On Jan. 22, the International Olympic Committee denied reports that the Tokyo Olympic Games are being canceled, saying the rumors are “categorically untrue.”
On the same day, the Japanese government also pushed back against the claims and said the games will open as planned on July 23.
The Times of London, citing an unidentified government official, reported that the Olympics would not go forward because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The games were postponed in 2020 for the same reason.
“No one wants to be the first to say so but the consensus is that it’s too difficult,” the unnamed source reportedly said.
The individual’s claims have not yet been verified by other news outlets.
In a statement rejecting the report, the IOC said it was “fully concentrated on and committed to” delivering the Olympic Games as scheduled.
A statement from the International Paralympic Committee acknowledged that the Olympics “will be very different to any previous games” but said the event will go forward.
While speaking in parliament on Jan. 22, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said the Olympics “will be a symbol of humanity overcoming the novel coronavirus.”
Suga also said the event will give Japan the opportunity to show the world it has rebuilt after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.
The Times of London article alleged that Japan would attempt to land the 2032 Olympics to make up for canceling this year’s event. However, the country has already spent approximately $25 billion on the 2020 Olympics, casting doubt on such claims.
In early January, the Japanese government placed Tokyo and other areas of the country under a state of emergency in response to a surge of COVID-19 cases.
As of Jan. 26, Japan has reported 369,000 COVID-19 cases and 5,193 coronavirus-related deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
