Coronavirus pandemic delays 2020 Tokyo Olympics, games postponed to 2021
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (left) announced a joint decision with the IOC to delay the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The 2020 Summer Olympics have been postponed due to the ongoing fight with the COVID-19 pandemic. Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, settled on the delay with IOC president, Thomas Bach. The games had been scheduled to take place in Tokyo starting in July of this year.
In a press conference announcing the decision, Abe told reporters that he and Bach “agreed that a postponement would be the best way to ensure that the athletes are in peak condition when they compete and to guarantee the safety of the spectators.” In the same press conference, Abe indicated that the games would take place in the summer of 2021.
Prior to the announcement, sports officials in Australia and Canada had already stated that athletes and representatives from the respective nations would not be attending the Tokyo games. France and Britain eventually joined, urging the IOC to settle on a postponement.
Other prominent Olympic organizations advocating for a delay included the US Olympic and Paralympic committees, USA Swimming, USA Track and Field, World Athletics, and the Olympic committees of Brazil, Slovenia and Germany.
The delay represents the first time the Olympic ceremonies have been postponed in the games’ 124 history.
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