In recent days, Japanese Prime Minister Abe and the IOC have for the first time considered postponing the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo (24 July to 9 August). Now it's official: the Olympics will be postponed for the first time in its 124-year history! An exact date has not yet been set, but the Games are to take place in summer 2021 at the latest. Long-time IOC member Dick Pound had already indicated the cancellation and postponement to the newspaper "USA Today" on Sunday. A decision should be made in the next four weeks, he said on Sunday. In the meantime, Canada and Australia had announced that they would forgo the Olympics if the Summer Games were not postponed. Athletes in other countries were also largely in favour of a postponement until autumn or even 2021. In this country, the DOSB, the association for German athletes, conducted a survey, all athletes concerned in order to obtain a picture of their opinions. This was to clarify who would like to take part in the Olympic Games at the planned or an alternative time. Yesterday, when it was still unclear whether the Olympics would be postponed at all, we asked Elisabeth Brandau and Manuel Fumic.
Brandau: "I might have to give up a lifelong dream"
We spoke to the German XC champion Elisabeth Brandau. After Brandau (34) criticised the advance of Max Hartung, who is chairman of the German Athletes' Association, in a Facebook post sharply criticised she told us yesterday: "I'm divided. But I would welcome it if the Olympics were to take place. If necessary, with the public excluded." The mother of two does not believe the criticism that athletes around the world are unable to prepare perfectly due to the coronavirus restrictions. "There have always been differences in training conditions. And what's more, the idea of 'taking part is everything' is what counts at the Olympics anyway. It's about more than medals." For Brandau, the competitions in Tokyo would be her first Olympic Games as an athlete. Whether she would have the chance to take part in the Olympics again if they were postponed to 2021 is uncertain. "I might have to give up a lifelong dream. But a postponement would make it very difficult for me in terms of children and sponsors." That's why, until yesterday, she was still hoping that the Olympics would be held regularly this year. But those hopes are now gone.
Fumic: "Right decision to postpone the Olympics"
The current situation is extremely bitter for Cannondale pro Manuel Fumic. The 37-year-old had announced the end of his career at the end of the 2020 season and wanted to "give it his all again" this season. However, the global coronavirus crisis has pulverised the Kirchheim native's racing plans. After the Cape Epic the first highlight of the season ("I've never felt better!") was cancelled, Fumic also saw the Olympics swim away yesterday. "It's still a few months until the Olympics, but it's not that long if you look at the course of the virus in countries like China. It's possible that the virus will be largely under control in Europe by then, but athletes and spectators from all over the world will be coming to the Olympics. That's why the only right decision would be to postpone the Olympics. Because when I think about the Olympics now, it has a strange aftertaste." Fumic is trying to come to terms with the current situation as best he can. "It's very difficult to plan my training at the moment because I don't have a fixed race date when my form has to be right." For Manuel Fumic, the games in Tokyo would be his fifth Olympic Games. In Rio four years ago Fumic finished 13th despite a broken chain.
But Fumic also sees another highlight of his last season as a MTB pro in danger: the home World Championships in Albstadt. "The World Championships in Albstadt would be even more important to me than the Olympics. I've always waited for a world championship in my own country in my long career." Whether the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Bullentäle (25-28 June) has not yet been announced. Both on the part of the organiser and the UCI.
Stopped qualification and no doping controls
It has not yet been decided who and how many athletes will be allowed to compete for Germany in the Olympic MTB races. But Elisabeth Brandau and Manuel Fumic have the best chance of being nominated by the BDR. Max Brandl, Georg Egger, Ben Zwiehoff and Ronja Eibl are also hoping to take part in the Olympics. Due to the global coronavirus pandemic and the cancellation of all races has paused the Olympic qualification for Tokyo since 3 March until further notice. The German anti-doping agency NADA also announced yesterday that it is "suspending the implementation of Doping controls in view of the current situation caused by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (COVID-19) has been suspended".
