IOC insist Tokyo Olympics will go ahead despite outbreak of virus from China

The International Olympic Committee said on Friday that there is no need for a backup plan for staging the 2020 Tokyo Olympics should the corona virus outbreak continue through the summer but the IOC will continue to monitor the situation, with a focus on the Chinese athletes and officials that plan to attend the Games.

International Olympic Committee Tokyo 2020 Coordination Commission chairman John Coates said the danger of Chinese athletes carrying or transmitting the virus is low as most had left the country before the outbreak to train and have no plans to return.

Coates said Chinese athletes should be free to compete in Tokyo Olympic test events as long they do not transit through China on their way to Japan.