IOC member: Tokyo Olympics will be postponed due to coronavirus

(NY Times) – IOC member Dick Pound finally said what should have been obvious for a week: The 2020 Olympics are not happening as scheduled in Japan. “On the basis of the information the IOC has, postponement has been decided,” the longtime Olympic official told USA Today.

“The parameters going forward have not been determined, but the Games are not going to start on July 24, that much I know.”

The Olympics were scheduled for July 24-August 9 in Tokyo. The coronavirus pandemic had led to the cancellation or postponement of nearly every other major sporting event in the world.

On Sunday, IOC president Thomas Bach said that decisions would be made about the Olympics over the next four weeks. Athletes and federations were putting increasing amounts of pressure on Bach to postpone the Games to 2021. Canada and Australia said they would not send athletes to the Olympics in 2020. The Olympic federations of Germany, Brazil and Norway asked the IOC to postpone the Games.

“Well, as we announced yesterday, we are looking at scenarios,” the IOC told Christine Brennan after she broke the story of the apparent postponement.

In a survey of 4,000 track and field athletes across the world that was released Monday, 78% said the Games should be postponed.

American swimmers and track and field athletes had asked the United States Olympic & Paralympic committee to request a postponement. On Sunday, CEO Sarah Hirshland said she wouldn’t do that

(NY Times) – IOC member Dick Pound finally said what should have been obvious for a week: The 2020 Olympics are not happening as scheduled in Japan. “On the basis of the information the IOC has, postponement has been decided,” the longtime Olympic official told USA Today.

“The parameters going forward have not been determined, but the Games are not going to start on July 24, that much I know.”

The Olympics were scheduled for July 24-August 9 in Tokyo. The coronavirus pandemic had led to the cancellation or postponement of nearly every other major sporting event in the world.

On Sunday, IOC president Thomas Bach said that decisions would be made about the Olympics over the next four weeks. Athletes and federations were putting increasing amounts of pressure on Bach to postpone the Games to 2021. Canada and Australia said they would not send athletes to the Olympics in 2020. The Olympic federations of Germany, Brazil and Norway asked the IOC to postpone the Games.

“Well, as we announced yesterday, we are looking at scenarios,” the IOC told Christine Brennan after she broke the story of the apparent postponement.

In a survey of 4,000 track and field athletes across the world that was released Monday, 78% said the Games should be postponed.

American swimmers and track and field athletes had asked the United States Olympic & Paralympic committee to request a postponement. On Sunday, CEO Sarah Hirshland said she wouldn’t do that.