Megan Rapinoe Believes That Olympics Are Still Up In The Air For 2021 Because Of Coronavirus

The 2020 Summer Olympics have already been pushed back to 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, but there is still doubt among some athletes that the games will take place in 2021.

In speaking with CNN, US Women’s National Team co-captain Megan Rapinoe said that she is not entirely sure that the Olympics will happen given the current state of the world. “Frankly, I think the Olympics are in doubt next year,” Rapinoe said. “The more I think about it logistically, just bringing everybody together like that with the absence of drug therapies or anything like that just seems difficult.”

Rapinoe previously played for the U.S. team during both the 2012 London Games and 2016 Rio Game, where the U.S. won gold in 2012 and failed to make it out of the group stage in 2016. She has also played on three World Cup teams for the United States, coming in second in 2011, and winning it all in both 2015 and 2019. 

Rapinoe has also been very vocal in regards to the wage disparity between the U.S. men’s soccer team, and the women’s team, despite how much more success the women have had versus the men since the turn of the century. “To signal to not only the boys that they are just innately better, but to the girls that they’re innately lesser was just, I mean, it was stupid,” she said. 

As it pertains to the Olympics in 2021, the now 34-year old Rapinoe has hinted that next year’s games will most likely be the final time she, and long time girlfriend Sue Bird will play in the Olympics for Team USA. “If it happens that, you know, we can’t play sports for or a number of years or whatever it may be, you know, this situation will be what it is,” Rapinoe said. “And I think we’ll be at peace with that. But I think we’re definitely both hoping to be able to play in the Olympics.”

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Article by Tyler Melito