Hockey Gold Medalist Hayley Wickenheiser Calls IOC's Tokyo Plan 'Irresponsible'

The International Olympic Committee announced Tuesday that it plans to continue with the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo as scheduled from July 24 through August 9 in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

However, at least one International Olympic Committee's Athletes' Commission member is against that sentiment. 

Former Team Canada hockey player and four-time gold medalist Hayley Wickenheiser tweeted Tuesday she believes moving forward with the Games as currently planned is "insensitive and irresponsible given the state of humanity":

"I think the IOC insisting this will move ahead, with such conviction, is insensitive and irresponsible given the state of humanity. We don't know what's happening in the next 24 hours, let alone in the next three months.

"Should the Olympics be canceled? No one knows at this point and that IS my point. To say for certain they will go ahead is an injustice to the athletes training and global population at large. We need to acknowledge the unknown."

The IOC said the following in a statement on its decision released earlier in the day:

"The IOC remains fully committed to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, and with more than four months to go before the Games there is no need for any drastic decisions at this stage; and any speculation at this moment would be counter-productive."

Wickenheiser played in five Olympic Games between 1998 and 2014, winning four gold and one silver for Team Canada.

At least two Olympic athletes have expressed reservations about holding the Olympics, including world champion British heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Greek gold-medalist pole vaulter Katerina Stefanidi, per Reuters' Karolos Grohmann.

"I feel under pressure to train and keep the same routine, which is impossible," Johnson-Thompson wrote on Twitter.

"There is no postponement, no cancellation. But it (the IOC) is putting us at risk," Stefanidi said.

"We all want Tokyo to happen but what is the Plan B if it does not happen? Knowing about a possible option has a major effect on my training because I may be taking risks now that I would not take if I knew there was also the possibility of a Plan B.

"We have to decide whether to risk our health and continue training in the current environment."

The IOC announcement comes in the midst of a mass cancellation of sporting events worldwide.

The latest examples Wednesday included the cancellation or postponement of all men's PGA Tour or PGA of America events through mid-May, including the PGA Championship.

As of March 17, over 184,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus have occurred in 159 countries, according to the World Health Organization. More than 7,000 people have died.

In Japan, there are 829 confirmed cases, with 28 deaths.