Clamor grows to postpone Tokyo Olympics

LONDON- Calls from sporting organizations for this year's Tokyo Olympics to be postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic gathered pace on Saturday with USA Track and Field (USATF), the French Swimming Federation and Brazil's Olympic Committee the latest to join the throng.


The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Tokyo 2020 organizers still insist the July 24-Aug. 9 showpiece will go ahead as planned despite Europe and the US struggling to control the spread of the flu-like virus.

Their optimism that the show will go on, however, is looking increasingly out of step with countries in lockdown and athletes around the world unable to train.

In a letter to United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) chief executive Sarah Hirshland, USATF urged USOPC to use its voice to "speak up for athletes".

Chief executive Max Siegel said the USTAF understood the ramifications of postponing the Games for the first time ever in peace time but moving forward was not in the best interest of athletes.

From GMA News Online