VIDEO: Watson responds to Canada’s decision to skip Tokyo 2020

Canada became the first country to back out of Tokyo 2020 because of the global COVID-19 pandemic, later joined by Team Australia. According to the COC, their goal is to have the International Olympic Committee postpone the event until the summer of 2021.

Watson heard the news in a phone call from her head coach on Sunday, who said she’s disappointed but not surprised by the decision.

“Canada doesn’t want us to see us miss out on an Olympics, they want to see us there,” said Watson. “That’s where I’m really understanding of this decision. Although I feel it’s premature, I completely understand why we are doing this. I completely understand we need to put pressure on the IOC to make this decision sooner than later.”

The 25-year-old took to social media and expressed her feelings on the COC’s announcement Sunday, but wasn’t happy with how rapidly the decision was made with four months left until the games.

We need to put our attention on to this pandemic not athletics. Those decisions can wait. The IOC needs to postpone the games, but countries dropping out and not standing together upsets me. We need to make this decision as a WORLD not separate countries. Put our world first.🌎 pic.twitter.com/iBErExvWov

— Sage Watson (@SageWats) March 23, 2020

“I felt that Canada maybe was a little premature in pulling us out,” said Watson. “That’s just my feelings as an athlete, but I’m not in those meetings with the COC and with Team Canada. I’m not there hearing what they’re hearing, so this is just from an outside athlete perspective.”

Watson also took issue with the way Team Canada’s decision was filtered down to the athletes, as she nor her teammates had any prior warning to the COC’s official announcement.

“We weren’t notified at all,” said Watson. “That’s the one thing, I wished they would have notified us athletes first before the announcement was made. I think that would have been the nice thing to do.”

A number of current and former Canadian Olympic athletes have come out in support of the COC’s decision to miss Tokyo 2020 including Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Hayley Wickenheiser and gold medallists Erica Wiebe and Rosie MacLennan.

The International Olympic Committee put themselves on a four-week clock earlier Sunday, setting a timetable of mid-to-late April to make a final decision on postponement.

Spending her last four years training for the Olympic stage, Watson said it’s a sad day for her and her teammates but one that’s been coming for a while.

“I’m not too upset that the Olympics will be affected,” she said. “I think I’ve just had an understanding about it for myself. Personally, I kind of accepted that over a week ago that there’s likely going to be changes. If there’s changes going on in the NHL and NBA, there’s going to be changes with the Olympics.”

Watson returned from training in Tucson, Arizona just over a week ago and has been home self isolating on her family ranch outside of Medicine Hat.

During that stretch, Watson has been training on her gravel road and has been working out in a home gym to keep herself in shape.

Even though she won’t be taking on the world this summer, the Seven Persons star will keep her training up in case the Tokyo Games are moved to 2021.

“You can’t lose your fitness and a lot of athletes understand that,” said Watson. “We’re going to try our best, I think everybody around the world is trying their best.”

by Scott Roblin

VIDEO: Watson responds to Canada’s decision to skip Tokyo 2020

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