AP: Abe says IOC agrees ‘100%’ that Olympics should be postponed
March 24, 2020
TOKYO (AP) — IOC President Thomas Bach has agreed “100%” to a proposal of postponing the Tokyo Olympics for about one year until 2021 because of the coronavirus outbreak, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Tuesday.
A man walks past a large banner promoting the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Monday, March 23, 2020. The IOC will take up to four weeks to consider postponing the Tokyo Olympics amid mounting criticism of its handling of the coronavirus crisis that now includes Canada saying it won’t send a team to the games this year and the leader of track and field, the biggest sport at the games, also calling for a delay. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Abe said after his telephone talks with Bach that he requested a postponement of about one year “taking into consideration the current circumstances” and to secure an environment in which athletes can perform in their best conditions and the sense of safety and security for the audience.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, walks past Olympic Minister Seiko Hashimoto, right, to attend a cabinet meeting at his official residence in Tokyo Tuesday, March 24, 2020. Hashimoto said the global pandemic of coronavirus infections should end before Japan can proceed with hosting the Tokyo Olympic Games, after the meeting. Tokyo’s organizers and International Olympic Committee are discussing a possible postponement and other scenarios. Abe and IOC President Thomas Bach are expected to hold telephone talks later Tuesday. At left is Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga. (Yoshitaka Sugawara/Kyodo News via AP)
Abe held telephone talks with Bach after the IOC said it would make a decision on the Tokyo Games over the next four weeks.
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