Yahoo Finance Olympic athletes react to 2020 Olympics being postponed: 'These dreams are not canceled, they are just on hold'
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be held in 2021. The International Olympic Committee made that decision Tuesday, saying the event would be postponed until “no later than summer 2021.” It’s the first time in the history of the Olympics that the event has been postponed.
While you might expect some of the 2020 Olympics hopefuls to be upset about the postponement, that hasn’t generally been the case. A number of athletes shared their thoughts on the news, offering up humor or words of encouragement as the world grapples with the threat of coronavirus.
Cyclist Kate Courtney had one of the most inspirational posts. She told athletes their “dreams are not canceled, they are just on hold.”
A number of Olympic athletes had posts in a similar vein.
Not denied. Just delayed. pic.twitter.com/Rbrk40id4T
— Tianna T. Bartoletta (@tibartoletta) March 23, 2020
— Alec Yoder (@AlecYoder) March 24, 2020
A number of athletes agreed with the IOC’s decision, saying that while they were disappointed, there are bigger issues to address right now.
As we stand together to meet today’s challenges, we can dream about a wonderful Olympics in a beautiful country. Now is the time to support all those working to heal the sick and keep us all healthy. pic.twitter.com/RsLuidzeYw
— Katie Ledecky (@katieledecky) March 24, 2020
London 2012 🇬🇧 🟢
Rio 2016 🇧🇷 🟢
Tokyo 2021 🇯🇵 🔜
Thankful to finally have some clarity regarding The Olympic Games. A huge decision but I think the right one for sure.
Time to regain, look after each other during this difficult period and go again when the time is right! pic.twitter.com/l1NjjUUmMy— Adam Gemili (@Adam_Gemili) March 24, 2020
Postponing the Olympics to 2021 is the best decision for me. Today we are all struggling with a much bigger problem and although August still seems far away, the security for such a big event was very difficult. So @Olympics see you in 2021! 👊 #olympics #tokyo2020 ph: @pocispix pic.twitter.com/TPg5WkwP6m
— Elia Viviani (@eliaviviani) March 24, 2020
It’s a good decision by IOC . For all the athletes who have qualified and for all the athletes who haven’t n still waiting to participate in the remaining qualifiers . Considering the current situation all around the world , every athlete will be at peace now. Safety first . https://t.co/tQVANJ51XP
— Saina Nehwal (@NSaina) March 24, 2020
Others decided to add humor to the situation. Bobsledder Lolo Jones had perhaps the best reaction to the games being postponed, saying she was going to have to put off retirement for one more year so she could take part in the Olympics in 2021.
Me at the 2021 Olympics pic.twitter.com/5aYLXPuLV2
— Lolo Jones (@lolojones) March 23, 2020
🇺🇸 #Tokyo2021 pic.twitter.com/rODnFjBpBM
— Jordan Burroughs (@alliseeisgold) March 24, 2020
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