Olympics Latest

• Friday 1st May 2020

Against the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, this week has seen a number of announcements regarding the postponed Olympics.

Following the postponement of the Tokyo Games until summer 2021, the IOC has recently reconfirmed the qualification process. Following that, the British Olympic Association have confirmed that all 21 of the originally nominated athletes, Shauna Coxsey included, have retained their selection status for the 2021 Games.

Shauna, recently interviewed by Climber about her lockdown training (click here for that interview), commented: “With so much uncertainty at the moment, I am relieved to have my place with Team GB reconfirmed for the Olympics. I have adapted my training so I can maintain my form at home, but I cannot wait to be back on the walls and preparing for the Games."

Tripartite Allocation places awarded

The IFSC yesterday confirmed that the two Tripartite Commission quota places have been awarded to Anouck Jaubert of France and Michael Piccolruaz of Italy.

The IFSC confirmed in a press release that as no applications for the two Tripartite Commission places had been received by the deadline the two places, which were due to be assigned by the end of March, have been allocated based on the athlete ranking in the World Championship last year in Hachioji. Jaubert and Piccolruaz finished in 11th and 14th position respectively in the Women’s and Men’s Combined event.

France now becomes the third country to have four athletes going to Tokyo, along with Japan and the United States of America. Michael Piccolruaz's addition to the Italian squad means that they now have three climbers qualified for Tokyo.

Following the allocation of the Tripartite Commission quota places a total of 32 of the 40 places are allocated. The remaining eight places will be allocated from the outstanding (rescheduled) Continental Championships:

IFSC European Championships in Moscow (RUS), from October 1st to 8th

IFSC African Championships in Cape Town (RSA), date To Be Defined

IFSC Asian Championships, location and date TBD

IFSC Oceania Championships in Sydney (AUS), date TBD

Finally, the IFSC Executive Board recently decided that the qualification process will have to be concluded within December 31, 2020.

Rescheduled Tokyo Games may depend on vaccine

Finally, in news reports earlier this week the head of Japan Medical Association warned that it was still too early to lift the state of emergency in Japan and then added that it will be difficult to host the rescheduled Olympics in summer 2021 without an effective vaccine.

Whilst Japan’s daily infections, like many countries, is declining the JMA president, Yoshitake Yokokura, told a media briefing that Japan's testing isn’t sufficient to prove that the virus is under control.

Yoshitake Yokokura added:  "I am not saying that Japan should or shouldn't host the Olympics, but that it would be difficult to do so," he said. "Unless an effective vaccine is developed, I expect hosting the Olympics will be difficult."