IOC sets deadline for making a decision on whether to postpone 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Tom Schad | USA TODAY

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Amid mounting pressure from athletes and national governing bodies, the International Olympic Committee acknowledged that it is considering whether to postpone or otherwise alter the 2020 Tokyo Olympics — and has set a deadline for its decision.

In a letter to athletes Sunday, IOC president Thomas Bach wrote that the IOC has ruled out canceling the Games altogether but is now exploring alternative ways to stage the Tokyo Olympics — including postponement — due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Bach indicated that the IOC is discussing the matter with key stakeholders, and he believes a final decision will be made within the next four weeks.

"Together with all the stakeholders, we have started detailed discussions today to complete our assessment of the rapid development of the worldwide health situation and its impact on the Olympic Games, including a scenario of postponement," Bach wrote in the letter. "We are working very hard, and we are confident that we will have finalized these discussions within the next four weeks."

Bach's letter — and a related news release from the IOC — represent a significant shift in the committee's messaging on the Olympics, which are scheduled to begin July 24 in Tokyo. For months, the IOC and Bach have dismissed even the possibility of a postponement as mere speculation and declined to specify any contingency plans for the Games.

The IOC's concession Sunday comes amid intensifying pressure from across the Olympic movement to postpone the Games, most likely to 2021.

In recent days, national Olympic committees from Brazil and Norway, among others, have called for the Games to be postponed — as have USA Swimming and USA Track and Field, the two largest sport governing bodies within the Olympic movement in the U.S.

Bach reiterated Sunday that he believes it is "premature" to make a decision on the Tokyo Games immediately, given the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus, which has infected hundreds of thousands of people around the world.

He also acknowledged that postponing the Games "is an extremely complex challenge."

"A number of critical venues needed for the Games could potentially not be available anymore," Bach wrote. "The situations with millions of nights already booked in hotels is extremely difficult to handle, and the international sports calendar for at least 33 Olympic sports would have to be adapted. These are just a few of many, many more challenges."

Many Olympic stakeholders, as Bach called them, seemed to be receptive to the IOC's statement.

Andrew Parsons, the president of the International Paralympic Committee, said in a statement that his organization fully supports the IOC's decision to explore a variety of scenarios for the Tokyo Games, including postponement.

Meanwhile, U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee chief executive officer Sarah Hirshland and athletes advisory council chair Han Xiao said in a joint statement later Sunday that the IOC's move is "an important step in providing clarity" while also acknowledging that "our athlete community continues to face enormous ambiguity surrounding the 2020 Games in Tokyo."

"We remain steadfast in our recommendation that Team USA athletes continue to heed the advice of public health officials and prioritize their health and wellness over all else," the pair said in the statement. "At the same time we are eager to continue to explore alternatives to ensure all athletes have a robust and fulfilling Olympic and Paralympic experience, regardless of when that can safely occur. Together we will find solutions that keep the spirit of the Games alive.”

A spokesperson for NBC, which holds the American broadcasting rights for the Olympics and is a key IOC partner, told USA TODAY Sports in an email that the company is also supportive of the IOC's move to step up its scenario-planning.

"We are prepared to stand behind any decision made by the IOC, the Japanese government, and the world health officials with whom they are working regarding the Tokyo Olympics," spokesperson Greg Hughes wrote in an email.

Postponing the Games would cause substantial ripple effects throughout the global sports community, both for the 11,000 athletes who were scheduled to compete and sports federations and leagues around the world. It would also have significant financial implications for several major stakeholders, including the IOC and the Japanese government.

The Olympics have, to this point, only not gone forward as planned during periods of war. The Summer Games in 1916 were canceled during World War I, as were the Summer and Winter Games in both 1940 and 1944, due to World War II.

Boycotts also caused serious complications in 1976, 1980 and 1984. But in each case, the event itself persisted as scheduled.

Contributing: Rachel Axon and Christine Brennan

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.