Last year’s Olympic Games were postponed due to coronavirus and are scheduled for July 23 to August 8; Japan has widened the state of emergency in the Tokyo area with cases of COVID-19 rising steadily, but Mark England said: “We are very confident that the Games will go ahead in the summer.”
The Reuters
Last updated: 13/01/21 1:35 pm
Mark England said he based his confidence on more than just a “vibe”
GB Team Mission Chef Mark England said Wednesday that he is “extremely confident” that the Tokyo Olympics will go ahead this year even though they will be different due to COVID-19 pandemic disease.
Japan recently declared a one-month state of emergency for Tokyo and three nearby prefectures after a sharp rise in coronavirus cases, and last week the city saw day-to-day affairs for two consecutive days, leaving constant doubt as to whether the reorganized Games can take place in July.
However, England are satisfied that they will proceed as currently scheduled from 23 July to 8 August.
“We are very confident that the Games will take place in the summer,” he said after announcing Team GB’s hunting rivals.
“Of course we wouldn’t name athletes if that weren’t true.”
England, which sits on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) working group, said the Games would look different with “surprisingly wide-ranging” health and safety protocols to protect athletes.
2:32 Sky News reporter Martha Kelner takes a closer look at the debate over whether Olympic athletes will be given priority access to coronavirus vaccines to save the Tokyo Games from being postponed.
Weekend survey by Japanese public broadcaster NHK showing that the majority of locals want to cancel or postpone the Games.
Takeshi Niinami, CEO of beverage giant Suntory Holdings and economic adviser to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, said he is not sure if the Olympics could be held as expected.
England said it based its confidence on more than just a “vibe”.
“The Prime Minister of Japan has said overnight that with the Games going ahead, the IOC is very confident in their planning for the Games to go ahead,” he said.
“There is nothing we hear today that indicates that the Games will not go ahead. We are full of steam going forward, plan to start Japan from mid-July and that is our focus of attention.”
1:26 Molly Thompson-Smith, Climber and Sky Sports Scholar will show off her training for the European Championships in Moscow – her last chance to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics
British firing squads confirmed
World-class Janet Mackintosh is set to lead Britain’s number-four firing squad into the reorganized Games, and the British Paralympic Association is on its first set of energy name their athletes in the form of a six-strong shooting group.
England said: “As we continue to go through the unique challenges we face as a result of the pandemic, the start of 2021 with this positive news is a strong testament to our commitment to the Tokyo Olympics. . “
McIntosh, a 24-year-old, and his mother and sister are both winners at the Commonwealth Games, currently at the top of the rankings in 3×50 air rifle control.
0:28 Superweight boxer Frazer Clarke says his dream of competing at the Olympics is back after he confirmed that the European qualifying event will begin in April
She said that despite being far from ideal, the delay on her first Olympic trip had given her valuable time to deal with the expected pressure to reach the Japanese capital.
“I had a very successful year in 2019 and when 2020 suddenly moved around it was an Olympic year and I was growing horrified about what was in store,” McIntosh said.
“In some ways this has helped me as the anxiety has dissipated and I am feeling much better, although I believe it will pick up again in the coming months.
“I’m excited about going to Tokyo and I believe if it didn’t happen it would be an obstacle, but we need to remember that people’s safety is far more important than sport. “
Also making its Olympic debut will be another world champion Matt Coward-Holley in Olympic trap, as well as Aaron Heading and Kirsty Hegarty who will be competing in the same subject.
The six-strong Paralympics team is hurting Ryan Cockbill, Matt Skelhon, Issy Bailey, James Bevis, Tim Jeffery and Lorraine Lambert.