member hayley wickenheiser a 4 tame ice hockey gold medalist with canada called it insensitive and irresponsible reigning olympic pool vault champion catarina stephanides of greece said being asked to train every day meant the i.o.c. was risking athletes' health no not just in 4 months time. in tokyo the count don't clock ticks down the seconds till the games but olympic fever is notably absent in a city that has also fallen victim to the coronavirus market if we say will hold the olympics with fans in the stadiums then without doubt people from all over the world will travel here that increases the risk of death a virus can be unknowingly reintroduced and that worries me a lot watching. others worry about the impact on japan should the games not take place. on our shores he told you the games are one thing. what worries me a lot more. is what it would all mean for the economy. for my business of course. but the whole situation in japan is very worrying and give us a little listen i. really practice underway and anticipation of the flames arrival whether it will light the olympic cauldron as pla

canadian hayley wickenheiser is a four—time gold medallist at the winter games and she said, "this crisishan even the olympics. athletes can't train, attendees can't travel plan. well, the organisers are also facing a lot of criticism from athletes preparing for the games. we're joined by claire taggart, who was part of the great britain boccia team at the rio paralympics. you are self—isolating, yourself, aren't you? yes, i am at home in the northern ireland for the foreseeable future. given that we at least have an olympics and paralympics in place, how much time would you need post—self isolation to get yourself ready potentially to perform in tokyo 7 ready potentially to perform in tokyo? i think that question is very individual, and i think it differs for every person who would be representing their country at an olympics or paralympics. for me myself personally, i'm trying to do as much as i can in my house and not let the coronavirus or south isolation restrict me in anyway. so, yeah, i'm just trying to keep going as normal, obviously restricted about not getting on court and stuff

yesterday, ioc member hayley wickenheiser said assertions the games will go ahead regardless of the current pandemic were detrimental and this morning sir matthew pinsent said the games shouldn't take place as planned. but the president of world athletics, lord coe, has told the bbc this morning that he thinks it's too early to postpone the event. i don't think you have to make that decision at this moment. i have a responsibility for our showcase events, the diamond league, we've postponed three of them, not the whole of the season for the simple reason that we don't have to make that decision at the moment, and b that i will do what i can to try to keep the season intact, because the athletes, this is their career. i need to be careful that i'm not removing the earning potential from athletes any more i need to. well, double gb olympic silver medallist james guy says he'll be "100% ready" whenever the games take place — although he's still working on the assumption they'll happen in late july. if they are going to give us a date, work back from that, do not comply and just deal with it. p

but one international olympic committee member has broken ranks for more winter olympian hayley wickenheiser says it would be insensitive and irresponsible to proceed with the games she says we don't know what's going to happen tomorrow that alone in the next few months sports correspondent lee wellings has more when you have it like surely concerned they're trying to evoke was it more more so you actually picked imagery that they don't know what's happening with such simple things as their training and facilities that sindhis wrote what we're seeing is the increasing number of cancellations of tournament dr marcus allen because of our until now getting the sense of the athletes that should be in tokyo qualified but that leaves a lot of events a lot of things to be decided of course is all mine times there is no fine sheeny as they try to get it right as part of the 4 year old. little army looks lots of them to even say that might have to turn up in terms of every july underprepared it does seem unlikely that we're going to get as insurance everything is our talent not was ok with the curren

once organizes to postpone by again canada's full time and then pick ice hockey gold medalist hayley wickenheiser is now a member of the i.o.c. as athletes commission last week she said it would be irresponsible to proceed with the games and today she told us that she fully supports canada's boycott but i'm really proud of. the team and and the athletes in this country and it's a devastating and heartbreaking decision i feel like there was no good decision really that could be made in the light of what's happening with coronavirus around the world but i think it was the most responsible decision to protect the athletes not only 4 months from now in japan in july but today some places across canada are closer athletes can't train our athletes are taking risks to train. it just wasn't a good scenario so i really believe that looking back this is the right decision and the athletes will compete in the olympics it's just a question of when. the head of all that sebastian coe also wants a delay to take a 2020 a former olympic champion himself co-wrote to i.o.c. president thomas but he said it's not fe

member has broken ranks former winter olympians hayley wickenheiser says it would be insensitive and irresponsible to proceed with the games she said we don't know what's going to happen tomorrow let alone in the next few months we can hire one for gold medals with canada's ice hockey team several current athletes a voice their concerns about the games taking place our sports correspondent winnings has more when we have it. they're trying to evoke was it more moral to actually committee that they don't know what's happening with such simple things as their training and facilities that sindhis wrote what we're seeing is the increasing number of cancellations of tournament dogma as a limp call or until now getting the sense of the athletes it should be in tokyo qualified that leaves a lot of a lot of things to be decided of course it is all mind this in their mind sheeny as they try to get it right as part of the 4 year olympic cycle a little army looks out of the. plates might have to turn up until you're in july underprepared it does seem unlikely that we're going to get as insurance

hayley wickenheiser, who won four gold medals in ice hockey for canada, says to move ahead with suchf humanity. the premier league is set to reiterate its commitment to completing the season. they will hold an emergency board meeting via conference call today. all games have been postponed until at least the 11th of april because of coronavirus. in formula one, the traditional summer break has been brought forward and extended to 21 days in march and april as a result of the outbreak. the new season is yet to start, following last weekend's australian grand prix being postponed. the next three races in the calendar have also been suspended. and the le mans 24—hour race has been postponed for the first time since 1968. the delay pushes the event from june to september, into the 2020/21 season, which is due to begin at silverstone. organisers said moving the race was the most appropriate way forward in the current exceptional circumstances. tennis as well, no professional tennis untiljune. that is pushed back, so that puts wimbledon in jeopardy and the french open has been pushed back.