Australia tells athletes to prepare for postponement of Olympics

On the heels of Canada pulling out of the Tokyo Olympics if they are held this summer, the Australian Olympic Committee is now telling its athletes to "prepare for a Tokyo Olympic Games in the northern summer of 2021."

TSN.ca Staff

Olympic rings , Stefan Rousseau - PA Images/PA Images/Getty Images

On the heels of Canada pulling out of the Tokyo Olympics if they are held this summer, the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) is now telling its athletes to "prepare for a Tokyo Olympic Games in the northern summer of 2021."

As the Canadian Olympic Committee says it will not sent athletes to Tokyo for the 2020 Summer Games, Australia’s Olympic Committee tells its athletes to "prepare for a Tokyo Olympic Games in the northern summer of 2021."
— Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) March 23, 2020

"The AOC believes our athletes now need to prioritise their own health and of those around them, and to be able to return to the families, in discussion with their National Federations," the AOC said in a statement. "The AOC held an Executive Board meeting via teleconference this morning (Monday) and unanimously agreed that an Australian Team could not be assembled in the changing circumstances at home and abroad."

The Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee announced Sunday night that they would not be sending athletes to this summer's Olympics due to the ongoing COVID-19 worldwide pandemic.

Earlier Sunday, International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said in an open letter that they have given themselves a four week deadline to determine whether or not to postpone the Tokyo Olympics.

The Games are scheduled to run from July 24-August 9.