JOC President: One year Olympics postponement appropriate

Japan Olympic Committee President Yasuhiro Yamashita on Wednesday said a one-year postponement of Games is an appropriate extension considering ongoing spre of new coronavirus worldwide.

Yamashita encourd athletes "t to give up", recalling Moscow Olympics in 1980, when he was a promising judo athlete who was set to compete in Games.

But United States called for a boycott in protest of Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. Japan Olympic Committee decided its athletes would t participate.

Yamashita went on to compete in 1984 Olympics and finished with a gold medal.

"Don't crumble, don't give up, motivate yourself once more, stay young at heart" Yamashita said.

"I hope y will take on challenge next year."

For most people, new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older ults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.

new coronavirus has caused a global pandemic that has sickened at least 422,000, killed 18,900 worldwide, crippled ecomies and forced restrictions on movement of millions of people in an effort to stop virus from spreing furr and overwhelming health care systems.