Champion calls for Games to go ahead China Daily | Updated: 2021-01-26 09:18 Share CLOSE Katerina Stefanidi of Greece competes in the women's pole vault during the Weltklasse Zurich Inspiration Games amidst the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on July 09, 2020 in Walnut, California. [Photo/Agencies] Olympic pole vault champion Katerina Stefanidi has spoken out strongly in favor of going ahead with the Tokyo Games, nearly a year after she led calls to postpone the event over the coronavirus pandemic. Stefanidi, of Greece, told Japan's Kyodo News agency that it would be better to hold the Olympics without fans than not at all, adding that she thought athletes were overwhelmingly in favor of competing.