Tokyo: In a recent development, the Tokyo Olympics organisers announced that breastfeeding athletes will be permitted to bring their babies to the Olympic Games this summer. It was implemented in response to mothers’ complaints about the Tokyo Games’ strict rules on bringing family members.
Athletes were previously told that family members would not be permitted to accompany them as they compete in the Tokyo Olympics, which were postponed a year due to COVID-19. But it appeared that an exception had been made for babies who are still breastfeeding. According to TODAY, the Tokyo Olympics organizing committee issued an amended plan.
“Given that the Tokyo 2020 Games will take place during a pandemic, overall we must, unfortunately, decline to permit athletes’ family members or other companions to accompany them to the Games. However, after careful consideration of the unique situation facing athletes with nursing children, we are pleased to confirm that, when necessary, nursing children will be able to accompany athletes to Japan,” the statement read.
The said statement came two days after American marathoner Aliphine Tuliamuk expressed her concerns on Instagram about leaving her five-month-old breastfed daughter Zoe behind. Tuliamuk wrote on Instagram that she had ‘cried a lot since’ earning a spot on the United States Olympic team, primarily because she thought she would have to leave her baby behind.
“I know that I will be leaving her for only 10 days, and she will be just fine and that so many other moms have done the same, but I can’t even imagine being away from her for half a day,” Tuliamuk wrote.
Likewise, Kim Gaucher, a Canadian basketball player who breastfeed her infant daughter, had won her bid to bring the child to the Tokyo Olympics. The 37-year-old Gaucher said the IOC forced her to choose between skipping the Olympics and spending 28 days in Tokyo without her daughter.
In an Instagram video, Gaucher said, “Being forced to decide between being a breastfeeding mom or an Olympic athlete. I can’t have them both.” Gaucher said she found out about the news from her husband while at training camp in Florida.
Gaucher said, “I’m incredibly happy and grateful to everyone who fought for this and helped with this.” While breastfed babies will be unable to accompany their parents to the Olympic or Paralympic Villages in Tokyo, they will be able to stay in a private accommodation approved by the Tokyo Olympics organizing committee.
Breastfeeding athletes will also be permitted to stay outside of the Olympic Village in the same private accommodations and will be permitted to bring a support person with them.
