Difficulty staging events has Olympic sports worried about Tokyo qualifying
World Rowing official Matt Smith says it's 'urgent we start to make decisions'
Olympic sports federations have shared concerns about completing qualifying events for the Tokyo Games during the coronavirus pandemic.
World Rowing official Matt Smith said during an online meeting of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations that "it is really getting urgent that we start to make decisions."
About 57 per cent of more than 11,000 places in the Tokyo Olympics had been secured in March when the games were postponed. But many of the 33 sports on the Tokyo program now have challenges staging international events.
ASOIF director general Andrew Ryan says the group is "very, very concerned" that "we present [athletes] with an equal opportunity to qualify."
Smith says "we need help and we need to exchange information."
Talks are expected between the governing bodies and with the IOC.
World rankings and past performances could be used to allocate entries for Tokyo if qualifying events cannot be organized.
