by Alfonz Juck
Coronavirus, photo by Journalist resource
This is how the COVID-19 virus affected the sport on 23 May 2020, thanks to EME News….
VIRUS IMPACT
OSTRAVA (CZE): The 59th Ostrava Golden Spike meet (part of newly created World Athletics Continental Tour Gold) was planned to be held today, on May 22. Due to pandemic it is postponed for September 8. Some top athletes send for the original date messages of support and hope. It came from Tom Walsh, Christian Taylor, Emmanouil Karalis, on the home side Nikola Ogrodnikova and legendary Sarka Kasparkova. “We are ready to stage the meet in the conditions which will be possible in September. In terms of participation and spectators,” said meet director Jan Zelezny. Czech stars like Barbora Spotakova, Tomas Stanek or Jakub Vadlejch will be also ready to compete.
NEW YORK (USA): Mayor of New York Bill De Blasio has said it is still “too early” to talk about the status of the New York Marathon on 1 November, informs the Daily Mail. “The marathon itself is obviously a ways off so we’re talking to them but it’s too early to come to any conclusions. But they are right at the table with us as we consider what to do,” he said.
NOVOGORSK (RUS): The director of the Novogorsk training base Nikolai Domoratsky has said the centre is ready to receive athletes again, informs sports.ru. “Novogorsk is ready to receive athletes, everything is clean, there are no reasons for concern. The employees have negative results for the presence of coronavirus, everyone is ready. We are preparing to host 225-230 people from May 25. Given the fact that 55 athletes – representatives of the rhythmic gymnastic, are at the base. We have already discussed the arrival at the base with the federations of athletics, figure skating, pentathlon,” he said.
NEUBRANDENBURG (GER): Competitive athletics could resume in Germany from 27 May with SC Neubrandenburg submitting the appropriate applications to the authorities to stage a competition next week, informs Leichtathletik.de. “We are optimistic and very much hope that the city and the health department give their okay,” said SC Neubrandenburg’s sports manager Astrid Kumbernuss. Discus throwers Claudine Vita, Kristin Pudenz, Julia Harting and Martin Wierig have all already expressed an interest in participating.
MONTREAL (CAN): This week, Athletics Canada announced their Back on Track task force, initiating the first steps of getting the sport of athletics back across Canada. Canadian athletes of all levels are patiently waiting for that day when they can safely return to the track with their teammates. Members of the 4×400-metre relay teams are no different, as Philip Osei, Maya Stephens, and Austin Cole are eager to see the strides they can make after a breakout 2019 season. From Athletics Canada.
KINGSTON (JAM): Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) officials will meet in a couple of weeks to decide if it will host its annual National Senior Championships this year, it will have to determine if athletes will still want to take part in the meet because of fears of the coronavirus pandemic. The provisional dates are August 8-9. “The committee will meet and see if it is feasible and desirable to, in fact, have the national championships,” president Warren Blake said. “There are no major meets to use the trial to select people for. Apart from choosing the national champions, one of the main reasons for the national championships is to select teams.” From Jamaica Gleaner.
SOFIA (BUL): New dates for Balkan Championships 2020 have been set. Men and women event will be held in Romania (Cluj-Napoca) on September 19-20. The U20 category in Istanbul on September 12-13 and U18 in Krayevo, Serbia on September 5. Half-Marathon in Zagreb on August 22.
LISBON (POR): The EDP Lisbon Half Marathon, which had been rescheduled for September 6, has again been postponed and is now set to take place on May 9, 2021.
INDIANAPOLIS (USA): The United States first held a national track and field championship in 1876, near the end of Reconstruction. There was a nationals during two World Wars. There was one in 1980, even though that meet selected a team that never went to the Moscow Olympics. But after 144 years without interruption, a pandemic might mean no national track and field meet in 2020. What to do next is an opportunity to “see what track and field could look like,” said Jeff Porter, chair of the athletes’ advisory committee for USA Track & Field. “That’s what excites me.” The decision is expected by mid-June. From eu.indystar.com.
