The AOC released a statement this morning suggesting a 12-month delay was imminent, given the current global coronavirus pandemic.
“The AOC believes our athletes now need to prioritise their own health and of those around them, and to be able to return to the families, in discussion with their National Federations,” Chief Executive Matt Carroll said.
“The AOC held an Executive Board meeting via teleconference this morning (Monday) and unanimously agreed that an Australian Team could not be assembled in the changing circumstances at home and abroad.”
Earlier, Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed that Olympic athletes will have to comply with the indefinite worldwide travel ban. Likewise, his decision to shut down gyms and sporting arenas is expected to cause significant disruptions to their strict training regimes.
“We have athletes based overseas, training at central locations around Australia as teams and managing their own programs. With travel and other restrictions this becomes an untenable situation,” Carroll explained.
Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee has said they will wait another 4 weeks to make a decision.
“The IOC has adopted the key principles of putting athlete health first and ensuring it acted in their best interests and the interests of the sport,” Carroll added. “This decision reflects those principles.”
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