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Veteran Worldwide Olympic Committee member Dick Pound informed USA TODAY Sports activities Monday that he understands why the Canadian Olympic Committee CEO said he is “worried” about the Beijing Winter Olympics going forward subsequent month as deliberate within the midst of the explosion of the omicron COVID-19 variant around the globe.
“If I had been in his footwear, that’s what I’d be saying,” mentioned Pound, at 79 the longest-serving IOC member. “In case you’re the CEO of a nationwide Olympic committee, you must have the general public demeanor of not being blind to the likelihood that the entire thing may blow up.
“There isn’t any indication that’s going to occur,” Pound added, “however there may be nothing in dwelling reminiscence that we’ve ever skilled of this nature. It definitely goes around the globe, and extra persons are touring so extra persons are ready to catch or unfold the virus, so sure, in fact you must say ‘we’re involved with the well being and security of our group.’ “
Pound is the primary member of the IOC to publicly open the door to canceling the Beijing Video games. His feedback got here after David Shoemaker, the Canadian Olympic Committee CEO, informed the CBC on Friday, “We’re apprehensive. We’re assured that these Video games can nonetheless be scheduled safely. However we’re taking it day-by-day and get up each morning to be sure that is how we nonetheless really feel about it.”
Pound, a Canadian who has been probably the most influential members of the IOC for many years, mentioned Shoemaker “is apprehensive extra in regards to the time interval earlier than the Video games than throughout the Video games themselves.”
It’s a priority that’s not unfounded. U.S. Olympic snowboarding gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin, who is anticipated to be one of many stars of the Video games, announced she tested positive for COVID last week. She mentioned she expects to be again competing quickly. The Canadian bobsled federation positioned 10 of its athletes and three workers members in COVID protocols final week. The National Hockey League announced last month it would not send players to the boys’s Olympic hockey event, whereas protocols have been strengthened at some Olympic trials in america and Canada, together with not permitting spectators.
“The priority is about all of the people who find themselves not but in China, if, one after the other, they get picked off and also you lose a bobsledder right here, a skater there,” Pound mentioned. “In case you bought to the purpose the place there have been solely Chinese language athletes, then no, these aren’t the Olympic Video games they usually wouldn’t be acknowledged as such.”
Requested to place a proportion on the possibility of suspending or canceling the Video games, Pound mentioned the probabilities had been “very slim.
“You’re nuts to attempt to put a quantity to it. It’s a risk that may’t be wholly discounted nevertheless it’s not on the degree of complete nations saying we shouldn’t be going there in any respect. It’s a disgrace if Athlete X is out of rivalry however you’ve nonetheless bought a few hundred athletes who aren’t. You don’t cancel it even when it occurs to be certainly one of your stars.”
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Requested about the potential for suspending the Beijing Video games, because the 2020 Tokyo Summer season Olympics had been, reasonably than canceling them, Pound mentioned, “I don’t suppose this stuff are postponable. In nearly each respect the arrow has left the bow. They’re going to start out Feb. 4 and it could take an actual upset of some kind to vary that.
“I feel there might be uncertainty surrounding the Video games within the public, so far as the ship crusing, however proper now, the traces are forged off and the boat is leaving the dock, except Armageddon occurs and public well being authorities say we lock down each nation. At that time, it modifications your complete paradigm.”
Pound mentioned that regardless that the IOC says all methods are go for Beijing, it’s proper for nationwide Olympic leaders in nations around the globe to acknowledge the severity of the scenario.
“Anyone over room temperature has a priority and is alive to the likelihood that (cancellation) may occur, though we don’t suppose it’s going to occur,” he mentioned. “It’s a cloud on the market and you must be alert to that risk with a variant that’s so simply transmissible.
“There definitely are going to be athletes on the market competing and instances will crop up. The query is, what number of will or not it’s, and does it quantity to a tsunami that claims it’s now not possible to carry these Olympic Video games?”
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