Briana Williams and her handlers are taking a positive outlook on the postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.
The International Olympic Committee and the organisers in Japan announced on Tuesday that they have postponed the Games for about a year because of the Coronavirus pandemic that has forced the cancellation or rescheduling of major sports across the globe.
The COVID-19 virus has infected more than 400,000 people and killed almost 19,000 in more than 150 countries.
What this means is that the 18-year-old sprinter now has to wait an extra year before she gets to compete in her very first Olympic Games against the world’s best sprinters. Not surprisingly, she posited a mature outlook.
“The postponement of the Olympics is a great decision because it’s for our health & safety. I’ve been looking forward to making the team for Tokyo 2020 with all the hard work I’ve put in, and the daily struggles that all of us athletes have to face,” Williams said while adding that all the athletes affected must still keep that Olympic dream alive.
“But these things happen for a reason. We just have to keep safe and take care of ourselves. “
Meanwhile, her coach Ato Boldon said the postponement simply means that his athlete has more time to prepare to take on the best female sprinters on the planet.
“Briana would have been ready to surprise many in Tokyo 2020, but now she gets another year to get stronger, fitter and faster. She has improved her 100m time every year for the past three seasons, so waiting another year for the Olympics should be beneficial,” Boldon said.
Williams has been in Jamaica for the past two weeks during which time she celebrated her 18th birthday. Nevertheless, she will soon be back in full training as she prepares for the possibility of meets later on this season and for 2021.
“Our facility here (Florida) has been on lockdown but the restrictions will be lifted soon. She will continue to train with the expectation that there will be some late season meets in 2020. Her training will be altered significantly though,” he said.