The time has come for current college rowers to decide whether they’re all in for a bid to race at the 2024 Paris Games. 

“This early-summer selection camp is like the penultimate, and then the [fall] speed order is the final entry point for people who want to be considered,” said USRowing Chief High Performance Officer Josy Verdonkschot from California, where he’s preparing non-collegiate athletes for World Rowing Cup II, which will take place in Varese, Italy, from June 16 to 18. They’ll head to Europe to train for a couple of weeks before the World Cup, stay a week afterward to continue training, and then return to Princeton and Lake Mercer for selection camp and trials July 27 to 30 on Lake Mercer in West Windsor, N.J.

The rowers from the core group training under Verdonkschot are preparing for the Paris 2024 Olympics differently than previous U.S. National Teams. Verdonkschot has been very clear about his strategy of seeing which Olympic events present the best opportunity for the U.S. to medal, and putting his best rowers in those boats to qualify the U.S. in those events for the Olympics at this year’s world championships. Boats that don’t earn Olympic spots at the 2023 World Rowing Championships must go through the last-chance qualifying regatta in May 2024.

“Anybody who would want to go to the Olympics has to make the decision to take one year off of their studies, basically, because final qualification would be in May. Selection for the final lineups would be March and at the beginning of April,” said Verdonkschot. “So you cannot do that. You cannot wait until the end of the collegiate season.”

U.S. collegiate rowers have long been the staple feedstock of medal-winning Olympic crews—and most of those have been eights. Five of the eight oarsmen in the last U.S. men’s crew to win Olympic gold learned to row in college, and practically every member of the various U.S. women’s eights that won every world championship and Olympics for 11 years rowed in an NCAA program before representing the U.S.

Verdonkschot ruffled the feathers of some coaches during Zoom calls with the U.S. college community when the new boss of the U.S. National Team arrived in America. The Dutchman’s frank and blunt style irked some on those calls, who didn’t appreciate Verdonkschot’s observation that U.S. collegiate programs do little to prepare their athletes for sculling and small-boat rowing—which are 10 of the 14 Olympic events. Of course, that’s not a college coach’s job. Their athletic departments hire and pay them to coach and prepare student-athletes to compete in their school’s collegiate events, raced almost exclusively in eights and coxed fours.

U.S. college coaches are also used to the regular communication and collaboration of Verdonkschot’s predecessors, including Mike Teti, Tom Terhaar, and Kris Korzeniowski, all of whom coached U.S. collegiate programs before becoming U.S. National Team leaders. Verdonkschot has taken a different approach. “Never heard from him,” said one coach of a program that has produced dozens of recent national team and Olympic rowers, more than a year after Verdonkschot assumed his post at USRowing.

But Verdonkschot is not in the U.S. for the benefit of U.S. collegiate rowing—the top end of which is mostly bereft of U.S. citizens eligible to represent the U.S.—even if he alienates it to his disadvantage. He’s taken on the challenge of putting U.S. crews on the podium, not “all kinds of eighth places,” as he recently put it. “I’m the CEO for high performance. Simple as that. So I’m in charge of the plan,” he said in an exclusive Rowing News interview when he first came to the U.S.

So far, Verdonkschot seems to like how the plan is progressing, and the numbers support him. Numerous rowers posted significantly improved erg times leading up to the winter speed order in Florida at Nathan Benderson Park, where they also went fast on the water in small boats. California Rowing Club is responsible for the improvement of most of the top men, and Verdonkschot has made room for them in his plans and made accommodations for their West Coast schedules in the winter training camp at Benderson. At the most recent National Selection Regatta, April 24 to 28 in Chula Vista, Calif., “I was happy with the result. I was happy with the percentages,” said Verdonkschot. “For the rest, we’ll see what comes out of it, because we need to know what our best options would be. Looking at sculling—single, double, quad—what you would want to know is how to prioritize, and that’s a white canvas.”

It’s not that prior Olympic coaches haven’t aimed for the best opportunities for U.S. crews or that the eight has always been the priority boat—the four has been, in some recent Olympics—but never have sculling events and going to Europe to test them been the focus of Olympic preparation, as Verdonkschot is now making them.

