Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Tokyo Olympics have been officially rescheduled for July 2021, but will still bear the title “Tokyo 2020.”
On March 30, the International Olympic Committee, International Paralympic Committee, Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and Tokyo Metropolitan Government slotted the opening ceremony for July 23, 2021, with events ending August 9.
The IOC stated, “These new dates give the health authorities and all involved in the organization of the Games the maximum time to deal with the constantly changing landscape and the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The new dates … also have the added benefit that any disruption that the postponement will cause to the international sports calendar can be kept to a minimum, in the interests of the athletes and the IFs.”
Committee President Yoshiro Mori stated, “The schedule for the games is key to preparing for the games. This will only accelerate our progress.” He also adds, “We wanted to have more room for the athletes to qualify.”
