The International Olympic Committee is giving itself one month to decide how to proceed with this summer’s Tokyo Olympics. In an open letter to athletes, IOC president Thomas Bach said that amid the COVID-19 pandemic, “Human lives take precedence over everything,” and so the global organization will spend the next four weeks determining the best option for the Tokyo Olympics, which are scheduled to open on July 23.
In a statement, the IOC said it “needs to take the next step in its scenario-planning.” It’s the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began that the IOC has said it’s considering other options.
Bach’s letter came after a meeting of the IOC’s executive board. “The IOC EB emphasized that a cancellation of the Olympic Games Tokyo