THE COVID OLYMPICS: TOKYO 2020
How do you prepare for the pinnacle of sport in the middle of a global pandemic??
Throughout the last 18 months we have learnt to become adaptable and flexible when it comes to day to day life.
Last year when the Tokyo Olympic Games had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic we were unsure if we would ever make it to the start line in Japan. Whilst coaching an athlete that was at the peak of her running career, this news was very unsettling. The track was shut, gyms were shut and you could only train with one other person. But we kept going and saw this delay as extra time to prepare for the games, get super fit and really put the hard yards in over our “off season”.
And guess what, it worked!
This extended time to train for the upcoming season worked a treat, not only did Sarah run her qualifying time for the olympic games in her very first hurdles race of the season, but all members of my running squad ran personal bests in 2021.
Fast forward to July 2021, Sarah and I were boarding our first flight in a long time to the Tokyo Olympic Games. The unease followed us right up until the last minutes of leaving, with the media reporting the games were going to get cancelled and we were also stuck in the Sydney lockdown. This meant we were unable to travel to Cairns for the pre-olympic camp and racing organised by Athletics Australia.
“What do you mean you can’t go to Cairns, you’re going to the Olympics??”.
And what did we do to keep safe in the village….
Take a saliva test and temperature test every morning
Report your symptoms daily on an app
Wear a mask at all times, the only time you could remove your mask was when you were in your room. Most times I would double mask on a flight or bus
Sanitise Sanitise Sanitise
No hugging or high fives, no visiting other towers and mingling with other countries, practice social distancing
The dining hall was fun, you had to wear gloves upon arrival, have your food served to you and then sit behind a plastic screen, eat your food ASAP and get out
Complete an extra saliva test 48 hours before leaving for arrival in Australia
So what did we have to do to get there…
Vaccinations in May 2021
Commence our own self isolation, meaning we could not see our families before we left
Gain an exemption to travel to Sydney for track training
Gain an exemption to access a gym in Wollongong
Undertake 4 covid tests in the final 2 weeks of leaving
DON’T GET SICK otherwise you won’t get on the plane
And all this was followed by 2 weeks of hotel quarantine.
BUT lets get into all the highlights of attending an olympic games.
I got to witness my athlete compete at the highest ranked competition in the world! This was then followed by both the men’s and women’s 400m hurdle world records being broken. For me that is a memory I will be able to share with my family in 30 years time, looking back on an experience that is so special you can’t put it into words.
The AOC were fantastic with the set up of the Australian tower and what we had on offer. Everything that you could ever need was provided and they reduced our need to be exposed to other countries in the village as much as possible. This was especially important leading into race day. Head Quarters consisted of past olympic athletes who were on hand to answer all questions as well as providing little pearlers of wisdom onto our current olympic team members.
The Closing Ceremony was fantastic, the Japanese people really know how to put on a show and make sure we were safe at the same time. Getting dressed up in your uniform and entering the stadium as the Australian team as well as a collective of athletes/coaches. Getting all the uniform is a massive perk, I have never been so proud to live constantly in green and gold over a 2 week period. Once again, the AOC spoilt us with choice and supplied everything needed from bucket hats, to keep cups and our very own boxing kangaroo.
The coffee cart in the Aussie tower was also a highlight and a very popular port of call for all team members. Us Aussies do love our barista made coffee. Although the dining hall could be overwhelming at times with the amount of people, the food on offer was pretty good and the choice was endless. The stations were categorised based on cuisine and you would never go hungry in that place. The dessert choice was also pretty impressive and unfortunately, no golden arches were provided within the village - this is the first times McDonalds has not been available in an Olympic village since the 1998 Winter games in Nagano.
Look I could go on for hours and talk about my experience at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games but what I need to finish on is how the Japanese Olympic Committee and volunteers pulled off these games. No other country would have been able to achieve this and the volunteers present were so lovely and excited and happy for us to be there. They made our experience and I can’t wait to go back to Japan one day and experience their country and culture.
Thanks for reading, you’ve done well to last. And I can’t wait to see you all back in the clinic when I get out of hotel quarantine.