U.S. officials echoed their counterparts at the International Olympic Committee on Friday, preaching patience amid the uncertainty surrounding the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Susanne Lyons, the chair of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, said on a conference call that the organization supports IOC president Thomas Bach's stance that it is too early to make any decisions about the Games with four months to go — even as athletes continue to express concern about training and qualifying amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Asked specifically if the USOPC has a preferred outcome with regards the Games, and whether it has expressed such a preference to the IOC, Lyons said the two organizations have been in constant contact.

"I think we would concur with them to say that we need more expert advice and information than we have today to make a decision," Lyons said. "And we don't have to make a decision. Our Games are not next week, or two weeks from now. They're four months from now. And I think a lot may change in that time period.

"So we are affording the IOC the opportunity to gather that information and expert advice. At this point in time, we do not feel that it's necessary for us to insist that they make a decision."

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Lyons' remarks signify that the USOPC is in lockstep — for now, anyways — with the IOC, which has long said it intends to host the Tokyo Games as scheduled beginning July 24.

The comments come amid increasingly vocal criticism from athletes and officials at other national Olympic committees, many of whom are eager to turn to a Plan B.

In the past week alone, several former Olympians — including IOC member Hayley Wickenheiser, a Canadian hockey player — have criticized the IOC's reluctance to so much as acknowledge any contingency plans. On Thursday, a member of the Japanese Olympic Committee's executive board publicly broke ranks with the IOC and called for the Games to be postponed.

The coronavirus outbreak, which has been classified as a global pandemic, has severely disrupted Olympic qualifying events around the world. Some athletes have said the virus is also hindering their training, and could create an unequal playing field in Tokyo this summer.

Sarah Hirshland, the CEO of the USOPC, said the safety of American athletes and their communities is the organization's top priority. The USOPC is asking athletes to "continue to do what they can to prepare themselves for competition," she said — but only if it is safe to do so.

Hirshland added that the USOPC has by no means received uniform feedback from its athletes about what should be done about the Tokyo Games.

"I don't think we're in a position where all athletes have a unanimous point of view," she said.

The IOC held calls with international sports federations, national governing bodies and athlete representatives earlier this week, primarily to discuss the impacts of the coronavirus on qualifying procedures — another looming issue. But Bach has, to this point, continued to exude confidence that the Olympics will go on as planned and declined to outline any specific contingency plans.

Asked about a Plan B for the Games, should the virus continue to spread, Hirshland said the USOPC is in the midst of "an enormous amount of scenario planning" but did not specify what those scenarios entail.

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