Covid-19 vaccine a big factor in making Tokyo Olympics happen, says Coe

London - Coe says athletes are in a different frame of mind heading into the July 23-August 8 Games

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said on Friday he is confident the Tokyo Olympics will go ahead as planned this year with Covid-19 vaccines giving athletes greater access to training and competitions in the build-up.

The Olympics were postponed in March last year following the start of the pandemic but Coe said he believes athletes are in a different frame of mind heading into the July 23-Aug. 8 Games.

“Firstly, there’s the vaccine and we were a long way away from even thinking about that at this stage last year,” the Briton said.

“I know at this stage (last year) athletes were beginning to find it really difficult to maintain their training regimes and competitions were beginning to slide off the radar screen. Now they’re having greater access to training and competitions.”

Critics of Japan’s plan to hold the Olympics despite a fourth wave of coronavirus infections submitted a petition on Friday signed by 350,000 people over nine days calling for the Games to be cancelled.