Coronavirus: Thorpe wants athletes to take health into consideration

Swim great Ian Thorpe wants athletes to take their health into consideration before deciding to participate in Tokyo Olympics amidst Coronavirus outbreak.

Amid the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak, retired Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe has urged the athletes to consider their long-term health before deciding to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games slated to be played later in the year.

"I would most definitely be concerned," The Guardian quoted Thorpe as saying on Thursday. "What we need to know is to use some of the best expert disease specialists to find out what is the risk to the team. What is the risk to the other nations and how can we have an Olympic Games, one that is safe, that doesn't put athletes at risk?

"What you have to understand as well is there are other risks associated with an Olympic Games, the threat of a terrorist event taking place... And we [athletes] take into consideration those things before we decide to compete. I think the decision should come down to each individual athlete. But whether or not they want to compete, that they should take their health into consideration first," he added.

Ian Thorpe

Thorpe's comments come after International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Dick Pound said the world's health would be at stake unless the Games are cancelled or
postponed.

However, Indian Olympic Association chief Narinder Batra, who is also a member of the IOC, is not willing to comment on the status of the Tokyo Games as he believes it's too soon and there's plenty of time left before the start of the quadrennial event. The Tokyo Olympic Games are scheduled to be held from July 24 to August 9.

Some sports events affected by China's coronavirus

Archery
. ISSF International Solidarity Championships in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on February 22-28: Postponed
. World Cup in Shanghai from May 4-10: Cancelled

Athletics
. World indoor championships in China, from March 13-15: Postponed to 2021
. Hong Kong Marathon on February 9: Cancelled
. Asian indoor championships in China from February 12-13: Cancelled
. Pyongyang Marathon in North Korea on April 12: Cancelled

Badminton
. China Masters in Hainan, China from Feb 25-March 1: Postponed
. Asian team championships in Manila from Feb 11-16: China and Hong Kong withdraw
. German Open in Mulheim from March 3-8: Cancelled
. Polish Open in Krakow from March 26-29: Postponed
. Vietnam Challenge in Hanoi from March 24-29: Postponed

Field Hockey
. Hockey Pro League matches between China, Belgium [February 8-9] and Australia on [March 14-15]: Postponed
. India women's tour of China from March 14-25: Cancelled

Gymnastics
. Artistic World Cup in Melbourne from February 20-23: China withdraw

Football
. Europa League: Inter Milan v Ludogorets on February 27: To be played behind closed doors
. AFC Cup: All group stage and playoff matches in East Zone: Postponed to April 7

Table Tennis
. World team championships in Busan, South Korea from May 22-29: Postponed to June 21-28

Tennis
. Fed Cup Asia-Oceania Group I: Tournament moved from Dongguan, China to Dubai from March 3-7.
. Davis Cup: China forfeited World Group I playoff v Romania in Piatra Neamt on March 6-7.

Weightlifting
. Asian Championships from April 18-25: Shifted from Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan to Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Wrestling
. Asian Championships in New Delhi from February 20-23: China, North Korea, Turkmenistan have withdrawn

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