Canada won’t have a team at the Tokyo Olympics unless the Games are postponed by a year — a bold move that would at least give Canadian athletes some sense of direction in the coming months.
The Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee issued joint statements Sunday evening saying that they refuse to send their teams to Tokyo unless their respective Games are pushed back a year.
“While we recognize the inherent complexities around a postponement, nothing is more important than the health and safety of our athletes and the world community,” the COC said in its statement.
“This is not solely about athlete health — it is about public health. With COVID-19 and the associated risks, it is not safe for our athletes, and the health and safety of their families and the broader Canadian community for athletes to continue training towards these Games.”
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The Tokyo Olympics are scheduled to start July 24 with the Paralympics slated to follow on Aug. 25.
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Canada’s statement joins a growing chorus of critics around the International Olympic Committee’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
IOC president Thomas Bach said earlier Sunday that they’d set a deadline of four weeks to determine the fate of the Games, and that the global organization is considering options including postponement. Cancelling the Games entirely, Bach said, is not being considered. It was the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began that the IOC had admitted that it would consider other options.
Canadian athletes had mixed feelings about Bach’s four-week deadline — relief that cancellation wasn’t being considered, but anxiety still around the uncertainty of the Olympics amid a global health emergency that has brought the sports world to its knees.
“It’s nerve-wracking, you want to know when it’s going to happen,” said Brittany Crew, the Canadian record-holder in women’s shot put.
“So I’m happy that they finally made a decision to call it in the next four weeks, because it is unfair for (the IOC) to say, ‘Hey, we’re gonna go on in July,’ when we don’t know what’s going to happen with this virus.”
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The IOC’s change in strategy comes after Bach’s conference call with the executive board. The IOC said that they’re examining scenarios to modify plans for the Games to go ahead as scheduled on July 24, plus changes to the start date of the Games, adding that “cancellation is not on the agenda.”
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“I think there was good news today saying that cancellation wasn’t on the table,” Crew said.
The IOC and Japan’s organizing committee had consistently said the Games would go ahead as planned. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared the Games going ahead would be “proof that the human race will conquer the new coronavirus.”
But Abe changed his tune Sunday, saying a postponement of the Tokyo Olympics would be unavoidable if the games cannot be held in a complete way because of the coronavirus.
The IOC’s lack of flexibility in these unprecedented times had sounded tone deaf to athletes around the world who’ve lost complete access to training facilities at a time they would normally be nearing top physical shape.
Stuart McMillan, a Canadian speed coach based in Phoenix, Ariz., called the IOC’s deadline “the very definition of kicking the rock down the road.”
Evan Dunfee, a world bronze medallist in race walking, read Bach’s letter to mean the Games will be delayed.
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Winnipeg students return home from Japan amid COVID-19 fears
“It just takes time to figure out and co-ordinate how to move the mountain that is staging the Games and we only get one shot at announcing it so let’s make sure we get it right,” Dunfee said. “I just don’t personally see any way in which the Games can start in July.”
Canada is among numerous countries under virtual lockdown, meaning weight rooms, pools and gyms are closed, leaving athletes to find creative ways to stay in shape. Travel bans have eliminated the ability to train abroad. Numerous competitions, including countless Olympic qualifying events, have been postponed.
“It’s pretty clear to me as an athlete at this point that it’s not going to be happening as planned,” said boxer Mandy Bujold, a two-time Pan American Games champion.
“It is going to take time to decide on the best alternative. I personally do hope it’s a new date and not a complete cancellation.
“Staying healthy right now is the No. 1 priority for everyone. I will continue to do the training that I can do from home and do my part in keeping my community and family safe.”
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The International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons supported Bach’s deadline. The Paralympics are scheduled to open Aug. 25.
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“The next four weeks will provide time to see if the global health situation improves, while giving a window of opportunity to look into different scenarios should the dates of the Games need to be changed,” Parsons said in a statement. “As you can imagine, potentially changing the dates of the Olympic and Paralympic Games is a huge logistical challenge, and the IPC will support the IOC every step of the way.”
