When will Tokyo Summer Olympics take place? After being postponed first, Tokyo Olympics planned next summer because of the coronavirus epidemic, it is possible the Tokyo Summer Olympics organization committee decides otherwie because of the evolution of the health situation and the pandemic.
This is what Nikkan Sports daily writes on Tuesday June 16, in an interview with one of Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committe member, Haruyuki Takahashi, member of the executive board. He said another adjournment might be possible, if in the next months the health situation and the current economic chaos show no positive sign.
A catastrophic scenario that might happen at anytime, he says, as he guarantees "Japan and the world economy will be severly hit". The director yet thinks these works shall be "markes as personal opinion". What pushes him to consider bis repetita that would take the Tokyo Olympics after summer 2021. Today, the upcoming Olympics are officially set from July 23 to August 8, 2021.
Japanese organizing Committee head Yoshiro Mori announced this Tuesday April 28, 2020 that if the Covid-19 pandemic is not contained until then, Tokyo Olympics 2020 postponed to summer 2021 could be cancelled.
Planned from July 24 to August 9, 2020 first, 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo should officially take place from July 23, 2021 to August 8, 2021. Barely a week after organizing country Japan has officially requested this Tuesday March 24th, 2020. Because of the health crisis the world if going through since early 2020, they have asked to postpone the Olympics to one year. The IOC has given a definitive verdict this Monday March 30th, 2020.
A decision bound to happen in light of the coronavirus pandemic, but also from a historic point of view: this is the first time Olympic Games are postponed in a time of peace. While organizers were fighting for weeks to avoid this option, the public opinion and the athletes’ fear got the better of the IOC’s persistence to sustain the Olympics. Yet, members of the committee and Japanese authorities have been extremely cautious, for fear of rushing an organization not used to last-minute changes.
Of course, cancelling the Olympic Games 2020 was “not on the agenda”. Such a cancellation would “destroy the Olympic dream of 11,000 athletes of the 210 national Olympic committees, the team of refugees and the Paralympic athletes” IOC president Thomas Bach says. Postponing is just as exceptional, but this option has ultimately convinced most of the members.
A decision matching the declarations of several sport federations demanding for the 2020 Olympics to be postponed such as American swimming and athletics federations, the Spanish athletics federation as well as the French athletics federation. As for Canada, they’ve already announced they were refusing to let their athletes go to the Olympics if the latter were not postponed.
