A statement released on Monday said there would be no athletes from down under at the games this year and that the Australian team are preparing for the games to be held in 2021.

⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates

It comes after Canada announced on Sunday night that they would also boycott the games with the world struggling to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

Tokyo 2020 is set to begin on July 24, but that date is looking increasingly unlikely and Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe admitted the current coronavirus situation "isn't adequate".

The International Olympic Committee will make a decision within a month on the status of the Tokyo Olympics, but Australia and Canada have already made up their mind.

An Australian Olympic Committee statement read: "The AOC says Australian athletes should prepare for a Tokyo Olympic Games in the northern summer of 2021, following the IOC’s announcement of a potential postponement of this year’s Games and changes in public health landscape in Australia and across the globe.

"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 held an Executive Board meeting via teleconference this morning and unanimously agreed that an Australian Team could not be assembled in the changing circumstances at home and abroad."

CANADA OUT

Canadian officials, meanwhile, said: "The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC), backed by their Athletes’ Commissions, National Sports Organisations and the Government of Canada, have made the difficult decision to not send Canadian teams to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the summer of 2020.

"The COC and CPC urgently call on the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) to postpone the Games for one year and we offer them our full support in helping navigate all the complexities that rescheduling the Games will bring.

"While we recognise the inherent complexities around a postponement, nothing is more important than the health and safety of our athletes and the world community.

"This is not solely about athlete health – it is about public health. 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. In fact, it runs counter to the public health advice which we urge all Canadians to follow.

"The COC and CPC would like to thank our athletes, partners and the Canadian sport community for their patience and for lending us their voices during these unprecedented times.

"We remain hopeful that the IOC and IPC will agree with the decision to postpone the Games as a part of our collective responsibility to protect our communities and work to contain the spread of the virus."

This weekend, the number of coronavirus cases worldwide passed 300,000 with more than 14,000 deaths.

The Olympics will bring together more than 10,000 athletes from over 200 countries as well as officials, fans and media from across the globe.

Source: Read Full Article