Have the Olympics ever been delayed in the past? A look at the Olympics' history

It has been confirmed by an International Olympic Committee (IOC) official and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that the 2020 Tokyo Olympics are postponed for at least a year. This is a direct consequence of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic that has gripped the globe. Prior to the postponement, Canada and Germany had already gone public with their desire to boycott the games due to the coronavirus pandemic that has engulfed the globe. With the 2020 Olympics postponed, many are wondering, have the Olympics ever been delayed in the past?

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Olympics 2021

2020 Olympics postponed at least for a year

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Olympics 2021

Have the Olympics ever been delayed?

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Olympics 2021 is the fourth time that the quadrennial has been delayed due to various reasons. The other three times that the Olympics were delayed were due to World War I and World War II. On all three occasions, the Olympics were cancelled due to global wars. The three occasions on which the Olympics were called off in the past are: 

• 1916 Summer Olympics 
• The 1940 Summer and Winter Olympics
• The 1944 Summer and Winter Olympics

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Olympics 2021

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