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LONDON – Zimbabwe’s Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Minister, Kirsty Coventry, says she finds it encouraging some athletes ‘’want the Games to continue,’’ in July.

She has also encouraged them to ‘’keep doing what they’re doing.’’

This follows her participation in a recent meeting of the International Olympic Committee Athletes’ Commission.

As Chairperson of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, Coventry’s video, posted via Twitter, thanked the over 220 athlete representatives from around the world, as well as IOC president Thomas Bach and IOC experts, and who took part in the over two-hour call on Wednesday, March 18.

Coventry’s message came amid concerns from some athletes in the light of some key qualifying competitions being cancelled, or postponed, due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The statement about the Olympic Games continuing struck a nerve with several fellow athletes, including Brazilian Bruno Fratus, the 2019 World Championships silver medalist in the men’s 50m freestyle.

“Postponing the Olympic Games would not only give the world peace of mind but also allow that everyone could prepare properly, ensure fairness and maintain the technical level of the competition. Much love from Brazil #tokyo2021.”

Zimbabwe’s most-decorated athlete, Coventry, won seven Olympic medals, including back-to-back 200m backstroke gold medals at the 2004 and 2008 Games. 

She also was a mainstay on the World Championships scene, competing at every edition from 2000 through 2016. 

In Rio, Coventry acted as flag bearer and went on to place 11th in the 100m backstroke and 6th in the 200m backstroke.

Since retiring from competitive swimming after the 2016 Rio Olympics, Coventry has been active on the administration side of sports internationally. 

In February 2018, Coventry was appointed Chairperson of the IOC Athletes’ Commission and has previously served on the Foundation Board of the World Anti-Doping Agency, as well as a member of the WADA Athletic Committee.

Meanwhile, 2016 US Olympian and current National Team-er Jacob Pebley has posted a letter to Instagram addressing USA Swimming, urging the organisation to postpone the 2020 US Olympic Swimming Team Trials and publicly advocate to push back the 2020 Olympic Games.

The US Olympic Swimming Trials are a USOC property.

Pebley’s letter notes his “deep concern” with the recent statements from the IOC saying they are still going forward with the 2020 Games. 

The IOC, along with organisers in Tokyo, have persisted with communications that the pandemic won’t affect the Olympics, though one organiser mentioned the possibility of delaying the Games and later apologized. 

“How can we, members of Team USA and role models for hundreds of thousands of young athletes, attend Olympic Trials/the Olympics in good conscience? 

‘’To do so would fly in the face of all emerging evidence and best practices for social distancing and protecting the health of vulnerable communities,” writes Pebley in his letter.

Pebley also points out the movements by governments worldwide to close public spaces and businesses, noting, “even if Trials or the Olympics were to be held without spectators, the events would still necessitate extensive travel and interaction among thousands of athletes/staff/media– all potential vectors for spread of a virus we barely understand and do not have the resources to effectively treat or prevent at the moment.”

“USA Swimming has the opportunity to lead the push for the only moral option in light of this unprecedented situation,” said Pebley.

He also provided links to recent studies done by Imperial College London and the University of Minnesota about necessary measures to mitigate the disease and its damage.

The US Olympic Trials are still scheduled for June 21-28 in Omaha, Nebraska, while several major nations have pushed back their trials or have canceled them altogether. – SwimSwam