A new start date has been announced for the Tokyo Olympics.
Confirmation came on Monday morning that the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics will take place between 23 July and 8 August, 2021 after the decision was made to postpone the games by a year due to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.
In a statement, the International Olympic Committee also revealed that the Paralympic Games will now take place from 24 August to 5 September, 2021.
A number of upcoming sporting events have had to be cancelled or postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic but Team Ireland chef de mission Tricia Heberle is hopeful that the rescheduling of the Olympic Games could actually benefit the Irish team.
She said: “Now the athletes have a start date for the Games, they can work with their performance directors and coaches to start mapping out preparations.
“Importantly for athletes and sport, the next information we need clarity on are any changes to qualification and the rescheduling of qualification events. This will take some time, so in the short term the focus remains the same – stay healthy and safe over the coming months.
“The priority now is for everyone to following the government guidelines to protect Ireland and the rest of the world against further spread of this virus.
“A July 2021 start means that we have plenty of time to reactivate preparatory plans and for athletes currently in modified training or on a break of sorts, this period of time can still allow some positive impact on performance.
“If we are smart, this enforced break can make Team Ireland even better.”
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