“You’re a winner for a lifetime, if you seize that one moment in time. Make it shine.”
Those words were sung by Whitney Houston as an ode to the 1988 Summer Olympics.
The games that year were held in South Korea amid a number of disparities around the world. However, 2020 has a different story to tell.
An event that hosts some of the strongest athletes in the world is not strong enough to conquer the world’s newest threat — COVID-19.
Originally scheduled to begin on July 24, 2020, the Summer Olympics set to be hosted in Tokyo have been postponed.
The new official dates have been set for July 23 through August 8, 2021, with the Paralympics to follow from August 24 to September 5, 2021.
Like so many other popular organizations, this resurgence of the coronavirus pandemic caused the International Olympic Committee to make a tough decision.
The outbreak of this virus has been unpleasantly historic, shutting down and postponing some of the most traditional sporting events including NCAA tournaments, the Kentucky Derby and Wimbledon — which has not been canceled since World War II.
The decision also has an effect on athletes, especially collegiate competitors in events that mirror those of the Summer Olympics events.
Many athletes have taken to Twitter to express their thoughts on the postponement.
“For now you’ll find me at home. I can’t wait to get back training,” said Natalya Coyle, a modern pentathlete from Ireland.
For some athletes, the postponement does not just mean another year to wait, but it also means another year older.
For women’s basketball star Sue Bird, competing in the Olympics is nothing new for her — she has one four gold medals with the USA Women’s Basketball team. The push to 2021 means that Sue will be 40 once she competes, but for her, age is nothing but a number.
“If I’m physically able and I’m playing at the top level and the opportunity is there, of course I’m going to say yes to it. I would feel weird saying otherwise,” Bird said regarding whether she would still compete in the Olympics next year, according to Jayda Evans of the Seattle Times.
For sports fans across the world, the postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympics just takes away another major entertaining event.
“Sucks for a lot of the different parties involved — vendors, athletes, economic impact of the city, etcetera,” said Alexis Gandy, Winthrop alumna. “But they can’t risk the spread of this virus. That could create legal issues if they went forward with it.”
While sports fans are affected, so are collegiate athletes who look to these games as inspiration.
“They made the right decision for the athletes, spectators, and the country’s safety,” Libby Roush, Winthrop field thrower, said. “It’s sad that it will not be this summer, but this will make the athletes have a longer training period to prepare for the Olympics. Tokyo 2021 is going to have so many record breaking moments.”
