Lewis Holland admits the thought of a four-year cycle coming to no avail is gut-wrenching but the Australian sevens star has backed the decision to postpone the Olympic Games.
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The International Olympic Committee has taken the unprecedented step of delaying the Games scheduled to take place in Tokyo in July-August in the midst of the coronavirus crisis.
They will now be held next year in a move which some fear could lead to a serious mental strain on athletes given the goal posts have shifted dramatically.
However Queanbeyan product Holland believes the call, which came after the Australian Olympic Committee declared it would not be prepared to send a team to Tokyo this year, is the right one.
Because the 27-year-old says the pandemic which has forced countries to close their borders and endangers lives transcends sport - no matter how big the Olympic stage may be.
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"Postponed is better than cancelled. It's definitely a bit of a weird feeling, because you've worked so hard for four years to get to where you need to be in that period of time," Holland said.
"Yes, you have milestones and goals to achieve year in and year out, but over the past six to 12 months we have really focused on what we thought we needed to achieve.
"I thought we were just starting to hit our straps in the past couple of tournaments, we had a couple of successful tournaments and we were starting to gel really well.
"To see it all come so close but be so far is disappointing. But at the end of the day, it's rugby and it's the Olympics.
"There's a massive thing going on in the world right now and there are a lot of hard times to come."
Both Australian men's and women's sides have been stood down and told to commence their four weeks' worth of annual leave.
For now Holland will find solace on his property in Stanthorpe in Queensland, a perfect spot to stay isolated from the "hustle and bustle".
There he will be joined by his fiance Charlotte Caslick, a sevens Olympic gold medallist in her own right who will also be looking to recharge the batteries following a tumultuous week.
"I'm just out here on my own at the moment," Holland said.
"Charlotte is coming over. I've been back here basically since we got back from Canada, I've been in isolation since then.
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"I've just been poking around doing a bit of fencing and cattle work, all the odd things I needed to get done. I guess if there is a positive in it, there it is.
"I'm still disappointed in where we've ended up, but the measures they've decided to take are in the interest of the health and safety of athletes, and I think it was the right decision."
The world sevens circuit had already been thrown into disarray as governments began to impose travel restrictions in a bid to stop the spread of the virus.
Meanwhile, Super Rugby clubs were not spared from the mess as they look to pick up the pieces of their campaign.
The ACT Brumbies are in discussions with Rugby Australia about potential job losses as clubs look to save money with hopes of playing a domestic competition derailed momentarily.
"Our competition had been cancelled due to international travel but there was obviously still talk about the Olympics going ahead," Holland said.
"Obviously with the Olympics, they had to postpone just due to international travel and the unknown of what is to come."