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USOC Polls Athletes On What To Do About The Summer Games

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USOC Polls Athletes On What To Do About The Summer Games

The Olympic Rings remain an all-consuming goal for athletes.

The US Olympic Committee is looking at the possibility of pushing for a delay in the Summer Olympic Games.

The USOC asked athletes their opinion on various issues related to the COVID-19, ultimately polling 1,780 athletes.

In a statement, the USOC said: "We are now confident that we have heard a wide range of viewpoints and understand the diversity of challenges our athletes face. We regret that there is no outcome that can solve all the concerns we face. Our most important conclusion from this broad athlete response is that even if the current significant health concerns could be alleviated by late summer, the enormous disruptions to the training environment, doping controls and qualification process can’t be overcome in a satisfactory manner. To that end, it’s more clear than ever that the path toward postponement is the most promising, and we encourage the IOC to take all needed steps to ensure the Games can be conducted under safe and fair conditions for all competitors."

According to the survey of 1,780 athletes, those in training for the Olympics said:

25% said the COVID-19 shutdown has prevented them from training, while 39% said that the shutdown has had a "severe impact" on their training. So a total of 64% said the outbreak has had a severe impact on their training or prevented them from training.

Just over 30% of athletes said they would not feel comfortable competing in the Tokyo Olympics even if the World Health Organization (WHO) said it was safe to do so. Of those who said they wouldn't want to compete, most said it was because training time and preparation has been affected, or said trials and selection have been affected.

When asked if the Games should be canceled, only 7.3% supported that option, with 92.7 saying they would prefer a postponement.