Tokyo 2020
IOC member Pound confirms Tokyo 2020 will be postponed
Dick Pound says the IOC will postpone the Tokyo Olympics and then deal with the "immense" ramifications of putting the Games back.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Dick Pound says the Tokyo Olympics will be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The IOC on Sunday stated that it is considering putting the Games, due to start on July 24, back and will make a decision in the next four weeks, but the extravaganza will not be cancelled.
Long-serving IOC Committee member Pound on Monday revealed the event will not go ahead as planned.
He told USA TODAY Sports: "On the basis of the information the IOC has, postponement has been decided.
"The parameters going forward have not been determined, but the Games are not going to start on July 24, that much I know."
Pound added that further details will be revealed in the near future.
"It will come in stages,” the Canadian said. "We will postpone this and begin to deal with all the ramifications of moving this, which are immense."
The Canadian Olympic Committee was the first to announce it would not send athletes to the Games this week and the Australian Olympic Committee told athletes to prepare for the event to be staged next year.
COVID-19 has killed over 16,000 people worldwide and there have been over 370,000 confirmed cases of the virus.
IOC president Thomas Bach last week stated that different scenarios for staging the Games are being considered and on Sunday revealed a timeframe for a decision to be made.
The IOC explained that "critical venues" may no longer be available and raised logistical concerns such as hotel bookings and the potential impact on the calendar of "at least 33" Olympic sports.
Full commitment, the IOC added, would be required from all parties when coming up with a plan of action.