The 2020 Tokyo Olympics Are Postponed Until Next Year

Today, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced it would postpone the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The IOC had been under pressure to either cancel or postpone, with multiple countries pledging not to attend. The games will be rescheduled, according to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

According to a statement from the IOC, “The IOC president and the Prime Minister of Japan have concluded that the Games … 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.”

Despite the change in year, they’ll still be called the 2020 Toykoy Olympics. The rapid spread of COVID-19 led to the postponement, likely solidified by pressure from participating countries. Two countries, Canada and Australia, already promised to pull out entirely if the IOC didn’t cancel the games, and others like the U.S. and U.K. were calling for the IOC to postpone the games.

This marks the first time in its 124-year modern history that the Olympics have been delayed or canceled during peacetime.

via IOC