Brent Lakatos, an 11-time world champion in wheelchair racing, was happy the IOC at least offered a deadline for its decision.
“I understand they need more time to make a decision on what to do,” he said. “But with the trajectory of things these days, I can’t imagine they will do anything other than postpone it.”
Criticism of the IOC’s stance has grown in recent days. Both governing bodies for track and field and swimming in the United States have called on their Olympic officials to push for a postponement, and Swimming Canada later backed its Canadian counterpart.
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“Leading the world. Very proud of (Canada) this evening,” said six-time winter Olympian Hayley Wickenheiser, quote-tweeting the COC’s official statement.
National Olympic committees in Brazil, Slovenia and Norway are among those pushing for a postponement until the global health crisis subsides.
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“The last week or so there’s been a little bit of a groundswell . . . calling for postponement, and then you see the IOC had held fairly firm and that kind of left everything sort of up in the air you didn’t really know what to believe,” said Scott Tupper, captain of Canada’s men’s field hockey team. “To have kind of a timeline now is a little bit comforting.
“It’s still obviously difficult, people wondering what they should be doing, and if everything goes ahead how they’re going to be impacted, or if it doesn’t go ahead . . . but to have a little bit more of a clear timeline is a positive step for sure.”
Women’s basketball star Kia Nurse said she trusts the “(Canadian Olympic Committee) and Canadian health officials who have to make tough decisions are going to do so with the best interest of staff, fans and Canadian athletes in mind.”
With countless cancellations, only 57 per cent of Olympic qualification spots have been determined.
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While Canadian marathoner Reid Coolsaet said he’s relieved that a decision is coming, he wishes “it was sooner.”
“I’m lucky with my event I can still train, but I need to know when to peak and that depends on when I’ll be racing again. The Olympics going ahead or not is a big piece of the puzzle for someone like me who is still looking to qualify,” Coolsaet said.
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Dunfee wished Bach’s letter included a call to action from athletes.
“An acknowledgment about how well the athletes have done so far dealing with the pandemic in their respective countries and encouragement to continue to be the role models we can be in our communities, as well as a commitment from the IOC that they’ll do the same,” he explained. “What actions have they taken to prevent the spread of the virus and ensure the safety and peace of mind of their staff.”
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Since the first modern Olympics in Athens in 1896, the Games have only been cancelled during the world wars including 1916, 1940 and 1944. There have been three major boycotts, in 1976 in Montreal, 1980, and 1984.
There have been more than 330,000 cases of coronavirus around the world, with more than 14,000 deaths.
“There is a dramatic increase in cases and new outbreaks of COVID-19 in different countries on different continents,” the IOC said. “This led the (board) to the conclusion that the IOC needs to take the next step in its scenario-planning.”
NEW YORK – Toronto Blue Jays reliever Chad Green and Canadian slugger Tyler O’Neill of the Boston Red Sox were named finalists for the Major League Baseball Players’ Association’s American League comeback player award on Monday.
Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet was the other nominee.
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. were named player of the year finalists.
The award winners, selected via player voting, will be named Saturday before Game 2 of the World Series.
Green, who missed most of the 2022 and ’23 seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery, was a high-leverage option for the Blue Jays this past season and filled in at closer over the second half of the campaign.
The right-hander converted his first 16 save opportunities and finished the year with a 4-6 record, 17 saves and a 3.21 earned-run average over 53 appearances.
O’Neill, a native of Burnaby, B.C., also endured back-to-back injury-plagued seasons in ’22 and ’23.
After being traded to the Red Sox in the off-season, O’Neill set an MLB record by hitting a homer in his fifth straight Opening Day. He finished with 31 homers on the year and had an OPS of .847.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
NEW YORK – Florida Panthers centre Sam Reinhart was named NHL first star of the week on Monday after leading all players with nine points over four games last week.
Reinhart had four goals, five assists and a plus-seven rating to help the Stanley Cup champions post a 3-0-1 record on the week and move into first place in the Atlantic Division.
