Determined for next year’s event to go ahead, officials have said that the 2021 Olympics will happen ‘with or without Covid’.
A highlight on the global sporting calendar, this year’s Olympic games were one of the many events cancelled amidst ongoing Coronavirus concerns. Disappointing fans and athletes all around the world, the games were officially postponed back in late March – the first time that the Olympics have been cancelled outside of the world wars.
Originally due to take place in Tokyo between July and August this year, a new start date was later announced with organisers confirming that the rescheduled competition would take place ‘not later than summer 2021’.
Set on ensuring that next year’s event goes ahead, International Olympic Committee (IOC) vice president John Coates has promised that the 2021 Olympics will be the ‘games that conquered Covid, the light at the end of the tunnel’.
Over 11,000 athletes were due to take part in this year’s games, however with Japan’s borders still largely closed to foreign visitors it’s yet unclear what measures will need to be in place to allow for the games to go ahead. According to Tokyo 2020 Chief Executive Toshiro Muto, a vaccine will not be a prerequisite for partaking in the games
