Carry on Cam’s ‘business as usual’
OLYMPIC hopeful Cam Chalmers feels that it is ‘business as usual’ despite the immense uncertainty surrounding Tokyo 2020.
The International Olympic Committee are now considering postponing the Games set for 24 July, following concerns from numerous sporting bodies, yet the 400m ace remains committed to training.
Chalmers has shifted base from Cardiff to Bath but otherwise, he is currently largely unaffected.
The 23-year-old continues to receive the coaching of Matt Elias and still benefits from being a World Class Programme funded athlete.
‘I’m very fortunate,’ said the Ravenscroft and Artex backed Chalmers.
‘I haven’t been affected by it too badly as of yet, which is really good, so I’ve still been able to train on the track and use gyms. Really positive for me, actually.
‘I know a lot of people are struggling with access to facilities, with loads of big establishments closing their doors, but Bath University’s still open, so I can train up there with my brother and other training partners.’
Amid the Covid-19 concerns, the IOC earlier caused some confusion by advising that athletes continue to prepare ‘as best they can’ for the Games.
World champion heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson has been outspoken on the issue, admitting that maintaining her training routine is ‘impossible’.
And distance runner Jess Judd publicly vented her anger at being denied entry to Loughborough’s track due to not being on World Class Performance funding.
The IOC more recently announced that they will decide within the next month whether to postpone Tokyo 2020. Missing the Olympics is now Chalmers’ main fear.
‘A lot of the athletes are looking for it to be postponed at the least, just because of the fact that a lot of the potential qualifying opportunities and races in early summer ... have all been postponed,’ he added.
‘At the moment, they still haven’t cancelled it or postponed it, but time will tell.
‘Obviously, things are changing pretty drastically day-to-day, not just in sport but in terms of normal life as well. I’ll keep doing what I’m doing and keep training as though it’s business as usual, the best I can, and just wait to hear if they make any changes to the Olympics or the European Championships that follow.’
