The choice to reopen pubs and eating places earlier than indoor sports activities services is “backwards”, says brief observe pace skater Elise Christie.
Some venues can open from four July in England and 15 July in Scotland, however there is no such thing as a confirmed date in both nation for indoor sports activities services.
Christie, a three-time world champion, believes sport must be thought of extra necessary.
“Ingesting will not be a precedence,” she instructed BBC Scotland.
“It is perhaps to the economic system however why is that Britain’s precedence? There are such a lot of folks in Britain that love sport, that love figuring out.
“It’s actually good for psychological well being – consuming is not. Ingesting will not be good for psychological well being in any respect, it simply appears so backwards to me in so some ways.
“For those who can open a pub, the place persons are going to be consuming and usually tend to break social distancing guidelines, get rowdy and contact one another and no matter else, then I do not perceive how one can’t open a sports activities facility.”
Christie, 29, is focusing on an Olympic medal in Beijing in 2022, having up to now missed out on the rostrum.
The video games could also be 18 months away, however the Scot is worried she and others within the UK are shedding out on invaluable coaching time with services having been shut since 20 March.
“We go on about Britain being nice and loving sport and being actually into the Olympics – particularly the summer time ones – however now we now have simply gone ‘neglect about athletes and sport for a minute, let’s simply deal with what brings the cash in’,” Christie, who has spoken brazenly about her battle with psychological well being, stated.
“That’s wonderful however then when it will get to the Olympics once more, what’s going to occur is we’re all going to be sat right here scrutinising all of the athletes once more, and messing with their psychological well being.
“They’re already confused sufficient in regards to the reality they can not prepare for his or her occasion that they’ve to do.”
