Olympic great Ian Thorpe is urging Australia’s athletes to consider their long-term health before deciding to compete at the Tokyo Games. As concerns mount over the spreading coronavirus, the former swimmer says Olympic organisers must ensure athletes will be safe at the Games.
“I would most definitely be concerned,†Thorpe said in Canberra on Thursday. “What we need to know is to use some of the best expert disease specialists to find out what is the risk to the team. What is the risk to the other nations and how can we have an Olympic Games, one that is safe, that doesn’t put athletes at risk?
“What you have to understand as well is there are other risks associated with an Olympic Games, the threat of a terrorist event taking place… And we [athletes] take into consideration those things before we decide to compete.
“I think the decision should come down to each individual athlete. But whether or not they want to compete, that they should take their health into consideration first.â€
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