NASSAU, BAHAMAS — International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) world champion Steven Gardiner says the postponement of the 2020 Olympic Games due to the coronavirus pandemic is “difficult”, but he understands the decision.
Gardiner was looking to capture his first Olympic gold medal.
“Although it was tough for me after reading the article about the postponement, I understand that some things are just out of our control,” Gardiner said.
“At the end of the day, health is what’s most important. I think that’s what it came down to.”
The global event will be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021, according to the IOC and the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee in a joint statement.
Gardiner said it’s tough to downplay the disappointment even though he agrees with the decision to delay the Games.
“We were getting in some really good workouts and were really in a good place before the coronavirus pandemic really intensified,” Gardiner.
“At this point now, we have to even change the way that we train. We usually workout with a group of more than 10, so, even that right now is a risk. This year has been tough. No one was even able to get in a season opener.
“Right now, we’re not sure the Diamond League will be held this year and there are no meets going on in the United States. I’m not too worried about getting out of shape, but it definitely makes things much tougher moving forward.”
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