CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – UNI junior discus thrower Jessica Heims was gearing up for the 2020 Paralympic games in Japan. That plan ended Tuesday when the International Olympic Committee and the Prime Minister of Japan announced the postponement of the 2020 games as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The games will now take place sometime in the summer of 2021.
Heims is disappointed in the loss of the opportunity, but understands the committee's decision and views the postponement as the logical choice.
"It is heartbreaking to have an Olympic year moved back, but overall, I am proud of the Olympic Committee for putting the health of the athletes and people around the world first," Heims said.