The Tokyo Olympic Games have been postponed until 2021. What hasn’t received quite as much press is the postponement of the Paralympic Games, which will now also take place in Tokyo in 2021 between August 24th and September 5th. We caught up with one of Paralympic powerlifting’s biggest stars for his thoughts on the postponement and what it means for his and other athletes’ training over the next 18 months.
Sherif Osman is one of the most decorated Paralympic powerlifters in history. He’s won gold medals for Egypt at three consecutive Paralympic Games — Beijing 2008, London 2012, and Rio 2016 — and was an early favorite heading into #Tokyo2020. Of course, the Paralympic Games were postponed alongside the Olympic Games.
[Related: One of Paralympic powerlifting’s biggest stars passed away in early 2020. Read more about Siamand Rahman’s remarkable career.]
While there’s a level of disappointment for any athlete when their event is canceled or postponed, Sherif brings a refreshing mindset to the situation and explains some hidden silver linings for competitors and fans alike.
Special thanks to World Para Powerlifting for their help with this report.