Naomi Osaka - Olympic move "better for the whole world"
Two-time major winner Naomi Osaka made a positive statement to the Reuters news agency about the postponement of the Tokyo Summer Olympics to 2021.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: May 01, 2020, 04:38 pm
For Naomi Osaka, if the Summer Olympics should actually take place in Tokyo next year, one thing above all is to be hoped that there will be enough Japanese aspirants for precious metals. And Osaka, which won the US Open in 2018 and the Australian Open in early 2019, does not get all the pressure of expectations from the public. However, it is still not clear whether the corona pandemic can be brought under control in just over a year so that the games are really played out.
In spite of the long hesitation of the IOC, there was no alternative. “Like most athletes who trained for it, I was initially disappointed. But if you understand that the shift is better for the whole world, you should know that the games can wait. We will meet in 2021 and be ready, ”Osaka told Reuters.
Osaka's schedule doesn't get mixed up
“I feel strong with athletes, such as athletes, who train for four years and then peak at an exact time. Of course, their schedule is now completely mixed up, ”Osaka continues. “Tennis works a little differently in this regard. So I don't have to change my preparation too much.
From the perspective of Tokyo, however, a further shift would not be possible, as the head of the organization of the games has already said. "I know so many people who worked so hard for the games," said Osaka. “And I also know how difficult it was for people in Japan. But of course it was the right decision that I fully support. I really hope that the Olympic Games can be a big celebration for the whole world at the other end of this pandemic. ”