Tokyo Olympic Body Says Games on Schedule After Member’s Remark

(Bloomberg) -- Organizers of the Tokyo Olympics reiterated that the games are going forward on schedule following a report that one official plans to propose delaying the event because of the coronavirus.

Comments on the postponement proposal by Haruyuki Takahashi, an executive board member of the Japanese Olympic organizing committee, were made to Kyodo News on Wednesday morning, according to a representative from Tokyo’s organizing body for the Games.

Olympics Minister Seiko Hashimoto later in the day called postponement “inconceivable,” while acknowledging that the final decision rests with the International Olympic Committee. Yoshiro Mori, president of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee, said the group isn’t considering changing its plans, according to the Asahi newspaper. He spoke with Takahashi, who told him he misspoke, the paper said.

The local organizing committee spent the day refuting earlier remarks from Takahashi in the Wall Street Journal that raised the possibility of a one- or two-year delay.

As groups around the world cancel events to combat the deadly virus, speculation continues to swirl around the Olympics, which are set to begin in July. Every day brings new reports that organizers are -- or should be -- exploring all available options, only to be met with denials from international and local Olympics bodies.

With the World Health Organization declaring the virus a pandemic and urging governments to step up containment efforts, questions around the Olympics are set to grow.

Japan has taken increasingly bold steps to contain the coronavirus. The country’s cabinet approved a bill this week that would enable Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to declare an emergency if needed. Abe has already urged schools nationwide to close until early April, after calling on organizers of large events to cancel, postpone or scale them back.

A poll published by national broadcaster NHK on Monday showed 45% of respondents didn’t think the games could be held as scheduled, while 40% said they thought the plan could go ahead.

--With assistance from Ayai Tomisawa and Nour Al Ali.

To contact the reporters on this story: Sophie Jackman in Tokyo at sjackman5@bloomberg.net;Yuki Hagiwara in Tokyo at yhagiwara1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Kana Nishizawa at knishizawa5@bloomberg.net, Frank Connelly, Janet Paskin

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