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Coronavirus

Committee working to clear July and August window for Olympics next year

Committee working to clear July and August window for Olympics next year
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By

Md Imtiaz

Published: 27 March 2020 9:12 AM GMT

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission chair John Coates said they are working closely with international federations to find a window in July and August next year to reschedule the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The re-arranged dates for Olympics and Paralympics are the topics to be discussed by the IOC and Tokyo 2020 following the postponement of the Games.

Coates told Japanese newspaper Yomiuri, the Games would need to be scheduled between the Wimbledon and US Open tennis Grand Slam events.

"We want to more or less finalise the dates in four weeks' time," the Australian, a former IOC vice president and a key ally of IOC President Thomas Bach, said.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission chair John Coates said they are working closely with international federations to find a window in July and August next year (Image: The Australian The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission chair John Coates said they are working closely with international federations to find a window in July and August next year (Image: The Australian)

Wimbledon is currently scheduled to take place from June 28 to July 11 next year, with the US Open running from August 30 to September 12.

Tokyo 2020 had initially been due to run from July 24 to August 9 this year, with identical dates for next year's Games fitting between the two tennis events.

This would currently clash with both the World Athletics Championships and the World Swimming Championships, however.

World Athletics is due to hold its next World Championships in Oregon in the United States from August 6 to 15.

Despite this, they have revealed they may move their flagship event to 2022 to accommodate the Olympic Games.

Several other sports adapt their calendars to accommodate the Olympics in Games years.

This year's Tour de France will begin one week earlier than usual on June 27 and run until July 19, having been arranged to allow riders to participate at Tokyo 2020.

The race is currently due to run from July 2 to 25 next year, with the Grand Depart due to begin in Denmark.

According to insidethegames, a recommendation on the timing of Tokyo 2020 will likely be made to the IOC Executive Board by the end of April.

IOC President Thomas Bach yesterday said the postponed Olympic Games would "not be restricted to the summer months".

Bach claimed all options were on the table for the rescheduling of the event.

The prospect of a spring Olympics in Japan has been mooted.

While this would also require rescheduling of other sporting events, it potentially could avoid the high summer temperatures in Tokyo which have forced organisers to invest in heat countermeasures for the Games.

The IOC and Tokyo 2020 opted to postpone the Games amid growing concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.

This included concerns over health and athletes' training, with several countries subject to lockdowns.

Numerous qualification events had also been impacted.

More than 470,000 coronavirus cases have been confirmed worldwide, with the pandemic causing the deaths of more than 21,500 people.

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