The 2020 Tokyo Olympics have been postponed to no later than the summer of 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe, the International Olympic Committee announced Tuesday.
The Games were scheduledfor July 24-August 9, but after telephone discussions between IOC presidentThomas Bach and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a historic joint decisionwas taken for the first postponement of an Olympics in peacetime.
Abe said Bach was in”100 percent agreement” when Japan asked the IOC to push back theGames. In a joint statement, the pair said that based on current World HealthOrganization information, the Tokyo Games “must be rescheduled to a datebeyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of theathletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the internationalcommunity”.
“Therefore, it was agreed that the Olympic flame willstay in Japan. It was also agreed that the Games will keep the name Olympic andParalympic Games Tokyo 2020,” the statement concluded.
The decision will be a devastating blow for the city ofTokyo, which had won widespread praise for its organisation, with venuesfinished well ahead of time and tickets massively oversubscribed.
The Olympics, which has experienced boycotts, terrorist attacks and protests, but has been held every four years since 1948, would be the highest-profile event affected by the virus that has killed thousands and closed sports competitions worldwide.