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Friday, March 29, 2024

Malachowski calls for Olympics postponement to avoid "Games of Death"

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Malachowski calls for Olympics postponement to avoid 'Games of Death'
Malachowski calls for Olympics postponement to avoid "Games of Death"

Officials should consider postponing this year's Tokyo Olympic Games because of the coronavirus epidemic to protect the health of athletes, according to twice Olympic silver medal-winning discus thrower Piotr Malachowski.

RESENDING WITH CORRECTION TO LANGUAGE SPOKEN IN THE SHOTLIST VIDEO SHOWS: TWICE OLYMPIC SILVER MEDAL-WINNING DISCUS THROWER PIOTR MALACHOWSKI TRAINING IN WARSAW, SOUNDBITES TALKING ABOUT THE 2020 TOKYO OLYMPIC GAMES AND THE CORONAVIRUS, STILL PHOTOGRAPHS OF MALACHOWSKI WINNING THE SILVER MEDAL AT THE 2016 RIO OLYMPICS AND COMPETING IN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS SHOWS: WARSAW, POLAND (MARCH 20, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1.

VARIOUS OF POLISH DISCUS THROWER, PIOTR MALACHOWSKI WEIGHTLIFTING AS PART OF HIS TRAINING AHEAD OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES 2.

(SOUNDBITE) (Polish) POLISH DISCUS THROWER AND DOUBLE OLYMPIC GAMES SILVER MEDALLIST, PIOTR MALACHOWSKI, SAYING: "When it comes to the Olympics, it is a very hard time not only for me, but also for all the other athletes who are preparing for the Olympics.

For some of them it is a sport event of their life, they are at certain age, like me - for me it is the last event like this in my life.

I hope that the International Olympic Committee will take our health into consideration because this is the most important and our safety.

If the Olympics is postponed and will take place this year, let's say in November or December, it will be a way better situation for all the athletes as they will have a chance to prepare better.

I hope that the quarantine will pass and we will be able to start proper preparations for the Olympics because it is also important to reach the minimum (amount of training to be fit." 3.

VARIOUS OF MALACHOWSKI WEIGHTLIFTING 4.

(SOUNDBITE) (Polish) POLISH DISCUS THROWER AND DOUBLE OLYMPIC GAMES SILVER MEDALLIST, PIOTR MALACHOWSKI, SAYING: "Most of the competitors have not yet reached the minimum so they will be running against time.

In sport when you do something in a hurry, you do it carelessly so a lot of people will get injuries or will be risking an injury.

At the end it is all about showing our fans the best side of us and show good results at the Olympics and not to let it be the Games of Death and let the athletes get injured seriously." 5.

MALACHOWSKI TRAINING WITH WEIGHTS 6.

MALACHOWSKI DOING A STRETCHING EXERCISE 7.

(SOUNDBITE) (Polish) POLISH DISCUS THROWER AND DOUBLE OLYMPIC GAMES SILVER MEDALLIST, PIOTR MALACHOWSKI, SAYING: "As you can see - barbells, the bench, I imitate the throws with a shoe in a parking lot, as well as barbell tearing on the paving stones.

You have to cope with it somehow.

It is also about not sitting at home all the time, walking outside to the garden, do something to yourself, to your health, but also make the muscles remember the moves, so they are ready for hard work in about a week or two when everything goes back to normal so that the body is ready for a normal training session.

So so far it is a do it yourself job." 8.

MALACHOWSKI TAKING WEIGHTS OFF HIS BARBELL 9.

(SOUNDBITE) (Polish) POLISH DISCUS THROWER AND DOUBLE OLYMPIC GAMES SILVER MEDALLIST, PIOTR MALACHOWSKI, SAYING: "It is for sure time to catch up with my son, with Kasia (his fiancee).

What can I say, I am a professional athlete so I wasn't around when Henryk (his son) learnt how to walk, speak, write.

So now I am trying to use this time the best I can with him." RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (FILE - AUGUST 19, 2016) (REUTERS PICTURES - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE) 10.

STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF MALACHOWSKI KISSING SILVER MEDAL AFTER WINNING IT AT 2016 RIO OLYMPIC GAMES DOHA, QATAR (FILE - SEPTEMBER 28, 2019) (REUTERS PICTURES - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE) 11.

TWO STILL PHOTOGRAPHS OF MALACHOWSKI COMPETING AT 2019 WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - AUGUST 4, 2017) (REUTERS PICTURES - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE) 12.

STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF MALACHOWSKI COMPETING AT 2017 WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS STORY: Officials should consider postponing this year's Tokyo Olympic Games because of the coronavirus epidemic to protect the health of athletes, twice Olympic silver medal-winning discus thrower Piotr Malachowski said on Friday (March 20).

"If these Games get postponed and will take place this year in November or December, this will definitely be much better for athletes.

They'll be able to prepare," Poland's Malachowski told Reuters.

Countries including Colombia and Slovenia have called for the Games to be postponed if the coronavirus epidemic persists.

Others have said they should go ahead, with the foreign ministers of South Korea, China and Japan expressing support for Tokyo to host a complete Olympics.

Malachowski, ranked fifth on the all-time list of discus throws, said he was being forced to adapt to coronavirus restrictions, training in parking lots and in his garden.

The 36-year-old, Olympic silver medallist in 2008 and 2016, said under current conditions many athletes would not have time to prepare properly for the Olympics and postponement would prevent them from becoming "the Games of Death" with risks of serious injury.

The global coronavirus outbreak has caused significant disruption around the Games, which are scheduled to run from July 24-Aug.

9.

One benefit though of being confined to living at home is getting the opportunity to spend more time with his family.

Malachowski said he was enjoying the fact he was with his fiancee, Kasia and son, Henryk for a few weeks.

(Production: Aleksandra Szmigiel, Tim Hart)

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