By Kevin Sully - FloTrack - Link
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The IOC announced on Tuesday that the Tokyo Olympics will be postponed to 2021 as the world continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is the first time the modern Games have been postponed.
"In the present circumstances and based on the information provided by the WHO today, the IOC President and the Prime Minister of Japan have concluded that the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community," the IOC statement said.
This impacts all levels of track and field athletes, including high school stars such as Athing Mu and Justin Robinson, both of whom had qualified to compete at the U.S. Olympic Trials in June.
The decision comes after several nations and governing bodies expressed support for postponement. The IOC said on Sunday they would make a decision on the staging the Games in four weeks. Shortly after, Canada became the first country to state they would not send athletes to the Games.
An official date has not been set for 2021. As of now, Eugene is set to host the 2021 World Championships from August 6th through August 21st.