Japan tried to quash talk of a possible postponement of the Olympics on Wednesday (Thursday NZT), but at least one member of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee issued another round of warnings saying they need to consider exactly that.

The messages were distinctly mixed as senior Japanese officials said one thing and then quite the opposite about the impact of the new coronavirus.

Tokyo 2020 executive board member Haruyuki Takashashi told Reuters and the Wall Street Journal the financial damage from cancelling the Games would be too great and that a postponement of one or two years would be the "most feasible" option if the virus prevents organisers from going ahead this summer.

On Wednesday (Thursday NZT), Japan's Olympics Minister Seiko Hashimoto told a parliamentary committee that cancelling or postponing the Games was "inconceivable," although she said the International Olympic Committee would make the final decision.

Even as coronavirus fears mount around the globe, IOC officials have been adamant that the Tokyo Games will take place as scheduled this summer.

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The IOC said it intends to follow advice from the World Health Organisation, and IOC President Thomas Bach said the words cancellation and postponement were not even mentioned at an executive board meeting last week in Lausanne.

CARL COURT/GETTY IMAGES IOC officials are adamant the Tokyo Games will take place as scheduled this summer despite the coronavirus outbreak.

The Tokyo Olympics are scheduled to begin on July 24.

"The decision is: The Games go ahead," IOC spokesman Mark Adams said last week. "That was made some time ago. We see no reason to change that decision. All the advice we have at the moment is, the Games are going ahead, from all the competent authorities."

On Wednesday (Thursday NZT), Tokyo 2020 Olympics chief Yoshiro Mori said his team was not considering changing plans for the games and claimed Takahashi had apologised for the comments.

But no sooner had those comments been reported, Takahashi doubled-down on his fears for the Olympics taking place as scheduled, telling Kyodo News that he would consider proposing a postponement when the Tokyo 2020 organising committee meets at the end of this month.

GETTY IMAGES US swimmer Katie Ledecky says she's been "preparing like everything will go on as scheduled" in Tokyo this summer.

"In light of the reality, we need to respond accordingly," he said.

Takahashi is one voice on the influential executive board. There are 24 others, and he's the only one who's publicly urged a postponement.

Experts say a delay of one or two years would pose logistical problems in terms of the global sporting calendar but would fit in with US broadcasters who provide much of the IOC's funding and have freer summer schedules.

It would also wreak havoc on the schedules for athletes, who've been targeting the summer of 2020 and built their lives and training schedules around peaking competitively this year.

US swimmer Katie Ledecky, who figures to be one of the biggest American stars in Tokyo, said she's been following coronavirus headlines closely and remaining diligent about washing her hands and limiting her visits to crowded places.

She trains at Stanford University, which has cancelled in-person classes for the remainder of the quarter and moved all instruction online.

"In terms of how it affects the next couple of months, we're all preparing like everything will go on as scheduled," Ledecky said in an interview last week.

"I trust USOPC, USA Swimming and everybody above them – IOC, CDC, World Health Organisation – to make the right decisions. We'll just follow their guidance and be flexible if we need to be."