Category: Olympics

Aliya Mustafina interview

Aliya is still training.

Mustafina said she hopes to compete at the Russian Cup in June and prepare for the Tokyo Olympics. Now she might have even more time in store if the Olympics are postponed due to the pandemic.

She also hopes to have more elements named after her, one of her big dreams is to compete a Shaposhnikova transition with a one and a half turn. …

gymnovosti – MUSTAFINA: WHEN I COULD RETIRE ON A HIGH NOTE, I DIDN’T DO IT

I was in the media section when Aliya tore her ACL on Vault in the AA final at Tokyo Worlds.

Nope. It was at 2011 Europeans in Berlin. My mistake.

At the time I felt she didn’t need the Amanar that day. But in this interview she explains that she didn’t feel Amanar was either difficult nor dangerous. It was just another skill.

Aliya and daughter 2017

HOW to deliver a Beam to the Wevers

Sanne Wevers is the 2016 Olympic Champ on Beam.

Heart this on Instagram.

Sam Mikulak calls for Olympic postponement

The USOTC in Colorado Springs just closed.

Click PLAY or watch it on Twitter.

Nancy Armour: Postpone Tokyo Olympics

No one wants to see the Olympics and Paralympics postponed. But it’s the right thing to do, the responsible thing to do.

At this point, the only thing to do.

“Even if they said, ‘We’re going to postpone this two years,’ then I know. Then I can say ‘OK, I don’t have to stress the next three weeks trying to work out.’ I can self-quarantine and be safe and do everything they’re asking,” gymnast Colin Van Wicklen told USA TODAY Sports. …

… challenges that make it impossible to go forward with the Games as scheduled. Here’s a look at three of the biggest:

  • Training

  • Qualification

  • Anti-doping

Read more …

Opinion: Postpone Tokyo Olympics for the good of the athletes and the public

Emma Nedov: POSTPONE

Heart this on Twitter.

via Dvora

IOC President Thomas Bach talks to athletes

Bach still feels it’s too early to cancel or postpone Tokyo.

Click PLAY or watch it on Twitter.

Tokyo Olympics should be postponed

Though — as of March 18 — FIG and IOC remain fully committed to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, they will most likely be postponed, I believe.

Best would be to postpone for one calendar year, despite many costs and complications.

Worst would be to cancel.

Round Lake in Russia is still open. But the USOTC just closed.

Some of the American men are training alone at Bart Conner Gymnastics which is shut down for regular classes.

It’s unfair to ask aspiring Olympians to put themselves at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read this Washington Post article (paywall) for a summary of options:

Cancel the Olympics? Postpone them? Every alternative has problems.

related – Japan’s Olympic Committee deputy head Kozo Tashima has contracted COVID-19 after recent travels to Britain, the United States and the Netherlands.

IOC rules out staging Tokyo Olympic Games behind closed doors.

 

IOC says Olympics are HAPPENING

Nancy Armour:

As much of the sports world goes dark in an effort to limit the spread of the coronavirus, the International Olympic Committee looks to be the outlier. It has insisted for weeks, and continues to do so, that it plans to go ahead with the Olympics and Paralympics as scheduled.

“The International Olympic Committee confirms its full commitment to the success of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020,” IOC president Thomas Bach said Thursday …

… there are still 19 weeks until the Tokyo Olympics …

There’s no telling what conditions will be like in July. Or even late May, which is when the IOC would have to make the call …

Opinion: IOC right not to pull plug on Tokyo Games now because of coronavirus

Stuttgart World Cup cancelled

Here’s the FIG announcement.

We can anticipate the Tokyo World Cup being cancelled, as well.

FIG Olympic qualification process under review

As expected, if some of the top contenders cannot compete the qualifying World Cups, alternative ways to qualify to Tokyo should be considered.

Adding MORE athletes would be wonderful. I suspect this will end up not being the way the remaining spots are decided.