The USRowing board and staff leadership set the bar low for success in Paris 2024 by bungling preparations for the last Olympics so badly that no medals were won by the U.S., with both eights finishing fourth, each less than one percent out of the medals. Their coaches had dealt with the concurrent challenges of preparing for the Olympics and being the subject of inquires by law firm Arent Fox, which was brought in to answer complaints about how selection and training were run—a distraction that USRowing CEO Amanda Kraus told Rowing News at the time “we welcome.”

More recently, in her May letter to USRowing members, Kraus crowed about receiving a formal letter from the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) stating that USRowing has addressed all the issues found in the yearlong assessment begun during preparations for the Tokyo Games. How many professionals, not just coaches, wouldn’t be at least one percent less effective with someone looking over their shoulder—the situation faced by the prior Olympic coaches?

Now, just winning a medal of any color in any of the 14 Olympic events will be a success for Verdonkschot, who was hired by Kraus relatively late in the current Olympic cycle, which was shortened by the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games.

In multiple conversations, both on and off the record, Verdonkschot has not once mentioned the compressed schedule as an excuse. He also won’t take the bait of inquiries implying that his program is underfunded. “I do not agree,” he responded flatly to a question about not having enough money. 

“USOPC has committed to the same number that they did in the past, and I have committed to a certain level of support for everybody. Not based upon the money we have, but based upon the level they perform. So there’s a group of about 50 athletes right now who receive direct athlete support based upon results at Worlds. This group—obviously there will be people who might drop out or who come in—those people get a level of support that is maybe not what you would want. But let’s say $2,000 a month for everybody who was in the finals last year or top seven or top eight last year in a smaller boat is better than it was in the past. That’s the level that we want to guarantee to the athletes. It’s performance-based and, yeah, I run into a deficit, and that’s why we work very hard to find funding.”

Verdonkschot puts the total cost of supporting an athlete this year at $50,000, half for costs like travel and equipment and half paid as direct athlete support. “That is quite a change compared to the past,” he said. “We are very happy that we’ve got the support of USOPC. We are very happy that we’ve got the support of NRF [the National Rowing Foundation] and the USRowing Foundation, which is also going to be a bigger player in how we can fund everything.

“We cannot pretend that we run a program and not have the means to provide for that program,” continued Verdonkschot. “We’ve got a spring grant from NRF, which was substantial, 400K. There might be a second part to that. Last year, I ran into a deficit with the athlete stipends. We knew that we would run into the deficit and I spoke with NRF to bridge the gap. 

“I do think that there’s a lot of good people out there who understand that we just do what we need to do, and they have got this dream, and we’ve got this dream, and you just do what you need to do. If we need to get the money, we’ll get the money.

“I do not make any compromises about the program.”

The post No Compromises appeared first on Rowing News.

A delegation of World Rowing representatives was in Southern California last week to visit the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games headquarters. They discussed, amongst other topics, the collaboration between LA28, World Rowing and US Rowing in the years leading to the Games.

World Rowing was represented by Jean-Christophe Rolland and Tricia Smith, President and Vice-President respectively, and its Executive Director, Vincent Gaillard. They were accompanied by Nobuhisa Ishizuka, Chair of the US Rowing Board.

They attended a series of meetings with key members of the Los Angeles 2028 Organising Committee, including Casey Wasserman (Chairperson), Janet Evans (Chief Athlete Officer), Kathy Carter (Chief Executive Officer), John Harper (Chief Operating Officer), Doug Arnot (Consultant, Games Delivery) and Niccolo Campriani (Sports Director). They also met Gene Sykes, Chairperson of the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

Prior to these meetings, the delegation had the opportunity to visit the proposed venue for Classic rowing, the Long Beach Marine Stadium, previously used for the 1932 Olympic Games and located at the heart of the city of Long Beach. The maximum possible length for racing in Long Beach is 1500m, marking an exception that World Rowing accepted to make to showcase the sport at the heart of the Games.

In the context of the proposal made to the International Olympic Committee to include Beach Sprint Rowing at the 2028 Olympic Games – on the back of its confirmed inclusion at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, and the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Australia – the delegation also presented how this discipline would uniquely add value to the LA28 Games, targeting a full venue share with other inshore events in the Olympic program to ensure a financially sustainable approach. A decision regarding the inclusion of Beach Sprint Rowing is expected by the IOC before the summer.

“It was a very fruitful visit, which will contribute to strengthen our partnership with Los Angeles 2028 for years to come, said World Rowing President Jean-Christophe Rolland. We are looking forward to actively supporting their ambition to, once more, make Olympic and Paralympic history in Los Angeles, including, we hope, through the inclusion of an exciting new form of rowing that will fully embrace the LA spirit and beach culture”.

The Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games are scheduled to take place from July 14 to 30 2028, followed by the Paralympic Games from August 15 to 27 2028.

The post World Rowing Delegation Makes Visit to the Los Angeles 2028 Headquarters and Proposed Rowing Venue appeared first on Rowing News.

Coaches coach every moment they’re with their athletes. Messages are sent and received, whether purposeful or not, subtle or overt. The greatest coaching impact occurs when emotions run high following racing.

Regardless of the outcome, well-chosen words and actions from a coach help athletes prepare for and perform better in their next competition. Conversely, without thought, a coach’s behavior can dig an emotional hole that’s difficult for athletes to climb out of.

The race debrief following a victory is an often overlooked coaching opportunity. Many passively convey that it’s “business as usual, keep doing what you’re doing” after a win. This is a dangerous message.

In reality, a winning crew probably still needs to improve to reach the higher goals of success in bigger races.

Remind them how motivated the defeated crews will be to reverse the outcome. Keep focused on improvement, making sure to provide specific examples of what can improve and how collectively you’re going to address these shortcomings. There is dual confidence in winning today and knowing that with specific improvement the boat can go even faster.

The debrief following a disappointing loss is fraught with peril. Everyone feels raw, so above all else the coach must possess emotional control when addressing his or her athletes. The more disappointing the outcome, the more important it is to speak softly and calmly and without profanity. If they win, you can shout and swear all you want. Delay the debrief if necessary to gain composure.

Avoid singling an individual out for criticism, especially the coxswain. Publicly reprimanding one person can cause irreparable harm. If someone needs greater attention, give them feedback privately. Conversely, there is great benefit to praising a good effort or performance publicly. 

Be honest with the group. A negative appraisal should be delivered using inclusive language. A crew’s failure to perform is the coach’s responsibility as much as it is the athletes’. When they hear the coach accepting responsibility they will feel a greater sense of shared purpose and will more likely buy into what the coach wants done. 

The race debrief partially covers what just happened, but is more about moving forward. It’s the first act of the next campaign. As such, always end on an upbeat, optimistic note.

Let them know you have a plan for how to improve even if you don’t have specifics to share yet. It’s fine to feel disappointed for a time, but never let them feel defeated. A loss is not a defeat. Hopelessness and quitting are defeats.

The coach’s words and behavior can steer athletes away from these sentiments. Express confidence in your athletes’ ability to meet the next challenge—whether that’s how they prepare, what they can improve upon, how they race, or the actual outcome.

The post The Art of the Post-Row Debrief appeared first on Rowing News.

The International Olympic Committee confirmed the dates of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games July 18, officially kicking off the Olympic countdown.

The Olympic Games will take place July 14-30, 2028, and the Paralympic Games will take place August 15-27.

“The LA28 Games will be unlike any others, showcasing the best of Southern California’s exceptional stadiums and world-class culture to athletes and fans alike. This milestone makes the Games real for every athlete actively training for their LA28 dream and the fans who follow the journey,” LA28 Chief Athlete Officer Janet Evans said.

The Games were last held in Los Angeles in 1984.

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The United States had a strong showing at the 2022 World Rowing Cup II finishing the regatta with seven medals.

Michelle Sechser and Molly Reckford took the top spot in the women’s lightweight double and will be bringing a gold medal back to the States.

In addition to the women’s lightweight double, the United States also won a silver medal in the women’s pair, and bronze in the men’s pair, women’s double sculls, men’s four, and men’s single sculls on Sunday. Mary Jones Nabel won the gold medal in the lightweight women’s single sculls for the United States on Saturday.

Full results from the event here.

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USRowing announced June 13 that Thorne HealthTech Official USRowing Partner and the exclusive supplement supplier for the U.S. National Team for 2022, 2023, and 2024.

“We are so pleased to sign on Thorne as the Exclusive Supplement Provider for the U.S. National Team,” said USRowing CEO Amanda Kraus. “Thorne has an exceptional reputation in the supplement and wellness space, and their commitment to research and development is in line with USRowing’s values of excellence, performance, and safety.” 

Thorne is an American health supplement company that “provides personalized data, products and services that help individuals take a proactive approach to health,” according to its website.

