USOPC Responds to USA Swimming’s Letter Asking for Postponement of Olympics

3 hours after USA Swimming released a letter sent by CEO Tim Hinchey to the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), the USOPC has responded with an open letter of their own.

USA Swimming’s letter came after a meeting with members of the National Team, asking the USOPC to advocate for the postponement of the Olympic Games by 1 year.

In a statement credited to USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland and USOPC Chair Susanne Lyons, the organization says that they have empathy for and understand the athletes’ concerns expressed in Hinchey’s letter, and emphasized that they want athletes to “put their health and wellness, and the health and wellness of the greater community, above all else at this unprecedented moment.”

The USOPC did say, however, that they haven’t heard a unanimous chorus to push for cancellation of postponement of the Tokyo Olympic Games.

“At the same time, and as it relates to the Games, we have also heard from athletes that they want the Olympic and Paralympic community to be very intentional about the path forward – and to ensure that we aren’t prematurely taking away any athletes’ opportunity to compete in the Olympic and Paralympic Games until we have better clarity.”

The statement also reveals that the IOC is polling National Olympic Committees to better understand the training disruptions that are being faced around the world ahead of their Executive Board meeting next week, which indicates that the IOC has, at a minimum, begun making overtures of gathering information that could lead to the postponement or cancellation of the Olympic Games.

“Ahead of the IOC Executive Board meeting next week, the IOC is polling all the NOCs to determine the impacts on training that are occurring. Rest assured we are making your concerns clearly known to them. The USOPC will be leaders in providing accurate advice and honest feedback, and be unfailing advocates of the athletes and their safety, and the necessity of a fair platform for the Games. You have our promise.”

The statement closes with a promise to be “unfailing advocates” of the athletes and their safety and to make the athletes’ concerns clearly known to the IOC.

So far, USA Swimming is the only American sports governing body to have made a public statement calling on the USOPC to pressure the IOC to cancel or postpone the Games, though several international organizations have done so. That includes Paolo Barelli, the head of the European aquatics agency LEN.

Full USOPC Statement

The USOPC is in constant communication with senior leadership of the IOC and IPC – and they have also expressed that their focus is on the health and well-being of athletes, and communities around the world, and that they will continue to rely on advice from the World Health Organization as they determine if it is necessary to adapt their position as the situation evolves. They believe that it is premature to make a final call on the date of the Games and we believe that we should afford them the opportunity to gather more data and expert advice before insisting that a decision be made. Ahead of the IOC Executive Board meeting next week, the IOC is polling all the NOCs to determine the impacts on training that are occurring. Rest assured we are making your concerns clearly known to them. The USOPC will be leaders in providing accurate advice and honest feedback, and be unfailing advocates of the athletes and their safety, and the necessity of a fair platform for the Games. You have our promise.”