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The Olympic community continues to react to the historic postponement of this summer’s games in Tokyo. The latest athlete to share his opinion on the decision is former Gators swimmer Ryan Lochte.
Ryan’s Reaction
Around the world, much of the reaction of the athletes is that of understanding. This majority agreement is because the decision was based on the safety of the athletes admist the coronavirus pandemic, which led to the postponement or cancelation of numerous sporting events around the world. Several countries were even removing its athletes from competition to protect them from the novel virus.
When the 12-time Olympic medalist received the news, he had a similar sentiment to his fellow athletes. During an appearnce on the Today Show, Lochte shares his disappointment in the news, but understands this situation goes beyond what happens in the pool.
The Tokyo games are going to be Lochte’s fifth appearance in the Olympics.
Adjustments to Training
One of the major discussion points surrounding the change was the training these athletes have put in. The athletes, especially here in the United States, are being advised to stay isolated in their homes. Also, many of the training centers and gyms are closed. They are unable to get those final weeks of training to get to their peak strength level before departing for Japan. While these athletes have trained for years to prepare, it would’ve made a differene in their performance.
Lochte remains optimisitc about the adjustments he and other athletes will have to make. He says the training process will “never be perfect.”
With many of the pools closed, Lochte said he’s maintaining his strength by doing ab workouts at home.
Family Time
During this quarantine period, the Lochte family is making the most of it. Lochte said he and his wife, Kayla, along with their two children, Caiden and Liv, are going on family walks to pass the time. He added they are deep cleaning their house a lot to keep everyone safe and healthy.