“We continue to take great pride in supporting, educating, and providing personalized health and wellness solutions to multiple U.S. national teams over the years,” said Paul Jacobson, CEO of Thorne HealthTech. “Our partnership with USRowing will help athletes integrate nutritional supplementation into their health and wellness regimens to support their peak performance goals. Time and time again, we see how important it is for athletes to know exactly what they are putting in their bodies, and we are proud to provide USRowing with high-quality, NSF Certified for Sport nutritional supplements.”

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The second day of NSR II included the women’s double repechages.

In the first double repechage of the day Vesper Composite B (Sera Busse/Cristina Pretto) finished first with a time of 7:28.70. They were joined in the top three by Green Racing Project Composite B (Samantha Sarafin/Hannah Fitts) and Riverside Composite (Elizabeth Martin/Cara Stawicki).

The second double’s repechage was led by ARION O (Veronica Nicacio/Megan Goodman) who finished atop the results board with a time of 7:15.02. Vesper (Julia Lonchar/Charlotte Forman) and Vesper (Gabriela Thomas/Emma Tierney) rounded out the top three.

The six crews that finished in the top three of each rep will race Thursday’s semifinals. The other two doubles that finished fourth in both reps—OKC HP Composite (Brooke Ruszkiewicz/Ruthie Lacy) and Riverside X (Chloe Lewis/Keara Twist)—will race in tomorrow’s C final.

A list of full results can be viewed here.

* Coverage brought to you by Gemini.

The post Day Two of National Selection Regatta II Wrapped appeared first on Rowing News.

Week 1: Go long. Head out for extended rows at low stroke rates and with firm pressure on the paddle. Rowing at a rate of 24 or lower helps engrain movements and makes it easier to make technical adjustments.

Week 2:  Focus on controlling the recovery and perfecting the proper sequence. This begins with the hands coming away, and then the knees rise, the back swings to the correct body-over position, the hands roll the blade square, and the blade is dropped into the water with slight lift from the shoulders.

Week 3: Shift your attention to the drive, initiating this phase of the stroke with the legs and accelerating throughout. Be sure not to begin the drive with the arms or back. The legs are stronger. The arms and back should be transferring the power of the legs to the blade.

Week 4: Clean up your release. As the hands approach the chest, continue to pull strongly until near the chest, then push down with the outside hand, feather, and relax your shoulders and arms.

Week 5: Revisit the subtle movements of the stroke through the catch, finish, and release.

Week 6: Get race-ready. Practice racing starts and shifts to body pace. Incorporate power 10s, short bursts, and the finish sprint.

The post A Simple Plan appeared first on Rowing News.

When the decision to postpone the 2020 Olympics was announced Tuesday, the news did not come as a surprise to most athletes training in the hopes of rowing for a medal in Tokyo this summer.

Over the last several days, athletes and sports governing associations around the world have called for the International Olympic Committee to postpone, while Canada and Australia announced that they would not go to Tokyo this summer regardless.

And with each passing day and announcement, and as the worldwide battle to contain the Covid-19 virus brought more restrictions to normal life, hopes that the 2020 Tokyo Games could be held were diminished.

“I think over the past couple of days, it’s become clear that this was going to happen, especially when some other Olympic teams started pulling out,” said U.S. 2016 Olympian Austin Hack.

“Even as recently as the beginning of last week, when the shelter in place order was coming out, I was optimistic that the new measures being taken pretty much worldwide to contain this virus were going to be effective enough that we would still be able to have some kind of Olympics this summer. But in the past week it became clear that this was the only path,” he said.

“Given the current situation, postponing was the right call unfortunately. I think maybe it was theoretically possible that the Games still could have gone on but I think from a health perspective there was a lot of risk given how unpredictable the current situation is.”

That was the reaction of multiple athletes, coaches and rowing officials yesterday who said they felt that canceling the 2020 Games was the correct decision considering the rapid spread and yet unknown course of the Pandemic, but also said the felt while decision brought finality to the questions of would the Olympics be held, and how could athletes under the worldwide lockdown train successfully – the decision left a whole new set of unanswered questions.

Still unknown is when the Games will be rescheduled. The announcement said that they had been postponed until next year, but no specific date has been set.

And that leaves a level of uncertainty that will have many athletes questioning how to continue pursuing their Olympic quests, or to if they will continue. During an interview Tuesday, IOC Vice President Anita DeFrantz said the IOC leadership understands the implications postponement brings, but does not know when an answer on rescheduling could be made.

