Olympics: Athletes should travel to Tokyo with confidence, says IOC chief

LAUSANNE, Switzerland: Olympic chief Thomas Bach has told athletes that they should travel to Tokyo with "full confidence" that the delayed 2020 Games will be safe for competitors and will not jeopardise the health of the Japanese people.

Speaking in a Q&A session during an online conference of the Athletes' Commission on Thursday (May 27), the International Olympic Committee (IOC) president said the safety of athletes was at the heart of planning for the Jul 23 to Aug 8 Games.

"Tokyo is the best prepared Olympic city ever, and this relates particularly to the focus they are putting on the athletes and the athletes' experience," the German told around 2,000 athletes and Olympic officials from Lausanne.

"Because of the pandemic, we all know, unfortunately, the athletes' experience will be very different, but what is important is the competitions can and will take place in a safe way and in full respect of the athletes.

"This should give all of us a lot of confidence that it's really about the athletes and about making the athletes feel comfortable and making the Japanese people feel comfortable.

"Come with full confidence to Tokyo and get ready," he added.

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The COVID-19 pandemic shows no signs of easing in Japan less than two months before the Games, and the government is looking to extend a state of emergency in Tokyo and other areas by about three weeks to Jun 20.

Concerns in Japan about variants of the novel coronavirus and a slow vaccination drive have prompted urgent calls from doctors, some high-profile business leaders and hundreds of thousands of citizens to cancel the Olympics.

Bach has previously said that 80 per cent of the 10,500 athletes expected in Japan would be vaccinated, and on Thursday urged Olympians to get their shots if they could.

"Take the opportunity whenever it arises to get vaccinated because this will increase the safety there for everybody, for yourself, for all your fellow athletes and for the Japanese people," he said.

"I got my two shots and I'm still in good shape."

The IOC's chief operating officer Lana Haddad told the conference that a consent form athletes would be required to sign releasing Tokyo organisers from liability for COVID-19 issues was "standard practice" for "big event organisers".