Local Olympic hopefuls react to news

By Medicine Hat News on March 24, 2020.

Medicine Hat’s two most likely Olympians reacted emotionally on social media following Canada’s decision to pull out of the 2020 Olympics.

Both Sage Watson and Sarah Mickey made statements as the Tokyo games appeared headed for a postponement.

“I believe in the safety of our nation but this is premature,” wrote Watson on Twitter in her first comment Sunday after the Canadian Olympic Committee said it wouldn’t send athletes to Tokyo in 2020.

At the time, there was no indication from the International Olympic Committee that the games would be altered from their July 24 start date. That has since changed.

The 400 metre hurdles specialist later qualified her remarks, noting “the IOC needs to postpone the games, but countries dropping out and not standing together upsets me.”

She also clarified she supported the decision but was “sad that this decision has to be made for us… do we not have patience to wait a few weeks?”

Watson has been self-isolating at home in Seven Persons for 12 days since leaving her training home in Phoenix, Arizona.

Mickey, who was hoping to compete in seated discus at the Paralympics this year, had just returned home Saturday from Australia. She’d been there training and getting certified to compete when the global pandemic ramped up to the point she needed to get home immediately.

“Heartbroken. That’s really the only word that describes my emotions after hearing that the COC and CPC (Canadian Paralympic Committee) will not be sending any athletes to Tokyo this summer,” wrote Mickey. “Coming from an athletes perspective who has trained and prepared for these games, it’s a tough pill to swallow.

“However with that being said I also can appreciate that the COC and CPC are putting athletes health and safety above all else.”

Mickey would have been home sooner but her mother Sharon’s passport was stolen while in Australia. Authorities managed to get the situation sorted out and the two are now self-isolating at home in Redcliff.

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