Fans or no fans, US swimmers aim to be fast in Tokyo Olympics

By AFP

LOS ANGELES: US swim stars Katie Ledecky and Caeleb Dressel vowed Thursday that the decision to bar spectators at the Tokyo Games over Covid concerns won’t affect them in the competition pool.

Freestyle great Ledecky, a five-time Olympic gold medallist who is targeting a remarkable range of events in the 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle, said that the decision shouldn’t take away from glory of the Games, even though she knows they will have a significantly different flavor.

Ledecky noted that when the 2020 Games were postponed for a year as the pandemic raged, it wasn’t clear if they would ever, in fact, be held.

“It was kind of a dream that the Olympics would still happen, we had no idea if there would be a vaccine or if the case count would start going down,” Ledecky said in a virtual press conference from the US team’s training camp in Hawaii.

“I think even though we’re not having fans this summer the world is still coming together — athletes and coaches and volunteers everyone is getting together in this one city for the opportunity to pursue their goals that they’ve worked for  five years.

“And I still think that’s a really beautiful thing,” Ledecky added. “I know this is going to be kind of a made-for-TV Olympics.

“I hope that everyone around the world tunes in and still enjoys it and recognizes the beauty of the work that all of these athletes have put in for these five years.”

Tokyo 2020 organisers and government officials announced on Thursday that fans would be banned from Olympic events in the capital, which will be under a virus emergency throughout the Games.

It means the Games will be the first to take place largely behind closed doors.

Asked about the spectator ban, and the pandemic fears that continue to press on Tokyo, Dressel said that retired swimming great Michael Phelps had counseled the current crop of US Olympians to focus on things they could control and he was taking that advice.

To that end, Dressel said, he is preparing to follow all of the required anti-virus protocols and otherwise will try to keep his focus on swimming.

“Right now, the goal for everyone on this team is to swim fast,” said Dressel, who will chase his first individual Olympic gold in the 50m and 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly — all three events in which he is the two-time defending world champion.

“I fully trust Team USA, the staff, that they’re going to take care of us, that we’re going to be safe.

“So I know there are things going on, yes I’m aware of them. I don’t want it to sap energy from me because the goal at hand for me is to swim fast.”

US men’s head coach Dave Durden said he didn’t think the lack of spectators in the stands would impact performance.

“I feel like we have raced in that environment for the past year,” Durden said. “It’s something that our athletes have been comfortable with.”

Ledecky said the presence of the world’s best swimmers would be more than enough motivation.

“I haven’t faced anyone from around the world since 2019, so it’s great that we’re getting this opportunity and I know we’re not going to take it for granted.”