On Friday, the Times of London reported, referring to an unnamed senior member of the ruling coalition, that the Japanese authorities had decided that the Olympics could not go ahead due to the ongoing pandemic. CNN has not independently verified this report, which officials in Tokyo quickly refuted.
In a statement, Tokyo 2020 organizers said Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga had expressed their determination to hold the Games, and that meetings were underway to ensure they could proceed while taking thorough measures against infections and other precautions due to the pandemic.
“All of our delivery partners, including the national government, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, the IOC and the IPC, are fully focused on hosting the Games this summer,” the statement said. “We hope that everyday life can return to normal as soon as possible, and we will continue to do everything we can to prepare for safe and secure Games.”
Suga said in parliament Friday morning that the Games “will be a symbol of humanity overcoming the new coronavirus, and an opportunity to show the world the rebuilding of Japan after the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami.”
“We are committed to working closely with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee and the IOC to deliver safe and secure Olympic Games,” Suga said.
Other Olympic officials were also quick to deny the Times’s claims.
“Unfortunately, I have to deal with the unfounded rumor that the Tokyo Games will be canceled,” Matt Carroll, CEO of the Australian Olympic Committee, told reporters Friday. Rumors that don’t add up are creating more anxiety among athletes in our sport. The Tokyo Games have begun. The flames will be lit on July 23, 2021. This has just been reaffirmed by the Japanese Prime Minister this afternoon.
In a discussion on Twitter, Canadian Olympic chief David Shoemaker said his team “was not aware of any decision by the Japanese government, as reported.”
“The Canadian Olympic Committee is confident that the Games can be held safely and successfully, given what has been learned in the sport in recent months and the emphasis the IOC and Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee have placed on Covid’s countermeasures. -19, ”he said. “We continue our preparation to participate in Tokyo 2020 with a focus on the health and safety of our athletes, their families and their communities.”