I think we can all agree that we are living through an unprecedented time period as the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the world in the span of a few short months. Millions (heck, maybe even billions!) of lives have been impacted by the coronavirus in one way or another in nearly every corner of the world. Amongst many other affected groups, the lives of elite athletes have been dramatically affected, especially since the virus decided to strike in an Olympic year!

Last week the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, and a few days ago they revealed the new start date - July 21, 2021. Given the current state of the world, this decision was inevitable. Things are changing every single day at such a fast pace that we cannot predict whether it will be safe to host a sporting event of this size in a few months. In addition, because certain countries like have been under quarantine restrictions longer than others, athletes are not on a level playing field when it comes to training and preparing for the Olympics.

The Olympic Games have never been postponed in the history of the modern Olympic movement, so we are wading through uncharted territory! Because this is such an unprecedented situation, I was curious how athletes from various sports were handling this news and what they thought about the postponement. Even though I typically only write about synchro on this platform, this time I wanted to include elite athletes from a variety of sports and to have a mix of first-time Olympic hopefuls and returning Olympians.

The five female athletes I chose are:

Daniella Ramirez

Artistic Swimming - 2021 Olympic hopeful

Paige McPherson

Taekwondo - 2012, 2016 Olympian; qualified for 2021 Olympics

Katie Ledecky

Swimming - 2012, 2016 Olympian; 2021 Olympic hopeful

Alix Klineman

Beach Volleyball - 2021 Olympic hopeful

I hope you find value in hearing their thoughts* on the coronavirus and the postponement of the Olympic Games, as well as how the situation has impacted their training and lifestyle. Enjoy!

Grace Luczak

Rowing - 2016 Olympian; 2021 Olympic hopeful

1) WHAT ARE YOUR OVERALL THOUGHTS ON THE 2020 TOKYO OLYMPICS BEING POSTPONED?

Daniella: I feel mixed feelings about the Olympics being postponed. Although it is an amazing blessing to be given extra time to improve, I'm torn because I wanted to begin college in 2021 and with this continued training I won't be able to start as soon as possible. My general feeling is that I sit in basically in a state of limbo and being stuck inside doesn’t help that feeling get any better.

Paige: When I heard the news I was heartbroken. Having given my life to executing a goal that is a four-year process, having scheduled my day-to-day life to a T, and then for it to suddenly be disrupted by an unknown factor that we have no complete understanding or control over is very unsettling. However, I am very understanding of the IOC’s decision. Their decision was the right one, and because of it the athletes won’t need to wrestle with making the right decision for our health or competing at the Olympics during a pandemic. Postponement allows for fair competition and preparation for all athletes.

Katie: I agree with the decision. The health of everyone involved and helping curb the impact of this virus is the most important thing at the moment. It has already been difficult for all of us to maintain our training regimens during this time because most pools and other athletic facilities are closed. While it's tough and disappointing that we won't be competing in Tokyo this summer, it is the right call and now we know we can prepare for next year. I am thankful that right now I can focus on staying healthy, my family's health, and the health of my community while all the medical professionals are working so hard to fight this virus.

Alix: To be honest, I’m just really grateful that the games are still happening. Competing in the Olympics has been a lifelong dream of mine, so knowing that the opportunity will still exist is a really positive thing. Yes, it makes all forms of training-training itself, gathering as a team, knowing what phase of training we should be in- nearly impossible, but there is something much bigger and more important going on. This is a global issue and it has affected all of us. So to me, this was the right decision to make. Our efforts need to be focused on everyone’s health and slowing down the spread of this virus for the time being.

Grace: The Olympics are a beacon of hope and exemplify the strength of the human spirit. While staying safe at home, my teammates and I are recalibrating, staying positive and agile to make the most of the opportunity to get even faster with an extra year. I hope that everyone stays healthy and safe during this time. The vision remains the same, just with an extended timeline. My analogy is that it’s like being a college senior and a couple months before graduation you’re told you can’t graduate. You have to do your senior year all over again, pay for another year of tuition, retake all of your classes, and at the end of the year, earn the same GPA or you can’t graduate and get a job.

2) WILL YOU KEEP TRAINING FOR THE 2021 OLYMPICS OR HAVE YOU CONSIDERED RETIREMENT SINCE THE POSTPONEMENT?

