Rethinking the preparation of athletes seeking a spot in the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games is the main objective of the Ecuadorian Olympic Committee (COE) once the pandemic is overcome and a safe return to sports activities is guaranteed.
As explained by COE President Augusto Morán, "Ecuador has a potential that it has earned thanks to the High Performance Plan and the efforts of Ecuadorian sports federations, which are the fundamental pillar for our athletes to participate at the international level. We need to give athletes the possibility of restarting their work because several of them were ready to go to qualifying events and have now lost their athletic form. As is logical, we need to motivate them again, to make them believe in their potential."
The Olympic director explained that although all athletes are currently training at home due to the quarantine for COVID-19, this training only helps maintain their athletic form and some specialties benefit from it more than others.
"Weightlifting has provided equipment to athletes who have the possibility of going to Tokyo; of course, they cannot do the normal loads, but they are maintaining their physical condition. There are other (specialties) that are more limited, such as shooting, where we have two spots for Tokyo with Marina Pérez and Diana Durango. We have a spot in modern pentathlon, with Lourdes Cuaspud, where the nature of the sport is diverse and training becomes more complicated. In athletics, athletes are doing their work on treadmills or through training plans by phone, computer, via zoom, but it is not a High Performance training that can be programmed for the Olympic Games," Morán added.
The COE president assured that he maintains permanent meetings with the presidents of the national federations for each sport to know the reality of their selected athletes, as well as with the Ministry of Sports. "Despite the problems that have arisen due to the pandemic, the expectations for qualification remain," he said.
"We are making the necessary efforts with this group of athletes, which I believe will be greater than the 37 who qualified for Rio 2016. The most important thing is that they can prepare themselves in the best possible way after the red light of this pandemic passes, when the necessary guarantees are given in terms of health and to be able to provide them with High Performance training according to their athletic objective. Some International Federations will begin their qualifying processes in November, others will do so next year," the Olympic director announced.
Qualification process for Tokyo 2021
43% of sports have not completed their qualification process for Tokyo. Among the activities that still need qualification spots for Ecuador are cycling, BMX, weightlifting, which would have their events at the end of this year; wrestling, which still needs the world pre-Olympic event to take place possibly in June; boxing, which would have its qualifying event next year; athletics, which would start the second phase of qualification in December; golf and triathlon, which are awaiting the closing of their rankings where two Ecuadorians are virtually qualified, Daniela Darquea and Elizabeth Bravo, respectively.
All qualification phases depend on how the pandemic progresses, whether there are outbreaks or a vaccine is discovered. While this is happening, the same problem facing Ecuadorian athletes with their training is being experienced globally. That is why the COE has held video conferences with ODESUR, ODEBO, Panam Sports, as well as the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to coordinate actions.
"The Games (Olympic) are an effort that we all have to make," emphasized Morán. "Our president (of the IOC), Thomas Bach, confirmed the strength of the Olympic Movement. It is a complex moment because a stronger investment is needed, not only from the IOC but also from the government of Japan and the Organizing Committee of the Games. National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and Governments are not oblivious to this type of problem; NOCs have had to make investments, bring athletes, advance flights, events have been suspended where air tickets had already been purchased, we have paid for accommodation and food," Morán referred.
The Olympic director said they are collaborating with certain athletes by providing them with continental and Tokyo scholarships, which have been extended to next year. They have obtained two or three more scholarships for athletes who have been in outstanding positions. The scholarships are granted by the Technical Department of the IOC two years before the Olympic Games for those in the best positions. We have no influence. Panam Sports is planning to hold regional camps, as there will be some limitations on traveling to other continents in the future," he said.
Return to activities
Morán announced that the COE will return to in-person work (currently in telework) when the National Government and the Municipality of Guayaquil provide the appropriate traffic light system. However, he emphasized that for the opening of the weightlifting, judo, Olympic shooting, and skating stadiums, which are under the entity, a regulation is needed from the Ministry of Sports, which, together with the National Emergency Operations Committee, will determine the protocol to be applied in them.
"In this historical moment that the country is experiencing, I believe that sports can leave a great lesson for all citizens; we can overcome COVID-19. Sports can teach many people that we are capable of sending a message of peace, unity, and transparency," said Morán. (D)