Only 55 days to go….
As you read this, preparations for the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics are still powering ahead. If everything goes to plan, BallaratOSM will be there!
Our Sport & Exercise Physician, Dr Greg Harris, is the Team Doctor for our marathon runners and race walkers. Ballarat’s Jared Tallent unfortunately won’t be there, but the men and women are ready to go.
Heat will be the biggest issue to manage. Even though these events are being held in Sapporo, in the far north of Japan, it is still likely to be hot and humid. The events will be held either early in the morning or in the evening to mitigate for the weather. The team will also be in a pre-Olympic camp for two weeks in Cairns, which will provide some degree of acclimatisation.
Of course, COVID may yet prove to be too high a hurdle to get over. The precautions set in place for the event are well beyond anything that we had to deal with in last year’s lockdown – athletes and staff will be confined to the Olympic Village except when training or competing, we will be tested every day while in Japan, and of course there will be no international and possibly no local spectators.
As Greg says, “This will not be the usual Olympic experience, but it is still the pinnacle of sporting competition. To work with the cream of Australia’s endurance athletes is a privilege and a career highlight.”
Sports Medicine Consulting during the Olympic Games
With our Sport & Exercise Physician Dr Greg Harris going to the Tokyo Olympics, he will be away from early July until late August (after 2 weeks in quarantine on the way home!).
Dr James Ooi will still be available 4 days a week, and we are very lucky to have Dr Sachin Khullar joining us on Wednesdays during this period. Dr Khullar is a Sport & Exercise Physician based in Geelong. He was an event doctor at the Rio Olympics and travelled and worked with the Australian Youth Commonwealth Games, Australian University Games, the AFL Vic Metro Under 16 and Under 18 teams and the Richmond VFL teams.
Sachin brings a compassionate and holistic approach to patient care. He will be an excellent fit for our team.
