The 2020 Summer Olympic Games, which were scheduled to be held in the Japanese capital from July 24 to August 9, have been postponed to a date “no later than summer 2021.”
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced the decision on Tuesday amid intensifying calls from athletes and sports officials in various countries, including Poland.
Welcoming the announcement, Andrzej Kraśnicki, head of the Polish Olympic Committee (PKOl), said that postponing the 2020 Olympic Games was “an important and responsible decision and the right move” by the International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee.
Kraśnicki added: “The virus has changed the calendar of sporting events around the world, including the schedule of Olympic qualifications. Many athletes are having a difficult time training and preparing themselves for the Games in the right way. We are all facing a growing number of restrictions on movement. Under these conditions, it is virtually impossible to hold the Games.”
The International Olympic Committee said in a statement on Tuesday: “In the present circumstances and based on the information provided by the WHO today, the IOC President and the Prime Minister of Japan have concluded that the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community.”
This marks the first time the world’s biggest sporting event has been postponed in peacetime. The 1916, 1940 and 1944 Olympics were canceled due to war.
(gs/pk)
Source: TVP Sport
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