“I certainly wish I knew the answer to that because while the decision gives the athletes some certainty, it’s not going to be July of this year, it gives them far less certainty for when it will be, and I know that is really hard for athletes.”

DeFrantz, who won a bronze medal in the US women’s eight in the 1976 Olympics, and was part of the team that could not compete due to the US boycott of the 1980 Moscow Games, said she understands what the athletes are now going through, and the decisions they face.

“Athletes will have to decide if they can do this for another year, or if it is time to get on with their other life because training is such an intensive experience. So many decisions have been made to get to the point where they can train, and of course now, they can’t train,” she said.

“It’s just really difficult and having been in a similar situation without the consequences of infecting others and causing death, I know it’s just a terrible situation for athletes to be in. They want to do the right thing, but it’s hard to know what the right thing to do is.”

The Right Thing

What the “right thing” will be is something that is being contemplated today by Olympic hopefuls everywhere, and those decisions will mean the end of international careers for some while for others there are will be considerations of family and career impact.

Hack, who rowed in the 2016 U.S. men’s eight had plans to focus on his building his career post-Tokyo 2020, and said he is now unsure what he will do, especially with the lack of an announced new date for 2021.

“I’m mentally still processing this,” Hack said. “I try not to get too worked up about things I can’t control, but I was definitely planning to take some big steps in starting a new career this year, and if I am coming back to the team, that’s going to get delayed yet another year.”

“I think I feel the way that all the other athletes feel, both in rowing and in other sports, that adding another year to the already stressful Olympic cycle definitely is going to take even more sacrifices from loved ones and athletes planning on getting moving on careers. I understand it, but it’s a little bit of a tough pill to swallow,” said Hack.

Right now, Hack and U.S. athletes in both Oakland and Princeton training centers, are working out in isolation due to stay at home orders in both of those states. Like Hack, two-time Olympic gold medalist Meghan Musnicki was training on an erg borrowed from the U.S. training center Tuesday morning.

After winning her second gold medal in the women’s eight in Rio, and then taking time away from the sport in 2017 and 2018, Musnicki returned to the Princeton training center and was focused on rowing in Tokyo.

Tuesday morning, Musnicki was thinking about what her next steps would be, but seemed intent on continuing.  

“I’ve been at the training center for the better part of the last 12 years, since 2008,” Musnicki said. “Obviously, I’ve been back and forth a little bit in the last couple of years, but the last 12 years of my life for all intent and purposes has been this. I’ve got to think about it. I meet with [women’s head coach Tom Terhaar] Thursday, he’s meeting with all of us.

“I’m not ready to walk away from this, it’s devastating and really hard to wrap my head around it in some respects but in other respects the competitive side of me is, I came back a year and a half ago because I wanted to train to make the Tokyo Olympics. And that’s what I am going to continue to do.

While Musnicki is one of the senior veterans on the team and was intending this to be her final Olympics, she hopes she has another year in her and does not want the deciding factor for this cycle to be the postponement.

“I hope so,” she said. “That’s what I’m banking on. I’m not going to let this be the deciding factor about whether I make my third and final Olympic team. If I don’t make the Olympic team, I want it to be because I’ve been injured, or I’m not good enough, or not helping the boat go faster. I don’t want it to be for a factor that is completely out of my control like that.

In Boston, the pressure to make a decision is just as pressing on Gevvie Stone, who is currently training with two other Cambridge Boat Club women Olympic hopefuls. Stone rowed in the past two Olympics and won a silver medal in the women’s single in Rio.

She had plans to contend for a place on the U.S. team and Tuesday said she does not know if she can put another full year of training in. Stone’s decision will also be impacted by the fact that she is a doctor and had put off her residency as an emergency room physician the last two seasons to train for the 2020 Olympics.

Her residency is scheduled to resume in August.

“A little part of me could see [the postponement] coming over the last few days, especially with the announcements of Canada and Australia pulling out Monday,” Stone said.

“We actually had a meeting [Monday] about the fact that it was inevitable, that it would be postponed, so I can’t say that [Tuesday’s] announcement was the one big blow. It’s been kind of a gradual tearing, and it’s hard. Putting everything into perspective, this is really hard,” she said. “But I am lucky it’s not a life or death situation for me, which is what a lot of people in the world are facing right now.

