Olympics Coronavirus: Japan FINALLY draw up plans to postpone Tokyo 2020 after weeks of denials

2020 OLYMPIC GAMES   The Olympic torch relay in Greece was cancelled on Friday March 13 – just a day after the flame was lit in Olympia. Large crowds mobbed Hollywood actor Gerard Butler as he lit the cauldron in the Greek city of Sparta despite repeated warnings for spectators not to attend because of coronavirus. That forced … Read more

Olympics Coronavirus: Japan FINALLY draw up plans to postpone Tokyo 2020 after weeks of denials

2020 OLYMPIC GAMES   The Olympic torch relay in Greece was cancelled on Friday March 13 – just a day after the flame was lit in Olympia. Large crowds mobbed Hollywood actor Gerard Butler as he lit the cauldron in the Greek city of Sparta despite repeated warnings for spectators not to attend because of coronavirus. That forced … Read more

Tokyo 2020 MUST be postponed warns senior Japanese Olympic Committee member

Tokyo 2020 MUST be postponed warns senior Japanese Olympic Committee member Kaori Yamaguchi said Games must be delayed because athletes cannot prepare She is the first JOC board member to openly call for Games to be postponed  Many major sporting events have been delayed because of the virus outbreak  Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and … Read more

Athletes accuse Olympic organisers of ‘putting us in danger’

Athletes have accused Olympic organisers of ‘putting us in danger’ by insisting that the Games will go ahead despite the coronavirus outbreak. Britain’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Greece’s Katerina Stefanidi said athletes felt forced to continue training despite the health risks because Olympic chiefs say the Games will still begin on July 24.   World heptathlon champion … Read more

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledges the Olympics will go ahead as planned

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledges the Olympics will go ahead as planned despite other high-profile sporting events falling victim to coronavirus pandemic Abe said the Tokyo Olympics would go ahead as scheduled in July this year Donald Trump suggested yesterday that they should be postponed by a year Japan has so far reported more … Read more

Gerard Butler brushes off coronavirus concerns as he takes part in Olympic torch relay in Greece

Gerard Butler brushed off concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic as he took part in the Olympic torch relay in Greece.  The Hollywood actor, 50, was seen lighting the torch and carrying it through the streets of Sparta on Friday, as the run went ahead in the Greek city.  Gerard was clad in official uniform for … Read more

Japan’s Olympic minister Seiko Hashimoto says Tokyo 2020 will go ahead despite coronavirus

2020 OLYMPIC GAMES  In doubt  The scale of the outbreak in Japan saw senior International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound describe the disease as ‘the new war’ threatening Tokyo 2020 and he warned the Games may have to be cancelled if the virus was still around by May. Olympic organisers told athletes to train as normal … Read more

Olympic torch is lit at the birthplace of the games in Greece but coronavirus fears remain

The Olympic torch was lit today at the birthplace of the Games in Greece while fears remain that Tokyo 2020 could still be scrapped due to coronavirus.  Standing in front of the ruined Temple of Hera in Ancient Olympia, an actress dressed as an ancient Greek high priestess lit the flame using the rays of the … Read more

Cancelling Tokyo 2020 is ‘inconceivable’, Japan’s Olympic minister says 

Cancelling Tokyo 2020 is ‘inconceivable’, Japan’s Olympic minister says… but warns the IOC will have to make ‘an appropriate decision’ Seiko Hashimoto said International Olympic Committee to make ‘final decision’ She added that from the ‘viewpoint of athletes’ a cancellation is ‘inconceivable’ Coronavirus epidemic has infected 581 and been linked to 12 deaths in Japan … Read more

How scrapping Tokyo Olympics over coronavirus fears would be felt around the world

With countries taking drastic measures to slow down the rapid spread of deadly coronavirus, questions have raged about whether the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will go ahead as scheduled. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and local organisers say the games are set to go ahead from July 24 with 11,000 people – including athletes – expected … Read more