The 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic games have been postponed as announced by Tokyo Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday.
Abe said Japan and the International Olympic Committee came to an agreement during a phone call with the head of IOC Thomas Bach, after growing calls for the games to be cancelled or postponed due to continuous concerns around the COVID-19 pandemic.
The leader said that the games would still be held in Tokyo no later than the summer of 2021. Abe said, “Considering the current situation, in regards to the Tokyo Games, as the host nation, in order to ensure that athletes from all over the world are able to compete in their best condition, and also in order to ensure the utmost safety for the spectators, I have asked him to consider postponing the games by about a year.”
The Olympics is the biggest event yet to be held up due to the growing global pandemic. The games were scheduled for July 24 thru August 9, with the Paralympics to follow from August 25 thru September 6. Other cancellations during COVID-19 in the United States has included the rest of the winter and spring sports season in the NCAA, while other events including the start of the MLB season, remainder of the NHL and NBA season, and even the Boston Marathon have been postponed. Events overseas that have seen postponement include the French Open, Invictus Games, and the London Marathon.
The Olympic Committee has seen other times where certain viruses caused a threat but didn’t postpone anything. That included the bird flu ahead of the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, Zika ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics, and swine flu ahead of the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.
