The Olympics organizing committee will observe the situation within the next three months and assess whether to push through with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Photo from Inquirer Sports
The coronavirus outbreak continues to be a threat around the world and could possibly affect the 2020 Tokyo Olympics happening from July 24 to Aug 9. According to a senior member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is more likely to be canceled instead of being postponed to a later date.
Canadian swimming champion and IOC member Dick Pound said that the Olympics organizing committee will observe the situation within the next three months with the decision set to be announced in the last few weeks of May.
As of today, the novel coronavirus has infected more than 80,000 people globally and killed over 2,700 people. Most of the victims have been reported in China—with 78,064 people infected and 2,715 dead. Meanwhile in Japan, the virus has killed five people.
Moreover, Pound still encourages athletes to pursue their training despite the uncertainty of the sporting event. The Olympics is expecting 11,000 athletes on July 24 and 4,400 athletes for the Paralympics to be held on Aug 25.