Tokyo Olympics Media Summit, Judo Latest Corona Casualties

(ATR) The first major event for journalists involving the Tokyo Olympics is postponed due to the coronavirus. The media summit hosted by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee was to take place in Los Angeles March 15 to 18.

Some 115 athletes and 400 media were expected to attend the briefing, a traditional event for the USOPC in the lead up to the Summer and Winter Olympics. This is the first time the media summit has been postponed for any reason. The briefings started in 1988 ahead of the Seoul Olympics by Mike Moran, now retired as USOC Media Director.

USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland explained the decision in a March 9 letter to athletes, saying that the possibility of them contracting the illness, however small, "simply isn’t a risk worth taking".

She says alternatives to the in-person summit are being considered.

"We know how important this event is to each of you, and our team is working hard to redirect our efforts to create a more virtual experience for the members of the media to get to know you. We are also considering options for recreating opportunities for athletes and media at a later time should the environment allow for a safe opportunity to do so. You can expect to hear from our team soon with these plans and ideas," Hirshland says.

The USOPC leader affirms that there should be no question that preparations for Tokyo remain in place for this summer.

"We will continue to monitor the environment and will make necessary changes to keep us all safe and healthy. If you have not heard directly from us, you should assume we are charging forward toward Tokyo 2020 as planned," she says.

USOPC Communications chief Luella Chavez D’Angelo says in her note to the media that ideas on how best to replace the briefing will be welcomed.

"To that end, we will be reaching out for input related to the types of opportunities that are valuableto you, and we hope you willreach out to us with your thoughts as well," Chavez D’Angelo writes.

Judo Halts Olympic Qualifying Events

Calling the situation "dangerous", the International Judo Federation says Olympic qualifiers for Tokyo 2020 are cancelled through April.

"In light of the continuous new developments in the COVID-19 crisis and the deterioration of the situation in many countries, traveling has become more and more risky, and so have become any public gatherings.

"We are in the unfortunate position where we must take a drastic decision in order to protect the judo family and also to comply with the general safety measures all around the world," says a release from the IJF.

"The IJF Executive Committee has taken the emergency decision to cancel with immediate effect all Olympic qualification Events on the IJF Calendar until April 30, 2020. This includes the Ekaterinburg Grand Slam in Russia and the Grand Prix in Tbilisi (GEO) and Antalya (TUR)," says the release.

"Unfortunately the situation is now dangerous and critical from many points of view. It is of paramount importance to keep the judo family safe in these difficult times, and also to ensure fair chances for all athletes engaged in the Olympic qualification," says the IJF.

The federation says more information will be released in the days ahead.

The Rabat Judo Grand Prix that was to take place last weekend was closed by order of the Morocco government. All international sports competitions, exhibitions and public gatherings have also been cancelled or postponed in the country.

The sudden decision caught the IJF by surprise. After hearing about the government order, the IJF release last week suggested the upcoming event in Ekaterinburg might be able to substitute for judokas who had been counting on competing in Rabat. Days later, the event in Russia is also out of the picture.

Reported by Ed Hula.