Olympic gold medals to her name, added in a lengthy post: “This crisis is bigger than even the Olympics. Athletes can’t train. Attendees can’t travel plan. Sponsors and marketers can’t market with any degree of sensitivity.

“I think the IOC insisting this will move ahead with such conviction is insensitive and irresponsible given the state of humanity. We don’t know what’s happening in the next 24 hours, let alone the next three months.”

In its statement, the IOC said it was seeking to resolve the uncertainty created by the postponement or cancellation of qualifying events for the Games. As it stands, only 57% of the Olympic field has been determined, and the IOC said it was ready to work with international federations to adapt their schedules as necessary, while not ruling out increasing the size of athlete quotas.