Summer Games could be postponed, because of the coronavirus and the International Olympic Committee gives itself until mid-April to make a decision. As the coronavirus spreads, Olympians are facing difficulties during the country’s coronavirus lockdown to train and prepare for the upcoming Olympics. Olympians have trained most of their lives and their regular training techniques have been halted because of the virus closing everything down. Olympians are forced to find creative ways to train and keep their minds off the virus that can hold them back from their dreams. To pass the time, Olympians are learning new skills like cooking, building Lego sets, and enjoying each other’s company. For some Olympians, this could be their last Olympics to participate in, if postponed this is the end of their career. The 2020 Summer Olympics may be postponed this year due to the coronavirus. This could be a blessing for some and others a curse. Olympics in Japan this summer where competition is scheduled to begin July 22 playing in empty stadiums with no fans would be devastating.
Olympians have trained most of their lives and their regular training techniques have been halted cause of the virus closing everything down. Athletes have been wondering how they can train when their town is either on lockdown or social distancing. Many athletes plan out their training schedules for years in advance to make sure they reach their Olympic performance goals. Athletes no longer can access their training facilities. Practicing with their teams has stopped and competing in qualifying competitions have halted. Now that swimming pools closed, gymnastic clubs are closed, and fitness gyms across multiple nations are all closed making training impossible. U.S. wrestling champion Joe Rau practices his wrestling moves in the woods near his house in Des Plaines, IL. Rau won gold at the Pan American Games in Canada. Rau continues to lift weight at home during the lockdown. Olympians are forced to find creative ways to train and keep their minds off the virus that can hold them back from their dreams. Team members are training together via Facebook Live and using Zoom to do video conferencing.
To pass the time, Olympians are learning new skills like cooking, building Lego sets, and enjoying each other’s company. Every day counts. U.S. wrestling champion Joe Rau is learning to bake from his girlfriend. Three-time Olympic long jumper Tyrone Smith is binge-watching Netflix and building a Lego race car. Synchronization gymnasts Yelyzaveta Merenzon and Elizaveta Pletneva teammates are taking online Zumba classes alone in their homes. Some athletes are practicing their hand and eye coordination by throwing tennis balls at walls in their homes. Many Olympians are working out at home alone. It is very different for all of these athletes than what they are used to doing to prepare for the Olympics.
If the Olympics is postponed this is the end of many athletes’ careers. For some Olympians, this will be their last Olympics to participate in. All the athletes understand the threat the coronavirus poses and knows the world’s aggressive measures must be taken to slow its spread. However, athletes have worked so hard most of their lives practicing to perfect their sport. Long jumper Tyrone Smith, a 35-year-old North Chicago native he and his wife dream of sharing another Olympics together. It has been challenging for Smith to practice. He has found an unlocked high school track where the couple has been working out. The long jump’s sandpit is closed so he can’t actually jump, but he has been working on his sprints and plyometric exercises. Smith says he isn’t sure his legs have another year in them if the Olympics is postponed.
The 2020 Summer Olympics may be postponed this year due to the coronavirus. There is the unknown of what the future has to the Summer Olympics being postponed or canceled and have many Olympians worried as countries around the world close their borders. Most of them are working out at home alone without their teams. If the Olympics gets postponed longer than one year for many it is the end of their career due to their age. When we watch on the television what is happening around the world the athletes are not certain the Olympics are going to happen this summer. As the coronavirus continues to spread with more than 35,000 deaths and 730,000 documented cases worldwide. There are a lot of unknowns right now.
