The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has decided to organise Tokyo Olympics 2020, postponed for coronavirus pandemic, from 23rd July to 8th August 2021.
In a telephonic conference among IOC President Thomas Bach, Tokyo 2020 President Mori Yoshiro, Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko and Olympic and Paralympic Minister Hashimoto Seiko the new dates for the Tokyo Olympics have been decided. The Olympics will still be called Tokyo 2020 despite taking place in 2021.
The Tokyo Olympics 2020 were due to open on 24th July this year but the coronavirus pandemic forced the first peace-time postponement of the Games. This decision was taken based on three main considerations and in line with the principles established by the IOC Executive Board (EB) on 17 March 2020:
- To protect the health of the athletes and everyone involved, and to support the containment of the COVID-19 virus.
- To safeguard the interests of the athletes and of Olympic sport.
- The global international sports calendar.
The Paralympic Games, originally due to start on 25 August, 2020, will now take place between 24 August and 5 September, 2021.
IOC president Thomas Bach said, “Humankind currently finds itself in a dark tunnel. These Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 can be a light at the end of this tunnel.”
Organisers hope the delay will allow sufficient time to finish the qualification process which will follow the same mitigation measures planned for 2020.
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