The Tokyo Olympics are probably going to happen, but almost surely in 2021 rather than in four months as planned. That seems clear after the International Olympic Committee said it was considering a postponement.
Major Olympic nations like Canada and Australia are adding pressure by making it clear they will not go if the games are staged this year. And Germany now says it wants the games postponed until next year at the earliest. The president of the Norwegian Olympic Committee is recommending that athletes from the country not be sent to the Tokyo Games if they take place as scheduled.
IOC President Thomas Bach sent a letter to athletes explaining the decision and why it might take so long, while also acknowledging the extended timeline might not be popular. He said a final decision was likely to come in four weeks.
Meanwhile, a group representing track and field athletes has called for the Tokyo Olympics to be postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak. The Athletics Association's statement comes a day after the International Olympic Committee set itself a four-week deadline to decide on a delay.
