WASHINGTON — It is looking likely that athletes hoping to compete in the Tokyo Olympic games may have to wait. Canada and Australia have already pulled its athletes out of the 2020 Olympic games because of health concerns.
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For years, Thaddeus Babiec has been training and working toward his Olympic dreams. Unfortunately, those dreams of rowing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics are now on hold amid coronavirus concerns.
"It feels surreal because it's something you put so much time and energy toward, and now it could all be over," Babiec said.
On Monday, the longest-serving member of the International Olympic Committee, Dick Pound, told USA Today the Olympics would be postponed until 2021. He said details would still need to be worked out.
The statement comes just days after IOC President Thomas Bach wrote a letter to athletes saying, "Human lives take precedence over everything, including the staging of the games."
Babiec is from Alexandria, Va., but currently in Pennsylvania for training. He said it's hard to think about not getting a chance to compete this year, but would understand the decision to postpone.
"For athletes, it's been a much longer goal and vision that's been turned on its head. So, please be supportive so we can feel like we can keep pushing toward that dream," Babiec said.
For other athletes who compete around the world, the coronavirus outbreak has been just as devastating.
At just 16-years old, Changa Anderson is one of the best trampoline athletes in the country, and 2024 Olympic hopeful from Silver Spring, Md.
Anderson was supposed to compete in New Zealand in April, but that has already been cancelled.
"I just have to come back stronger. I've been doing workouts at home to keep my body in shape," Anderson said,
Changa's mother Angela Anderson said the last few weeks have been difficult, but with a healthcare background, she understands the difficult decisions the organizations have to make.
The virus outbreak has not just had an impact on the athletes, but also on the training facilities and coaches.
Anderson's gym in Silver Spring was forced to close its doors and lay off many of the its coaches. The athletes and their families created a GoFundMe account to help the coaches and staff pay their bills.
An official announcement and more details on the postponement of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo is expected from the IOC in the next several weeks.