SA Athletes Wait on Possible Olympics Delay Amid Nationwide Lockdown

South African athletes are hoping to breathe a sigh of relief as the International Olympic Committee are expected to postpone the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games amid the global coronavirus pandemic.

President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Monday, 23 March 2020, stating that the country will be on a nationwide lockdown for 21 days to help save millions of lives from the infection.

With the country under strict regulations it is going to be difficult for athletes to train, especially with some having already began social distancing before the President’s speech.

Various sporting events have been postponed around the country meaning that athletes cannot competitively compete until further notice.

If the IOC intend to continue with the Games, they would not only be putting the lives of millions at risk, but it would be unfair as athletes around the world would have not had adequate training to compete.

Australia and Canada have already said that they would not compete in Japan, with Great Britain joining in saying that they would unlikely send a team for the event.

Despite the ongoing talks with the IOC’s Executive Board that have promised to have decision made in four weeks’ time, SA’s athletes have been finding ways to remain fit as some have shared on their social media pages.

Double Olympic champion, Caster Semenya, who announced that she will be switching to 200m races in order to compete at the Olympics, shared videos doing indoor training.

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World Championship silver medallist, Tatjana Schoenmaker, who is a contender to become SA’s first female Olympic swimming medallist in 20 years since Penny Heyns, has been taking time behind closed doors to find a light at the end of the tunnel.

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Photo 1 Caption: South African World Championship silver medallist, Tatjana Schoenmaker, who is a contender to become SA’s first female Olympic swimming medallist in 20 years since Penny Heyns, has been taking time behind closed doors to train during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Photo: Tatjana Schoenmaker (Instagram)

Photo 2 Caption: Double Olympic champion, Caster Semenya, who announced that she will be switching to 200m races in order to compete at the Olympics, shared videos doing indoor training. Photo: Caster Semenya (Instagram)