Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 128, March 2020 | Page 45

SPORT MAN
Says
By
Manfred Seidler
Road to Tokyo Paved with Obstacles
The COVID-19 Coronavirus has thrown the world of sport into chaos, and now the question on many lips is will the Tokyo
Olympics actually happen later this year? Athletes, coaches, administrators and organisers simply do not have answers yet.
Time for Tough Decisions
A
t the time of writing this column, the Tokyo Marathon was cancelled for
non-elite runners – only the elites and wheelchair athletes raced on 1 March
– while the Rome Marathon had been cancelled, the Paris Marathon was
postponed, and there was talk of both the Boston and London Marathons being
cancelled. Meanwhile, other sports were also affected by the Coronavirus. For
example, the Sunwolves Super Rugby match was moved from Japan to Australia,
and Italian Serie A football league matches were being played behind closed doors,
with no fans in the stadiums.
Now the Olympics in July/August are in serious danger of also being cancelled. The
IOC issued a statement on 3 March that the organisation “remains fully committed
to the success of the Olympic Games,” but admitted that it had not discussed
contingency plans, in spite of a Japanese government official claiming that the
Games could be postponed to a date later in the year.
No Alternatives in Sight
The reality is that the sporting world has no Plan B should a pandemic hit, because
you simply can’t justify putting people at risk by allowing them to travel around the
world for sport, whether that be to Tokyo, or an alternative venue – London has
been suggested in some circles, or even multiple venues. Granted, COVID-19 is
not yet a pandemic, but experts and doctors are concerned by the rapid spread of
the virus. Thus far, most cases have occurred in the Northern Hemisphere, which is
currently in the throes of winter, and flu strains thrive under those conditions. That
said, on 5 March South Africa announced its first case, although this came from
someone who travelled to Italy on holiday.
I am by no means diminishing the seriousness of the situation, but this column is
specifically about the challenges sport has to deal with in the face of what could
become a global health risk of extreme proportions, and in particular, how this will
affect our 2020 South African Olympians. Already, some of our athletes are feeling
the ramifications. Two of our marathon runners were hoping to secure their Olympic
qualification at the Paris Marathon on 5 April, which has now been cancelled.
Where do they go now? Does that mean they will not be able to qualify?
What if the Games are in fact cancelled? This could well mean that a number of
athletes will not be able to attend possibly their last Olympics before retiring, or
will miss out on their best opportunity of an Olympic medal while at the peak of
their sporting powers. Furthermore, an Olympic medallist can command a sizeable
appearance fee at international athletics events, so a cancelled Olympics could have
long-term financial ramifications for athletes, perhaps even destroy their dreams.
One athlete who is in a quandary is Two
Oceans and Comrades ultra-marathon
champ Gerda Steyn, who is set to run
the Olympic Marathon, but right now
she simply does not know how she
should prepare for the second half of
the year. Gerda has put the Comrades
on the backburner for 2020 to focus on
the Games, but what now? If she runs
the Comrades on the chance that the
Games may not take place, then she
could scupper her chances to run at the
Olympics if they do go ahead.
Similarly, the track athletes don’t know if the international track season from May to
September will be cancelled. The likes of Akani Simbine, Luvo Manyonga, Ruswahl
Samaai and others would be severely affected by this, not just in terms of loss
of income, but not being competition-fit should the Games then go ahead. Most
athletes are going ahead as if the Games will happen, because what choice do
they have? It is not in their hands, so they must focus on what they can control.
Counting the Costs
Spare a thought for Tokyo, though. Should the Games be cancelled, think of the
financial resources that have already been thrown at hosting the Games, including
building of stadia and venues, and upgrading of infrastructure such as roads,
transport and airports. Meanwhile, hotels face cancellations, and tourism and
spend in the city will also be affected. The economic impact for the host city could
be immense, and similar concerns
face hosts of other events. We may
even see some events go belly-
up because they cannot sustain
themselves financially.
Whether the Games go ahead or not,
this situation has raised questions
that the sporting world simply does
not have answers to right now, and
all event organisers will have to give
careful thought to what measures
need to be taken. First and foremost,
people’s lives and health are
paramount. Whether the COVID-19
Virus develops into a true pandemic or
not, this is a big wake-up call for sport
and life in general.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Manfred Seidler is a freelance sport journalist who has
been in the industry since 1994, in both print media and broadcasting, covering
four Olympic Games for SABC Radio, and producing various athletics shows
for the SABC. Follow him on Twitter: @sportmansa; Facebook: Sport Man SA;
Instagram: sportman_sa.
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