CAROLYN MULLARKEY
Staff Writer
The effects of the coronavirus have not ended and do not appear to be stopping anytime soon. As confirmed cases of COVID-19 increase, the economy decreases and with just about every single sport being canceled or delayed, the sports world receives another casualty.
On March 24, after much discussion with the Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, the International Olympic Committee came to the conclusion to suspend the games for a full calendar year into 2021. IOC President, Thomas Bach, stated in his letter to the IOC Members that with the games only a few months away, and not enough progress tackling the outbreak, would only result in endangering the lives of both the athletes and spectators.
Prior to this conclusion, Canada and Australia had already come out with saying they wouldn’t be sending any of their athletes and had the IOC not done this, more countries would have certainly followed suit.
Now, these Summer games are nowhere by means canceled, just delayed.
The only time in history the Olympics were ever canceled was the 1916 Summer, and 1940/1944 Winter and Summer games due to both WWI and WWII. Of course, the nature that brought upon this postponement is unprecedented and something we have never seen nor experienced before.
We will hopefully see better care and efforts to end this pandemic and bring the world together for the biggest sporting event series in the world in a successful and safe way for everyone involved.
The newly confirmed official Tokyo 2021 dates have recently been announced.
The Olympics will be from July 23 until Aug. 8.
The Paralympics will run from Aug. 24 until Sept. 5.
For further updates, more information, or changes, visit https://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-news and keep checking back with The Leader as more unfolds.