New Dates for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics

(ATR) The rescheduled dates for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games are July 23 – August 8, 2021. The Paralympics will follow August 24 – September 5.

Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori announced the dates at a news conference in Tokyo following an executive board meeting. The IOC issued a statement noting that the new dates were agreed upon in a joint decision between the IOC, International Paralympic Committee, Tokyo 2020 organizing committee, the Tokyo 2020 Metropolitan government and the government of Japan.

The leadership of the key parties came together via telephone conference to confirm the agreement on the new dates.

The IOC says the decision taken was based upon three premises: to protect the health of the athletes and everyone involved, and to support the containment of the COVID-19 virus; to safeguard the interests of athletes and Olympic sport; and the global international sports calendar.

The Olympic Games, while cancelled three times during war time, have never been postponed for one year.

"I'm thinking it is an unprecedented challenge in the history of the Olympics and Paralympics," Mori said, at the executive board meeting held at Japan Sport Olympic Square, the offices of the Japanese NOC.

"There are endless challenges, the immediate agenda is deciding the opening of the Games," Mori said, addressing fellow executives in remarks to open the meeting. "The schedule is the premise for all of the other coordinations."

The IOC and Japanese organizers postponed the Olympics last week due to the coronavirus pandemic. There was an outpouring of concern and backlash from athletes, who according to polls, overwhelming favored the postponement of the Games.

Other topics discussed at the Tokyo 2020 executive board meeting included test events, ticketing, the host city contract, torch relay and volunteer training.

Japanese governor Yuriko Koike addressed the situation surrounding the Tokyo 2020 marathon having been moved north to Sapporo to combat Tokyo’s sweltering summer temperatures on Friday. She lobbied for the marathon to be returned to Tokyo, pending the new date of the Games.

"Of course, the citizens of Tokyo hope for it," Koike told reporters about a possible return of the marathon to the Japanese capital. "Tokyo is better – it was only changed because of the heat."

Ken Shimura, 70, a member of the legendary Japanese music and comedy group, the Drifters, died from pneumonia caused by the coronavirus on Sunday. He was expected to participate in the Olympic Torch Relay on July 14, running in his hometown of Higashimurayana.

Written by Brian Pinelli with reporting from Hironori Hashimoto in Tokyo

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