With the rescheduled Tokyo Games likely to continue to be effected by the COVID-19 through most of 2020, World Athletics have reset their Olympic qualifying window.
Insidethegames.biz reported that the Olympic qualifying window has been suspended until the start of December 2020, meaning any results achieved between April and then will not count towards either Tokyo 2020 (aka 2021) places or world rankings.
If the pandemic allows, the qualification period will resume at the start of December and end up being four months longer in total than had been planned.
Thus 29 June 2021 will be the final date for results to count towards Tokyo Olympic qualification.
Sebastian Coe, President of World Athletics, said he was “grateful for the detailed work and feedback from our Athletes’ Commission and Council who believe suspending Olympic qualification during this period gives more certainty for athlete planning and preparation.”
In an interesting comment Coe continued . . . “The income we receive is not ‘our’ money.”
“We are custodians of granted funds, which may well be disrupted this year, to spend on the development and delivery of athletics across the globe so we are always diligent and responsible with our finances.”
This was in stark contrast to the senior World Sailing official who has urged the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to advance World Sailings share of Tokyo 2020 revenue to ease their financial problems.
The postponement of the Tokyo 2020 event is reported to have worsened sailings governing body’s precarious financial situation.
Analysis of World Sailing’s accounts carried out by insidethegames last year showed World Sailing had anticipated a cash shortfall this year, which would have been resolved by the Olympic money had the Games taken place as planned.
Receiving an advance payment from the IOC is among the measures being suggested by World Sailing vice-president Scott Perry to tackle World Sailing’s financial issues.
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