Tokyo Olympics officials deny talk of cancelation, say they are "focused on hosting"

AP

Approximately six months before the Opening Ceremony, The Times of London reported Thursday that "the Japanese government has privately concluded that the Tokyo Olympics will have to be cancelled because of the coronavirus, and the focus is now on securing the Games for the city in the next available year, 2032." Japan is currently in a state of emergency over its COVID crisis. IOC president Thomas Bach and local organizers have pushed back on the report. In a statement Friday, the local organizing committee did not address The Times story directly, but said the Olympics were going forward and had the support of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. "All our delivery partners including the national government, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, the IOC and the IPC (International Paralympic Committee) are fully focused on hosting the games this summer," the statement said. "We hope that daily life can return to normal as soon as possible, and we will continue to make every effort to prepare for a safe and secure games." The Associated Press says it would be difficult for Japan to wait and host the Olympics in 2032, as suggested by The Times article: "The idea of Tokyo waiting a decade seems unlikely, given the cost of maintaining venues, negotiating new leases, and so forth," says The AP. Tokyo has already spent about $25 billion to organize these Olympics, most of which is public money."