International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said Wednesday that the postponed Tokyo Games would require “sacrifices and compromises” from all sides to make them work.
“These postponed Olympic Games will need sacrifices, will need compromises from all stakeholders,” Bach told reporters in a conference call the day after the IOC decided to delay the 2020 Games because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The IOC's role, Bach said, was “to make the Olympic dreams of athletes come true”.
He admitted that cancelling the Tokyo Games was “discussed and considered” but said: “It was very clear from the beginning that cancellation was not something the IOC would in any way favour.”
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Olympic chief Thomas Bach said “all options are on the table” over finding a new date to hold the postponed Tokyo Games.
Tokyo 2020 became the first Olympics in peacetime to be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Announcing the unprecedented decision on Tuesday, the International Olympic Committee gave no specific new date, saying only it would be “beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021”.
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On Wednesday in a conference call, IOC president Bach said: “This is not restricted just to the summer months.
“All the options are on the table, before and including the summer of 2021.”
World Athletics said Monday it was prepared to shift its world championships in 2021 in order to accommodate a rescheduled Games.
The world championships are due to be held in Eugene, Oregon on August 6-15 next year.
And the International Swimming Federation said Tuesday that it was open to moving next year's world championships to fit in with the rescheduled quadrennial sporting extravaganza.
The swimming worlds are set to be held in Fukuoka in Japan between July 16 and August 1 next year.
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