The Summer 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo have been postponed. The Games will likely take place in 2021 in response to the coronavirus pandemic. With opening ceremonies scheduled begin on July 24th in Tokyo, the 2020 Olympic Games were set to feature the best athletes from around the world competing in dozens of athletic events. Baseball, softball, karate, skateboarding, surfing, and sport climbing were all sports that were supposed to premiere at the Games this summer. As COVID-19 began to spread around the world earlier this year, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) insisted the Games would go on as planned and that the committee would not consider postponing or cancelling the event.
The IOC received criticism for their initial decision, with several countries insisting the Games be postponed. This past Sunday, the IOC finally stated that postponement was a possibility and that a decision would be made in the coming weeks. That same day, Canada decided not to send any athletes to the Games unless they were moved to a later date. According to USA Today, the decision has now been made to postpone the Olympic Games, possibly to 2021. The news comes from a senior member of the International Olympic Committee, as the IOC has not made an official statement.
The news of the Olympic Games postponement comes after the cancellation or delay of other large-scale events. SXSW was one of the first major events to be cancelled due to the coronavirus, with several other music and culture festivals following suit. Hollywood has essentially been put on pause, as movie premieres have been delayed and production for both television and film has been halted. Only time will tell how much the COVID-19 pandemic will affect the cultural landscape of the world.
Source: USA Today