Olympic athletes who qualified for Tokyo Games get good news

When Olympic leaders postponed the Summer Games this week because of the COVID-19 pandemic, pushing the massive competition into next year, their decision raised a big question.

What happens to athletes who already qualified for Tokyo? Would they have to go back and compete for their spot again?

The issue was resolved Friday: The 33 federations governing each sport reached an agreement with the International Olympic Committee to honor all previous qualifications when the Games finally take place.

“Definitely a big relief,” said Haley Anderson, an open-water swimmer who made the U.S. team last July.

The qualification process varies by sport and nation. In some cases, athletes must prove themselves at a trials competition just before the Games. Other times, the spots are determined far earlier.

The U.S. has yet to make any selections in gymnastics and basketball but has filled much of the roster for sports such as open-water swimming, marathon and surfing.

Fifty-seven percent of the approximately 11,000 available slots for Tokyo were filled before the coronavirus outbreak shut down sporting events around the world, the IOC said.

Sebastian Coe, president of the international track federation, confirmed that every federation voiced support for preserving existing qualifications. The decision, he said, will allow his sport to move forward.

“What is important now is that we develop a clear and fair process for the remaining athletes to qualify, given many events have been postponed,” Coe wrote in an open letter.

The matter was of particular concern to Phil Andrews, chief executive for USA Weightlifting, who noted that some of his athletes feared “they may have to fight again for what they have already earned.”

“The IOC absolutely made the right call on this,” he said. “You have to protect the ones who were told they are going to the Olympics.”