TOKYO — Japanese Olympic Committee President Yasuhiro Yamashita said on Wednesday the decision to postpone the Tokyo Games due to the coronavirus pandemic came quicker than expected but he wanted to make sure the event was a success after the one-year delay. The Olympics were postponed on Tuesday to 2021, the first such delay in the Games' 124-year modern history, as the coronavirus crisis wrecked the world's last sporting showpiece still standing this year. Pressure had been building on the International Olympic Committee with some athletes and sporting bodies angry that a seemingly inevitable decision had taken so long but Yamashita told reporters it was now time to be positive and prepare. Yamashita, a 62-year-old former judoka and 1984 Los Angeles Games gold medalist, also said that a one-year postponement was better than a two-year delay due to the qualification process.

Source: International New York Times March 25, 2020 03:45 UTC