Daniella: I do plan to keep training for the Olympics as planned. For now, the Olympic Qualifier is my biggest concern and I am trying not to think too far ahead and avoid the anxiety that comes with that.

Paige: Although I was considering retirement after the 27th of July (day of my Olympic debut), to retire now when not fulfilling my goal of competing in my third Olympics is not up for reconsideration. I am fully committed to this Olympic cycle as the finish line is when I am on the Olympic stage fighting for the top of the podium.

Katie: Yes I will definitely be continuing on.

Alix: Once it is safe to train again I will resume training.

Grace: I know when this is all over, Team USA will come out of the gates with renewed energy. The fire is and will remain strong in all of us.

3) HOW HAS YOUR TRAINING REGIMEN CHANGED IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS?

Daniella: After the postponement was announced, my training regimen turned to maintaining general physical fitness and trying new things for cardio and strength as opposed to hardcore pre-season or pre-competition training.

Paige: My training schedule hasn't changed as drastically as other athletes’. I live with my training partner and my coach is now more available to us than before (doesn't travel for work as much). Therefore, we are still training on a daily basis. However, the intensity of our trainings has indeed changed due to the timeframe as to when we will actually compete. Since we have a year or so to prepare, this segment of time will have more emphasis on rest and recovery from lingering injuries.

Katie: Most pools are closed right now, in the Bay Area and in most places around the country. I typically train at Stanford University. The first few days after Stanford's pool shut down, I was able to swim in a private pool that remained open. Since that private pool closed, I have been able to swim in a kind neighbor's backyard pool, which allows me to continue some swimming while maintaining proper social distancing. The pool is not Olympic-size and I wouldn't consider it hard "training." At this point, swimming is therapeutic, good exercise, and keeps me in some sort of routine. I am also continuing to do some dryland exercise, but that too is limited to my apartment and my equipment since gyms are closed. I was planning on training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs from mid-March to mid-April, but the Olympic Training Center is also closed for training right now.

Alix: My regimen has changed a lot. Both our gym and the sand courts have been shut down so I have been working out from home and just touching the ball out on the street when I can.

Grace: A few weeks ago we started rowing in small boats in order to make sure everyone stays healthy. We would row with the same person for a few weeks to limit contact with one another. New Jersey went to stay-at-home regulations almost two weeks ago, so we have been training in our host family's garages. Since then we've divided our weights equipment and took home rowing machines to do light training in a safe environment.

4) IF YOU’VE BEEN IN QUARANTINE, WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING TO STAY IN SHAPE OR TO JUST STAY BUSY?

Daniella: Since I've been almost going insane while in quarantine I've been picking up a lot of books and paying attention to various dancers’ live streams so I can dance along and have fun. I've also been painting a lot more which is a huge passion of mine but with school and long pool hours I never really had a significant amount of time to sit and paint or sketch. The last few weeks have been a rollercoaster of emotions, going from extreme highs to near-bottom lows but I'm strapped in for the long trip and ready for whatever the ride throws at me!

Paige: As I am still training with my teammate and coach, I mainly have been taking this time to do more self-care and to slow down in my free time as in general, I am an on-the-go person. I have been trying to achieve small personal goals that I "said" I didn't have time for. Reading that one book(s), taking longer runs at night, listening to podcasts, meditation, and more. I now have the time to do it and no excuses to not try them.

Katie: I have been doing a lot of video calls with family and friends, including some friends I haven't talked to in a few years. I've caught up with friends from club swimming, high school, and college roommates. I'm also staying in touch with swimming teammates - my training partners on the Stanford swim team as well as National Team teammates. We're all going through the same things right now, so I believe it's important to keep each other upbeat and stay connected through this time! I'm also staying informed by watching the news and reading, doing jigsaw puzzles, and cooking. Stanford's (online) spring quarter starts in a week and so I'm going to take some classes this spring as well.

Alix: I’ve had some much free time that I’m not used to having! It’s given me the opportunity to cook even more than I already do, watch some cool new documentaries, and even wipe the dust off of my camera that hasn’t been used in a while!

Grace: We had a video yoga session with our teammates back in their homes with our local yoga teacher in Princeton - Lara from Yoga Stream. I set up a home gym and borrowed equipment left outside in driveways or garages from friends and coworkers. There's been lots of cooking and baking! My host sister has been making sourdough bread every day. Many a batch of superhero muffins have been baked.

*Answers have been edited slightly for grammar and brevity