The chief of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, has said it's too early to make a decision regarding the hosting of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Bach has said that cancellation of the Games is not on the agenda, but he acknowledged the organisation are considering different scenarios in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Games are due to start in Japan on July 24th.
Bach told the New York Times that other options are being examined as mass gatherings and sporting events are cancelled worldwide.
11,000 athletes are set to converge on Tokyo for the Games, with the Paralympics to follow.
Sport Ireland CEO and former Olympic silver medallist John Treacy has already called for the Tokyo Games to be postponed, noting the affect on the athletes, some of whom are in the dark around qualification.
German Bach is sticking to his guns about not making a call on it now and has rejected suggestions that the IOC are myopic amid a global crisis of very worrying proportions.
“We are affected by this crisis like everyone else and we are concerned like everybody else," he said.
“We are not living in a bubble or on another planet. We are in the middle of our societies.”
He added: "We rely on our task force, including the World Health Organization, who are telling us it is too early to take a decision, and we are at the same time monitoring closely what is happening."
The Olympics are costing Japan over €11 billion to stage, and a postponement would be a tricky proposition, with the World Athletics Championships and the European Football Championship due to be staged next year. There is also the issue of broadcast contracts.
Bach wouldn't be drawn on postponement, saying only that "we are committed to the success of these Games."
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