Australia confirms canoe sprint team for Tokyo Games

A coronavirus first-responder is among 14 Australian canoe sprinters named to compete at the Tokyo Olympics, the first athletes to be selected since the games' postponement earlier this week. Though the new date for the Games in 2021 has yet to be set the Australia Olympic Committee confirmed the athletes had met the selection criteria and would complete.

Jo Brigden-Jones, who competed at the 2012 London games, said the postponement would allow her to concentrate on her work as a paramedic during the coronavirus outbreak.

"It's been such a roller-coaster of emotions, from qualifying at the trials to not knowing if the Games would be canceled, the official postponement and now being officially selected," Brigden-Jones said.

"As a paramedic I have a frontline perspective of the current situation. While my Olympic dream is on hold for now, the delay means I can throw myself into my paramedic work for the next few months to do everything I can.

"It's a different motivation to what drives me when I'm on the water but if we can do our best to follow health advice and come together as a community we can get through this and the entire community can be back chasing our other goals as soon as we can."

Cancer survivor Bernadette Wallace is among seven paddlers who will make their Olympic debuts in Tokyo. Wallace and her C2 partner Josephine Bulmer will be part of history, among the first women to contest canoe sprint events at an Olympic games.

Murray Stewart, who won gold in the men's K4 event at London, will compete at his third games while 20-year-old Tim Green, in the K1, is the youngest member of the team.

Australia Olympic Committee Chef de Mission Ian Chesterman said the paddlers needed certainty to plan training for next year's Games.

"Athletes, like communities right across the world right now, are facing uncertainty about what the coming months hold," Chesterman said. "But I'm delighted these athletes have some certainty knowing the Games will be held in 2021 and that they are now part of the Australian Olympic team."

(Picture Credit: representative image/AP)