The AOC is addressing this pre-Games period very differently than the usual practices in assembling the Australian Olympic Team for a Games.
The AOC has created “Project Wagasa” – it means “umbrella” in Japanese – to ensure the Team can safely and effectively prepare for, are given every opportunity to succeed at, and are welcome home fit and well from, the Tokyo 2020 Games. The project will also address and support the requirements of the winter sports in their preparations for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games.
The key objective of Project Wagasa is for the AOC to take the key role to integrate individual sports pre-Games activities into an overall umbrella plan that will ensure the athletes can prepare in a safe and COVID compliant environment to enter Japan, compete at the Games and then leave Japan in safety and having achieved their Olympic ambitions in Tokyo.
To achieve this objective, we are working closely with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Home Affairs and Border Force to provide a co-ordinated whole of Olympic sport interaction with government. This is also being undertaken at State level.
Planning for the postponed Tokyo Games is proceeding at pace. Earlier this year the Organising Committee with the IOC confirmed all competition and other key venues are secured for next year and the competition schedules confirmed.
The IOC has provided additional funding totalling more than USD700 million. Over the coming weeks, the Tokyo Organising Committee will hold important discussions on different scenarios for COVID-19 counter measures.
All of this is being undertaken with a level of uncertainty around the global COVID environment but our aim is to minimize the risk of any harm and ensure the safe and successful preparation, delivery and return of the Australian Olympic Team in the current environment.
But for these Games, in these times, we have taken this umbrella approach to do everything we can for the athletes and their sports.
