Tokyo Postpones The 2020 Olympics

When the Coronavirus outbreak led organizers to cancel major live concert festivals like Coachella and sporting events like March Madness, it appeared that the eventual postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympic Games was inevitable.

Today, the inevitability became a reality, as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach agreed to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Olympics until next year.

On Sunday, the IOC said it would give itself four weeks to make a decision on the fate of the games, but mounting pressure from athletes and countries forced the IOC's hand. Canada said it would not send athletes to the Olympics without a delay, and Australia followed suit.

The postponement marks the first time the Olympics have been delayed for something other than war. They had previously been delayed in 1916, 1940, and 1944.

Most athletes felt the games could not be played fairly considering the circumstances, with many unable to train and a potentially significant number of athletes refusing to compete.

Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the USOPC, wrote to the athletes, "Despite the feeling of eventuality that so many of us have felt in the lead up to this moment -- my heart breaks for you, your fellow athletes around the world, our friends at Tokyo 2020, the people of Japan, and all who are impacted by this global pandemic and the decision to postpone the Tokyo Games 2020."

The Olympic flame will continue to burn in Tokyo, which the IOC stated was a decision made to serve as "a beacon of hope" for those eagerly awaiting the other side of the Coronavirus Crisis.