A Canadian member of the International Olympic Committee on Tuesday accused the organization of being "insensitive and irresponsible" for pushing ahead with plans to hold this summer's Tokyo Games in the face of the coronavirus outbreak.
Hayley Wickenheiser, a six-time Olympian who won four gold medals in women's ice hockey and represented her nation at one Summer Games in softball, said on twitter, "this crisis is bigger than even the Olympics."
"Athletes can't train. Attendees can't travel plan," the member of the IOC's athletes' commission added.
"I think the IOC insisting this will move ahead, with such conviction, is insensitive and irresponsible given the state of humanity. We don't know what's happening in the next 24 hours, let alone in the next three months," she said.
Talk of whether or not to go ahead with the Summer Games as planned has become a top topic as the coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China, in December, continues to spread, with some experts predicting the crisis could last until the spring of 2021.
Mixed messages have emerged from Japan in recent days.
After an Olympic organizing official speculated the games could be postponed for one to two years, Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe were quick to say the Olympics would go ahead as planned.
The Lausanne-based IOC remains resolute the games will open as planned on July 24, issuing a statement Tuesday stating the organization remains "fully committed" to delivering the Tokyo Games this summer.
That brought a critical response from a number of athletes, including Greek Olympic pole vault champion Katerina Stefanidi who told Reuters, "it (the IOC) is putting us at risk."
British heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson said on Twitter that she feels "under pressure to train and keep the same routine, which is impossible."
"The IOC advice 'encourages athletes to continue to prepare for the Olympic Games as best they can' with the Olympics only four months away, but the government legislation is enforcing isolation at home with tracks, gyms and public spaces closed," the reigning world champion Johnson-Thompson said.
I understand that sport isn’t everything and there are more important issues sourrounding coronavirus but thought I would speak out purely on what my situation of it has been. Hope the UK, France and the rest of the world stay safe and look after each other in these crazy times❤️ pic.twitter.com/0zxECDetpM
— KJT (@JohnsonThompson) March 17, 2020
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