This comes on the heels of the Canadian Olympic team officially withdrawing from the Olympics amidst safety concerns due to the Covid19 pandemic.
With teams backing out, it was only inevitable that the IOC would start taking postponement seriously. The IOC has insurance policies in place in case the Olympics can not happen, and it was speculated that in order for those policies to be enforced they couldn't make the choice before certain criteria were met. This is all speculation, as these details are not known outside of the closed doors of the IOC.
Regardless, this is a bittersweet day for athletes and fans everywhere.
For athletes that have already qualified, you get to rest well knowing that the Olympics will go on in some fashion and in a way that is safe for the athletes and spectators.
For athletes that have yet to qualify, the future is much more uncertain. Training plans are tossed out the window and new plans must be drawn up for whatever the qualifying timeline is going to look like.
Hopefully we have concrete answers soon so the athletes have ample time to plan, train, and perform at their peak.
I look forward to speed climbing's debut, and am personally glad that the games are postponed. I do not want to see a partial field with few or no spectators. Speed deserves the limelight.
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