A message from the Athletics Australia President

Dear Members,

Our sport is facing unprecedented and challenging times in response to this global health emergency. Decisions to cancel the Australian Junior Track & Field Championships and postpone the Australian Senior Track & Field Championships and the Queensland Track Classic have been absolutely necessary to meet government health advice.  We sincerely apologise to the athletics community for the inconvenience and strain that these decisions have caused and deeply appreciate your understanding. We sympathise with our athletes and coaches in particular, who have worked so hard and sacrificed over the past year and have not been able to compete in the National Track & Field Championships. 

Athletics Australia’s number one priority at this time, is the safety of the community, particularly the vulnerable. All of the decisions we have made and will make in future will continue to be on this basis. 

Nevertheless, I would like to assure you that Athletics Australia will work with authorities, our State Officials, Little Athletics, our partners and stakeholders to develop plans to return to normal as soon as permissible. We are also working with World Athletics, Oceania Athletics, the AOC and PA to ensure our athletes are able to gain qualification for Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games if they proceed.

The Athletics Australia team is like many of us, now working remotely from home, but is intent on continuing to provide services to members. We ask for your co-operation and patience moving forward.  The Covid-19 crisis is evolving quickly and health advice is being updated on an hourly basis.  We will do our best to keep you informed and updated. To this end, thank you to our State bodies for their support and the work they are doing to keep in touch with members and clubs. Together we will get through this. 

Sport, will always be a vehicle to bring hope and purpose to our society. As a nation we will turn to sport more than ever as we come out of this crisis, to bring communities together and celebrate human endeavour.  Athletics will continue to lead the way in demonstrating unity and resilience.

Right now, I ask you take care of yourself, your loved ones and your neighbours. Follow government medical advice and continue to support each other.  Our sport will overcome these challenges and we will be back soon competing and watching the athletic events that we love. 

Yours in athletics
Mark Arbib
President Athletics Australia