Canadian athletes will not compete at Tokyo 2020 Olympics due to risks of COVID-19 | CBC Sports

The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) say they will not send athletes to compete in Tokyo if the Games — set to begin July 24 — go ahead as scheduled.

Backed by the Athletes’ Commissions, National Sport Organizations and the Government of Canada, the COC and CPC say they “made the difficult decision to not send Canadian teams to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the summer of 2020.”

The two committees are calling on the International Olympic Committee to postpone the Games for a year, citing the safety of athletes and the general public amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is not solely about athlete health — it is about public health,”  the committees said in a statement Sunday night.

RELEASE: The Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee have made the difficult decision to not send Canadian teams to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the summer of 2020: https://t.co/HyOBA5wwp4 pic.twitter.com/x9OWABVxMA

—@TeamCanadaPR

“With COVID-19 and the associated risks, it is not safe for our athletes, and the health and safety of their families and the broader Canadian community for athletes to continue training towards these Games”. 

Later in the night, Australia’s chef de mission Ian Chester told his country’s athletes to start preparing for a Northern summer Olympics saying “It’s clear that the Games can’t be held in July.”

While Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said a postponement of the Tokyo Olympics would be unavoidable if the games cannot be held in a complete way because of COVID-19.  Althou