Virus Peak Must Be Over Before Olympics - France Chief

Virus Peak Must Be Over Before Olympics - France Chief

By Admin

French Olympic Committee (CNOSF) president Denis Masseglia has said that the coronavirus pandemic must be beyond its peak by the end of May for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to go ahead as scheduled.

The International Olympic Committee will hold talks with heads of international sports organisations on Tuesday in response to the coronavirus outbreak and will also hold an unscheduled executive board teleconference to discuss the latest developments.

"My feeling is that if we're still in the crisis by the end of May I can't see how the Games can happen [on time]," Masseglia told Reuters on Monday.

"If we are beyond the peak and the situation is getting better, questions will rise about who qualifies, but we will find the least worst solution."

Masseglia also said that the IOC would hold a conference call with the National Olympic Committees on Wednesday.

The Tokyo Olympics are scheduled for July 24-Aug. 9, with the Paralympic Games due to be held from Aug. 25-Sept. 6.

The leader of the IOC's coordination commission for the Tokyo games said there is no May deadline to cancel the games and he remains confident the event will go ahead despite sports coming to a virtual standstill globally amid the coronavirus outbreak.

John Coates, who will have to go into government-mandated self-isolation when he returns to Australia this week from Olympic business in Europe, told the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper: "It's all proceeding to start on the 24th of July."

The outbreak has had an unprecedented effect on sporting events across the globe after more than 169,000 people have been infected and 6,500 killed so far.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.