TORONTO —
The Olympics begin in Tokyo next week, and the competition will be historic — and strange — for a number of reasons.
The Olympics were set to occur in 2020 before they were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic raging across the globe. Although the situation has been shifting week to week, with spectators being banned earlier this month at most venues and Japan entering a state of emergency due to a rise in COVID-19 cases, the Olympics seem to still be on track to begin next week, with opening ceremonies planned for Friday.
But this year’s Olympics will be very different from usual, from athletes having their movements hemmed in by strict rules to medal ceremonies where medals are on a tray.
Here are some of the ways that the Olympics will differ this year:
A LACK OF SPECTATORS
A few months ago, the plan was for 10,000 Japanese fans per venue to be permitted to attend the Olympic events in person, with only overseas spectators banned. But as COVID-19 cases rose in Tokyo, where the majority of events are being held, officials made the decision to ban all spectators.
A state of emergency was declared in Tokyo on July 9, and officials announced that no spectators would be permitted into any Tokyo venues or regions close to the city. Hokkaido and Fukushima prefectures announced that no spectators would be allowed at events held in those regions as well.
According to CNN, Japanese Olympic Committee Seiko Hashimoto said last week that Miyagi, Fukushima and Shizuoka prefectures would be permitted to allow spectators at 50 per cent capacity, with a maximum of 10,000 spectators.
The Olympic Committee has also asked for the public to stay away from the official route of marathon and race walk events that are occurring in Sapporo. Spectators will also be barred from Musashinonomori Park, where cycling road events will begin.
NO TOURISM FOR ATHLETES
Although athletes are always focused on performing their best at the Olympics, there is usually a little bit of fun in visiting another country and interacting with other top-level athletes. However, this year, athletes received a detailed playbook full of rules intended to keep athletes safe and ensure the games don’t turn into a COVID-19 superspreader event.
Athletes must wear masks and practice physical distancing at all times, with “hugs, high-fives and handshakes” discouraged. They are not permitted on public transport unless it is the only option to reach certain venues, and athletes must follow an “Action Plan” that shows what activities they will be doing at permitted locations related to the Olympic Games.
Specifically, athletes are not allowed to “walk around the city, and visit tourist areas, shops, restaurants or bars, gyms, etc.” according to the playbook.
The athletes will not be able to hang around after their event is done either. Athletes and “sport-specific team officials” are required to leave Japan no later than 48 hours after their competition has been completed or after they have been eliminated, if they do not make it until the end of the competition.
MEDALS ON A TRAY
This week, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed that there would be a significant change to the medal ceremonies this year: athletes will be placing medals around their own necks.
Usually, an IOC member or another official would place the medals around the necks of the winning athletes. But this year, the winners of each event will be presented with medals on a tray, and the athletes will pick up their medal and put it on themselves.
This is different than how some sporting events held during the pandemic have handled the issue. At the Euro Cup recently, the Union of European Football Associations president Aleksander Ceferin hung medals around the players’ necks himself.
DROPOUTS
Several high profile athletes — as well as an entire country — will not be competing in the Olympics this year.
North Korea announced in April that it would not be sending athletes to Tokyo to compete. The decision was made out of fear that athletes might contract COVID-19, according to the Associated Press.
Serena Williams said at the end of June that she would not be attending the Olympics this year.
Roger Federer also confirmed that he would not be at the Olympics this summer, citing a knee injury that he tweaked at Wimbledon.
Other tennis stars, such as Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem and Nick Kyrgios will not be at the Olympics, with Kyrgios referencing the lack of spectators as part of the decision.
Canadian star Bianca Andreescu announced earlier this week that she would be pulling out of the games due to “all the challenges we are facing as it relates to the pandemic.” Fellow Canadian Denis Shapovalov withdrew in June, saying it was the “best decision for everyone’s safety.”
Several NBA stars have confirmed that they will not be competing in the Olympics, such as LeBron James and Serbian player Nikola Jokic, who won the most valuable player award recently.
Samoa also decided not to permit its weightlifting team to attend the Olympics out of COVID-19 fears. The weightlifting team is based in Samoa, but other Samoan athletes who are based internationally will be permitted to compete.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
