On Monday, International Olympics Committee Vice President John Coates told Agence France-Presse that “these will be the Games that conquered COVID, the light at the end of the tunnel.”
“It will take place with or without COVID. The [Tokyo] Games will start on July 23 next year,” Coates shared. Many Japanese and International Olympics Committee Officials have stressed that the 2021 Olympics will happen no matter the circumstances of the virus.
The Tokyo Olympics were originally scheduled a couple of weeks ago in July 2020 but were pushed back one year due to COVID-19. Organizers are encouraged at how other sports are handling their seasons such as the NFL and the NBA.
An organized task force created by Tokyo 2020 had its first meeting Friday about coordinating efforts against the coronavirus. It highlighted the many issues that would need to be handled if the virus is still active. This includes testing regimes, behavior rules in the Olympic Village, and protocol on handling an outbreak among athletes and staff.
The Tokyo Olympics are on track for July 23rd through August 8th of 2021.
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