The International Olympic Committee, which has no Plan B, says Japan’s government and Tokyo are still committed to the Games beginning on July 24
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach delivers a statement on the Covid-19 situation at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne on March 3 2020. Picture: AFP/FABRICE COFFRINI
Earlier on Tuesday, Japan’s Olympics minister Seiko Hashimoto had said that details within Tokyo’s contract with the IOC “could be interpreted as allowing a postponement” until the end of the year. That host city contract states that one of several triggers that would allow the IOC to withdraw the Games from Tokyo would be if “the Games are not celebrated during the year 2020”.
Bach, a lawyer and former Olympic fencing champion, has an iron grip on IOC decision-making and is known for sticking to his guns in adversity. Despite concerns over possible health risks to spectators and participants at the Games, the Olympic body is unwilling to publicly discuss any other option, such as cancellation or postponement.
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