World athletics chief Sebastian Coe has warned that sports leaders may rebel against pandemic restrictions as they struggle to get major events back on track.
Coe expressed the
frustrations felt by many sports chiefs when he said it was crucial to get top events
started again even as the coronavirus takes a mounting toll around the world.
“We have to be
guided by what governments, the WHO and local authorities are telling us, but
we also have to make our own decisions and make sensible compromises,” Coe, 63,
told Indian television channel WION.
“There may be a
moment when a sport decides that it is ready to stage events even if it is not
always with the approval of those authorities.
“We will be
respectful, but we have to make decisions in the best interest of our sport and
our athletes,” the British former track legend insisted.
Athletics like
other key sports has seen its calendar and finances badly hit by the
postponement of this year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo.
The world athletics
championships planned for 2021 have had to be pushed back by a year to allow
for a provisional plan to stage the Tokyo Games next year instead.
Coe said no one
could give a cast-iron assurance that the Olympics will be held.
“Speculating about
something that is over a year away is unhelpful,” said the former chief of the
2012 London Olympics.
“We are trying to
give the athletes some clarity about the calendar and speculation from
scientists and medical experts does not help.
“I hope that the
pandemic will be contained so that we don’t have to cancel the Games.”
Athletics’ Diamond
League may only start in August and finish in October. Coe said competitions
will look very different with athletes battling each other in empty stadiums.
“Meeting directors
will have to take their own decisions about how to get athletes to competition
in a safe and secure manner that doesn’t risk infection,” he said.
“Each event will
have to decide on a format for competition with these safety considerations two
months in advance.
“Everybody is
waiting to return to competition and organisers will have to be as creative and
ingenious as possible in the current circumstances.”
In a separate
interview with Indian media, Coe said there would be greater use of technology
to make events “more exciting” for television viewers and to adapt to the
coronavirus threat.
“If you think of
relay, the baton exchange could be another source of infection, but we are
finding ways to organise it,” the World Athletics chief said.
“As a runner I can
feel the emotions of the athletes if there is only training and no competition.
Therefore we want to provide them with an opportunity to compete and perform.”
