Rotterdam Dressage, Jumping CHIO Canceled Amid Growing Moves to Postpone Olympics
4 years ago StraightArrow Comments Off on Rotterdam Dressage, Jumping CHIO Canceled Amid Growing Moves to Postpone Olympics
Mar. 23, 2020
CHIO Rotterdam, a major international dressage and jumping competition scheduled for June 18-21, has been the latest equestrian event to be canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic while the Tokyo Olympic organization on Monday reported it has delayed the final payment deadline for accommodations by four weeks.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe, an Olympic gold medalist who headed up the London 2012 Olympic organizing committee, wrote to the International Olympic Committee seeking to have the Tokyo Games moved, the latest in a growing chorus of opposition to the current schedule for the Games set to begin July 24.
The Olympics in Tokyo taking place as planned in July and August is “neither feasible nor desirable,” he wrote, saying a decision on status should be made quickly.
The IOC announced Sunday that it is reviewing the status of the Olympic dates, including postponement, and that a decision would be made within four weeks.
Australia and Canada made it clear that its athletes would not go in the current situation.
U.S. Swimming and U.S. Track and Field are also seeking a delay.
The Rotterdam CHIO, the only dressage and jumping 5* Nations Cups in the Netherlands, will not be re-scheduled for this year, but postponed to June 24-27 2021.
The CHIO in Aachen, Germany, the world’s leading international horse show of dressage, driving, eventing, jumping and vaulting, posted a notice last week that plans for this year’s event scheduled for June 1-7 are so far unchanged.
Ron Voskuilen, general director of CHIO Rotterdam that this year was to celebrate its 72nd birthday, said in a statement: “With the current situation in our country and the rest of the world and the uncertainty for the next coming months it should be irresponsible to continue the preparations and financial obligations for the upcoming CHIO Rotterdam.”
The Tokyo Olympic organizers notified national federations, the media and other entities making accommodation arrangements through the official body, the deadline for final payment had been extended to May 18 from the original date of April 24.
