Women's soccer star Megan Rapinoe says Tokyo Games cancellations will 'devastate' her and team
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"Someone will tell us at some point, but until then we just keep training and keep playing these games."
US soccer star Megan Rapinoe said that she would be "devastated" if this year's Tokyo Games get cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic. As per the World Cup-winning player, her teammates will be disappointed if they miss out on such a "major championship".
ALSO READ: IOC reacts to reports of Tokyo Olympics getting cancelled, says it is 'categorically untrue'
"We just do everything we can to keep our environment safe, prepare the way that we can, understanding, much like last year, it could likely not happen again," Rapinoe, who scored twice in Friday's 6-0 friendly win over Colombia, told reporters.
"That would be awful. Personally, I'd be devastated. A lot of my teammates would be devastated to miss out fully on a major championship because I don't think it would be postponed again.
"Someone will tell us at some point, but until then we just keep training and keep playing these games."
The United States women's soccer team won last of their four Olympic gold medals at London in 2012 and are currently the reigning World Champions.
Rapinoe said she understood the implications of bringing the global community together for "technically, a non-essential kind of thing".
"We understand we're in a global pandemic. Our country being one of those that's been hit hardest or handled it the worst," Rapinoe, the 2019 Ballon d'Or winner, said.
"We're focused on every day. Eventually, someone will tell us if the Games are happening."
Earlier on Friday, The Times reported that the Japanese government has privately concluded that the Tokyo Olympics will have to be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
However, the International Olympic Committee on Friday reacted to the speculations of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 getting cancelled as the IOC dismissed all the reports while terming it "categorically untrue".
While Japan's Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Manabu Sakai dismissed the report, the IOC has given an official statement saying that "they will be implementing all possible countermeasures against COVID-19 and will continue their preparations for holding a safe and secure Games this summer".