Tokyo’s postponed Olympics will go ahead next year regardless of the coronavirus pandemic, IOC Vice President John Coates told AFP Monday.

Tokyo’s postponed Olympics will go ahead next year regardless of the coronavirus pandemic, IOC Vice President John Coates told AFP Monday, saying they would be the “Games that conquered Covid”.

“It will take place with or without Covid. The Games will start on July 23 next year”, said Coates, who heads the International Olympic Committee’s Coordination Commission for the Tokyo Games.

In July, Tokyo 2020 Chief Executive Toshiro Muto said it was possible that the Games be held to a “limited” audience, but said they wanted to avoid the possibility of having no spectators at all.

Instead, he added that the Games could potentially “simplify” its opening and closing ceremonies, as well as reduce the number of staff and delegations from each country.