“I have put a lot on hold to train for this summer, and had been feeling fit and fast and excited to race. I was also excited to get back to residency. I was supposed to start August 17. So, a lot is up in the air. I’ve been in contact with friends and family to kind of hear their thoughts.

“Even just figuring out the options for me, I’m not sure another year is not even an option,” she said. “I’m a person who likes answers, and I have very few answers right now. And it’s hard, really hard.”

The Path for Coaches and Officials

Following a conference call between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and IOC International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, a statement on the postponement did not include a new date. The released statement said only that the Games would “be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021.”

USRowing followed that announcement with a statement that supporting the decision, but the association was also waiting for a new date.

“Today’s announcement from the IOC and IPC established a time frame for the postponement as starting in 2021 and not to go past the summer of 2021,” the statement read. “Once the IOC and IPC set dates and FISA establishes its qualifying events, USRowing’s high-performance teams will meet and determine the appropriate selection process for the rescheduled Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

See the full statement here.

In the meantime, coaches and athletes are on hold and are planning meetings to see which athletes will stay on and which will not.

“Honestly, right now we are sort of developing a plan,” said U.S. men’s head coach Mike Teti. “Everyone has been great, they’ve been doing the shelter in place, and they have their own ergs. But for some guys, it’s going to be a major decision to stay another year. We have a few guys getting married. Some have career plans they’ve made.

“I sent out an email and we’re going to have individual meetings with each guy and then we will go from there. We don’t know what’s going to happen. When they said the Olympics are going to be sometime in 2021, is it February?

“I think people are assuming it’s the summer, but no one really knows for sure so to me, I think let’s wait till it’s definitive when it’s going to be. And then come up with a game plan for that,” Teti said.

“In the meantime, our number one priority is to make sure all our athletes are healthy and I think it’s been good so far, no one has gotten the virus and everyone seems healthy, so in that perspective we’re in good shape.”

Teti said while he knows the pressure the postponement is putting on athletes, he said the Pandemic and the worldwide effort for containment, is most important.

“I think this puts things in perspective. The real key to life is figuring out what’s important and what’s not important, and for me family is most important, and then you go from there,” he said. “We are a little inconvenienced for a period of time and we’ll move on and be stronger for it.”

The post Olympic Postponement Has Athletes Questioning Next Moves appeared first on Rowing News.

The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee late Monday called for the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after more than 1,700 U.S. athletes responded to a survey and expressed concerns about severe impacts to their ability to train.

Most athletes said they favored postponing the Games over canceling them, according to a statement released by the USPOC.

The statement was issued by United States’ Olympic and Paralympic Committee Chair Susanne Lyons and USOC CEO Sarah Hirshland:

“Our most important conclusion from this broad athlete response is that even if the current significant health concerns could be alleviated by late summer, the enormous disruptions to the training environment, doping controls and qualification process can’t be overcome in a satisfactory manner.”

“To that end, it’s more clear than ever that the path toward postponement is the most promising, and we encourage the IOC to take all needed steps to ensure the Games can be conducted under safe and fair conditions for all competitors,” Lyons and Hirshland said.

The USOC’s statement follows a USA Today report regarding the potential postponement of the Games.

According to the Monday afternoon report, International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound told USA Today that the 2020 Olympics will be postponed. While there is no official announcement being made by the IOC, Pound said the decision to postpone has been made and the details are being worked out.

“On the basis of the information the IOC has, postponement has been decided,” Pound said in a phone interview. “The parameters going forward have not been determined, but the Games are not going to start on July 24, that much I know.”

Pound said he believes the IOC will announce its next steps soon.

“It will come in stages,” he said. “We will postpone this and begin to deal with all the ramifications of moving this, which are immense.”

Contacted by the newspaper for an official IOC response, spokesperson Mark Adams said, “It is the right of every IOC member to interpret the decision of the IOC executive board which was announced yesterday.” 

In that announcement, IOC President Thomas Bach said he was going to take the next four weeks to decide the fate of the Tokyo Olympics, scheduled to begin July 24. Bach has ruled out canceling the Games.

Later Monday afternoon, IOC vice president and executive board member Anita DeFrantz commented to the Los Angeles Times that Pound’s comments that the Olympics had been postponed, “might be a bit premature.”

However, what is not in question is the fact that both Canada and Australia have announced that they will not send teams to Tokyo.

Read the USA Today report here.

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