Please find below a statement from Dame Katherine Grainger, Chair of UK Sport, in response to the IOC Executive Board’s announcement today in relation to Tokyo 2020 and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Dame Katherine Grainger, Chair of UK Sport, said: “Given the circumstances, today’s news that the IOC are looking at options to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics was inevitable, and the correct decision for the safety of athletes, staff and fans.
“This is clearly a very distressing time for all the athletes, alongside their coaches and support staff, who have been working so hard for many years to turn their Olympic & Paralympic dreams into a reality, and we will offer any support we can. I’d also like to express sympathy to the local organising committee and to Japan for whom this will be incredibly challenging and who proved what a fantastic host country they are during the recent Rugby World Cup.
“However, sport has to do whatever it can to support the global effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and so we must maintain a degree of perspective.
“Sport has a wonderful ability to bring people together, creating joy and happiness like few other things, and we look forward to being able to draw on this unique power to unite and inspire the nation again soon.”