USA Track & Field and Swimming request 2020 Olympics be postponed

There are a handful of major sporting competitions this coming summer that have yet to be postponed or canceled, but the biggest by far is the Tokyo Olympics. The 2020 Summer Olympics are currently scheduled for July 24th to August 9th. The torch relay has already begun even as some countries have not been able to take part due to travel restrictions.

The Olympics are far enough down the road that technically they can wait and see how the outbreak progresses. However, the problem for the Olympics is the volume of countries involved. The outbreak has slowed considerably in Korea and other countries nearby. However, as we are seeing in the United States, the outbreak likely has yet to peak in many countries. It could be brought under control in more countries, but it’s hard to tell if it will happen soon enough to conduct the Games.

The USA Swimming and USA Track & Field organizing bodies submitted letters to the USA Olympic and Paralympic Committees are requesting a postponement of the Summer Games. USA Track & Field asked for a general postponement, while USA Swimming suggested a postponement to 2021.

USA Swimming letter

USA Track & Field letter