The Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which were postponed to 2021 last week due to the coronavirus pandemic, have officially been rescheduled.
The games open on July 23rd and close on August 8th, 2021. The Paralympics will be held from August 24th through September 5th, 2021.
Originally scheduled between July 24th and August 9th this year, the games were put on hold after Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) agreed to postpone them last Tuesday in light of COVID-19. According to a statement by the IOC on Monday, the new schedule was agreed upon by IOC President Thomas Bach, Tokyo 2020 President Mori Yoshiro and other officials via telephone conference, as the ongoing pandemic prevents in-person meetings with the Olympic organizers.
The decision came amidst the world’s countries going on lockdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the virus claiming more than 34,000 lives across the globe as of Monday.
“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,” the IOC said in its statement. “Additionally, they will provide sufficient time to finish the qualification process. The same heat mitigation measures as planned for 2020 will be implemented.”
