September too early to decide?

Triathlon, cycling, athletics and swimming have continued their preparations with a view to competing in 2021, despite a major decision looming in late September over whether to postpone the Games.

Triathlon Club president Mark Naftel, with his work hat on from his planning and events post at Bailiwick Law Enforcement, has been left pondering whether this is the right move.

‘I do not know how they will make a decision in September about something that’s going to happen in July next year,’ said Naftel.

‘I do not think that Covid’s going to go away for quite some time.

‘I think the world has got to find a way for life to go on in the same way as we have done with other infectious diseases, like flu and tuberculosis, which affected loads of people and Covid is doing the same.

‘But it’s a much bigger picture than sport.’

Triathlon will have already selected a provisional team by the time of the decision. The final qualifier takes place on 2 August and, given a theoretical postponement of one year, Naftel and his colleagues will have to discuss whether to carry the team over or stage a new process.

‘I do not think we can take our foot off the gas for getting the team ready for 2021,’ he added.

His opposite number at the Velo Club, Mark Smith, is also determined to stick with the plan despite the adverse circumstances.

‘We are not going to stop planning and we are not going to stop preparing for it,’ said Smith.

‘We cannot do anything about the situation as it is what it is. We would be disappointed if it was cancelled, but at the same time, we have got to respect the health of our coaches and athletes.’

Yet while Guernsey’s early resumption giving them a head-start on rivals, he feels that fairness may also come into the equation.

‘There’s an element of we might find ourselves at an advantage, because we are back to normal and they are not, and that begs the question: “Is it fair to those islands that are not as well prepared as we are?”

Athletics development officer Tom Druce is prepared to look beyond this point and says the decision should be made purely on a health and safety basis.

‘We can take it to the next level and say the Cayman Islands have an advantage because of their climate.

‘If our sprinters trained in the Caymans all year round, I think genuinely, they’d be faster. There’s an advantage, but it’s circumstantial.

‘I do not think that should come into consideration as to whether we go ahead with the Games.’

As for a potential ‘Half Games’, Druce would not mind missing a few smaller isles if they did not compete. But?

‘If all of the bigger isles turned around and decided not to come, it would put a massive dampener on the Games.’