IOC Reverses Decision

With the Olympics around the corner and many questions still to be answered by the IOC, one question that became front and center this past week involved a new mother with a young infant daughter.

At first she was told flat out that she was unable to bring her young daughter to the games as it went against regulations, which to some seemed antiquated, but to others made sense.

We’ll let you be the judge, but honestly speaking if in this case why simply ban the player from the games which she has worked so hard to attend.

It’s not a matter that she was going against the games, but rather what takes precedence, the games or motherhood and raising a child.

The player that made front page news over this is Canadian basketball player Kim Gaucher (37) who is breastfeeding her infant daughter. 

The Canadian Olympic Committee has appealed to Tokyo’s organizing committee to allow Gaucher to have her daughter and husband with her in Japan while she competes in the third Olympic Games of her career.

“The Canadian Olympic Committee and Canada Basketball recognize how difficult this situation is and have been supporting Kim at her request,” the organizations said Thursday in a joint statement. “In any other Games scenario, we would have long ago found a solution.

After first being denied the decision has been overturned and she has now won the right to bring the baby to the Tokyo Olympics.

It’s reported that the International Olympic Committee now says that nursing mothers will now be allowed to bring their babies to the Tokyo Olympics. 

The move was a bold one after she (Gaucher) made a very emotional plea via Instagram to have 3-month-old Sophie travel with her to the Games.

Gaucher calls Mission, BC home and mentioned that “The IOC was forcing her to make a tough choice: skip the Olympics or spend 28 days in Tokyo without her daughter.”

The IOC released a statement this past Wednesday stating “We very much welcome the fact that so many mothers are able to continue to compete at the highest level, including at the Olympic Games.”

“We are very pleased to hear that the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee has found a special solution regarding the entry to Japan for mothers who are breastfeeding and their young children.”

The IOC had stipulated that no family could travel to Tokyo due to COVID-19 restrictions, but Gaucher pointed out that international media and sponsors may travel to Tokyo and a capped number of Japanese spectators will be allowed in venues.

“Japanese fans are going to be in attendance, the arenas are going to be half full, but I will not have access to my daughter?”

Gaucher asked. “We’ve tried appeals. Everyone says they’re on board, but nobody can do anything. Let’s see if we can make a difference. It’s 2021. Let’s make working moms normal.”

The new policy affects other athletes who have qualified for Tokyo, which include US football star Alex Morgan, whose daughter, Charlie, was born in May 2020 and has been able to accompany her mother on the road.

Morgan told reporters in April that it was important “to allow mothers the option to have their kids with them while they compete. If a child is under one or two, they might still be breastfeeding, so that’s a huge piece of it.”