Originally set to go down this summer, the Olympic Games have found a new date after the cancellation of Tokyo 2020 due to coronavirus. The, now 2021, Summer games will be held July 23, 2021, to August 8, 2021.
In addition to that date, the Paralympic Games will be from August 24, 2021, to September 5, 2021, Variety reports.
The decision was made in a call between IOC President Thomas Bach, Tokyo 2020 President Mori Yoshiro, Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko and Olympic and Paralympic Minister Hashimoto Seiko.
The effort is made to protect the health of the athletes and to support the containment of the coronavirus.
“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 organizers said in a statement.
“The new dates, exactly one year after those originally planned for 2020, 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 (international federations). Additionally, they will provide sufficient time to finish the qualification process. The same heat mitigation measures as planned for 2020 will be implemented.”
Additional leagues in need a new launch date include the remainder of 2019-20 NBA season, the 2020 MLB season and more.
