- Joined
- Dec 5, 2015
I think your argument would be reasonable if:I think it's important to keep in mind this quote: "Because the athletes' hearts weren't imaged prior to their Covid-19 infections... it's impossible to say whether the virus caused the observed damage." Anecdotally, we're seeing elite athletes recover and perform well after infections, such as Novak Djokovic.
If we allow sports to continue, athletes can always opt out if they don't feel safe participating; in addition to Yuzuru Hanyu skipping the GP, #1 tennis player Ashley Barty has decided to stay in Australia rather than compete in the Grand Slam tournaments this fall. For athletes willing to take a risk, and given that they understand to potential problems even with the mitigation efforts that sports federations are undertaking, I think they should be allowed to compete. In many cases, these people rely on competition to earn a living through prize money and endorsements. Additionally, for sports like figure skating, the window for the athlete's peak ability can be as short as a few years.
1. All senior figure skaters were adults (many aren't)
2. Sports bodies made a true effort to inform athletes about the true risk associated with practicing and performing.
In figure skating, the first requirement isn't met. Many athletes are legally and mentally still children. The second requirement isn't met by most sports organizations. Most have a history of not sharing the true dangers/ risks associated with a sport, and/or hiring doctors who tell athletes they can continue to train/ perform when most medical professionals would disagree. Allowing athletes to weigh risks/rewards only works when dealing with adults who are well informed.