New York Rangers left-winger Artemi Panarin took the second star and Minnesota Wild goaltenderFilip Gustavsson was the third star.
Panarin had eight points (4-4) over three games.
Gustavsson became the 15th goalie in NHL history to score a goal and had a 1.00 goals-against average and .962 save percentage over a pair of victories.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Deshaun Watson won’t finish the season as Cleveland’s starting quarterback for the second straight year.
He’s injured again, and the Browns have new problems.
Watson ruptured his right Achilles tendon in the first half of Sunday’s loss to Cincinnati, collapsing as he began to run and leading some Browns fans to cheer while the divisive QB laid on the ground writhing in pain.
The team feared Watson’s year was over and tests done Monday confirmed the rupture. The Browns said Watson will have surgery and miss the rest of the season but “a full recovery is expected.”
It’s the second significant injury in two seasons for Watson, who broke the glenoid (socket) bone in his throwing shoulder last year after just six starts.
The 29-year-old went down Sunday without being touched on a draw play late in the first half. His right leg buckled and Watson crumpled to the turf. TV replays showed his calf rippling, consistent with an Achilles injury.
He immediately put his hands on his helmet, clearly aware of the severity of an injury similar to the one Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers sustained last year.
As he was being assisted by the team’s medical staff and backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson grabbed a ball to begin warming up, there was some derisive cheers and boos from the stands in Huntington Bank Field.
Cleveland fans have been split over Watson, who has been accused of being sexually inappropriate with women.
The reaction didn’t sit well with several Watson’s teammates, including star end Myles Garrett, the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, who was appalled by the fans’ behavior.
“We should be ashamed of ourselves as Browns and as fans to boo anyone and their downfall. To be season-altering, career-altering injury,” Garrett said. “Man’s not perfect. He doesn’t need to be. None of us are expected to be perfect. Can’t judge him for what he does off the field or on the field because I can’t throw stones for my glass house.
“Ultimately everyone’s human and they’re disappointed just like we are, but we have to be better than that as people. There’s levels to this. At the end of the day, it’s just a game and you don’t boo anybody being injured and you don’t celebrate anyone’s downfall.”
Backup quarterback Jameis Winston also admonished the uncomfortable celebration.
“I am very upset with the reaction to a man that has had the world against him for the past four years, and he put his body and life on the line for this city every single day,” he said. “The way I was raised, I will never pull on a man when he’s down, but I will be the person to lift him up.
“I know you love this game. When I first got here, I knew these were some amazing fans, but Deshaun was treated badly and now he has to overcome another obstacle. So I’m going to support him, I’m going to lift him up and I’m going to be there for him.”
The injury is yet another twist in Watson’s tumultuous time with the Browns.
Cleveland traded three first-round draft picks and five overall to Houston in 2022 to get him, with owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam approving the team giving Watson a fully guaranteed, five-year $230 million contract.
With a solid roster, the Browns were desperate to find a QB who could help them compete against the top AFC teams.
The Browns had moved on from Baker Mayfield despite drafting him No. 1 overall in 2018 and making the playoffs two seasons later.
But Watson has not played up to expectations — fans have been pushing for him to be benched this season — and Cleveland’s move to get him has been labeled an abject failure with the team still on the hook to pay him $46 million in each of the next two seasons.
Watson’s arrival in Cleveland also came amid accusations by more than two dozen women of sexual assault and harassment during massage therapy sessions while he played for the Texans. Two grand juries declined to indict him and he has settled civil lawsuits in all but one of the cases.
Watson was suspended by the NFL for his first 11 games and fined $5 million for violating the league’s personal conduct policy before he took his first snap with the Browns. The long layoff — he sat out the 2021 season in a contract dispute — led to struggles once he got on the field, and Watson made just six starts last season before hurting his shoulder.
Cleveland signed veteran Joe Flacco, who went 4-1 as a starter and led the Browns to the playoffs.
Before Watson got hurt this year, he didn’t play much better. He was one of the league’s lowest-rated passers for a Cleveland team that hasn’t scored 20 points in a game and is back in search of a franchise QB.
