Cycling Ireland has said it supports the decision by the International Olympic Committee to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games by a year.
Due to Covid19 the Games, which were due to be held in
July and August of this year, will take place in the summer of 2021.
“Cycling Ireland supports the decision taken to postpone
the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games to 2021, a move that protects athletes
and their families during the Covid-19 pandemic,” Cycling Ireland said in a statement.
“With clarity on the new date of the Olympic Games,
Cycling Ireland’s team of riders and staff will be fully prepared and will
represent Ireland with pride at the 2021 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
Olympic Federation of Ireland chief executive, Peter
Sherrard, also welcomed the decision to postpone the Games now.
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“This is the right call given the times that we are in.
Nonetheless we recognize it was a difficult call for Japan to make,” he said.
“And we are looking forward to working with the IOC and countries all over the world to make Tokyo 2021 a poignant moment for the whole world once these difficult times are over.”
Paralympics Ireland chief executive, Miriam Malone, said
the decision to postpone the Games had arisen because of an unprecedented
situation.
“Our guiding principle has always been the protection of
our Irish athletes, their health and their safety and I believe that this
decision safeguards our athletes in line with this principle,” she said.
“We are already rolling out our contingency plans for
athletes and we will do everything in our power to ensure that our Irish
athletes will be able to adapt as seamlessly as possible to the new arrangements
when they are confirmed.”
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