TOKYO 2020

A trial looking into bribery at the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee has begun.

In the midst of rising coronavirus anxieties, Japan opts for a moment of national sports pride.

The European Union announced Wednesday it is committing 200 million more coronavirus vaccine doses to Africa to help curb the COVID-19 pandemic on a global scale. “Trying to find the right words to capture the essence,” von der Leyen said, “is not easy. More than just winning gold and silver medals in the women's foil at the Paralympics, it was Vio's road to get to this year's games that inspired von der Leyen. And only 119 days after she left the hospital, she won Paralympic gold," she said. Fighting unlikely odds, von der Leyen said, “is the spirit of Europe’s next generation.

The European Union announced Wednesday it is committing 200 million more coronavirus vaccine doses to Africa to help curb the COVID-19 pandemic on a global scale. “Trying to find the right words to capture the essence,” von der Leyen said, “is not easy. More than just winning gold and silver medals in the women's foil at the Paralympics, it was the road to get to this year's games that inspired von der Leyen. And only 119 days after she left the hospital, she won Paralympic gold," she said. Fighting unlikely odds, von der Leyen said, “is the spirit of Europe’s next generation.

When European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen was at a loss for words to capture the true spirit of Europe's young, she introduced a special guest of honor at her State of the Union address.

The two-person team arrived in Tokyo a week late, after the crisis in Afghanistan threatened to bar them from leaving their home country.

The Paralympics got underway in Tokyo this past week, and much like the Olympics that were held last month, it didn’t take long for athletes to produce special moments that inspired the world.

Tokyo 2020 Paralympics Jessica Long of the U.S. sits on the side of the pool after the Women's 100m Backstroke - S8 Final Swimming, at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo Friday, Aug. 27, 2021. (Thomas Lovelock for OIS via AP) (Thomas Lovelock for OIS)NBC's Olympics coverage has long been built on a foundation of human-interest stories and showcasing athletes' road to the Games. The same philosophies will apply to the coverage of Paralympics, which will air on the network for the first time. Sunday will mark the first time that Paralympics coverage will air on the main NBC network and is part of 1,200 hours of programming airing across NBC, NBCSN, Olympic Channel and digital properties. NBC will have three weekend docu-follow series episodes which will show the stories and performances of athletes competing in Tokyo.

The Paralympics have started in Tokyo, and it’s easy to spot sports that are both in Paralympics and Olympics, such as basketball, volleyball, weightlifting, soccer, equestrian and cycling, to name just a few, and with various adaptions.

This is one silver medal that turned out to be arguably more valuable than all the gold medals combined at the recent Tokyo Olympics.

Tokyo Paralympics No Fans FILE - In this July 22, 2018, file photo, Tokyo 2020 Paralympic mascot "Someity" stands at stage during their debut event in Tokyo. Tokyo organizers said Monday, Aug. 16, 2021, what everyone expected: fans will be barred from the Paralympic Games during the pandemic, as they were from the just-completed Tokyo Olympics. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File) (Eugene Hoshiko)TOKYO — (AP) — All fans will be barred from the Paralympics in Japan because of the coronavirus pandemic, just as they were from the recently-completed Tokyo Olympics, organizers said Monday. There were a few exceptions made during the Olympics with some fans allowed in outlying areas away from Tokyo. The Paralympics open on Aug. 24 with about 4,400 athletes, a far smaller event than the Olympics with 11,000 athletes.

All fans will be barred from the Paralympics because of the coronavirus pandemic just as they were from the recently-completed Tokyo Olympics.

Jamaican Olympic hurdler Hansle Parchment took the wrong bus and likely would have missed his semifinal if not for a volunteer who paid his taxi fare. He went back to repay her after winning gold.

Here’s a breakdown of what certain countries pay athletes when they win a medal in the Summer Olympics, according to Forbes.

With the flame extinguished in Tokyo this past weekend, the torch for the Summer Olympics -- seeing as the Winter Games in Beijing are just six months away -- has been passed to Paris, the host of the 2024 Summer Games.

Someone cue up the Olympic theme song stat!

The United States hasn’t hosted any Olympic Games since 2002, when Salt Lake City welcomed the world to the Winter Olympics, but man, there have certainly been some cities that have tried.

On several street corners around the Tokyo Olympic media press center and at several venues, you find people shooting pictures. Not of the athletes or journalists, but of the buses they ride in.

First came news that one athlete had tested positive; three more quickly followed. Now the whole team is being moved to a separate hotel.

The competition has produced inspiring moments that have gotten the world’s attention and embodied the Olympic spirit.

Well, that was as fast as Caeleb Dressel swimming the 50-meter freestyle.

It will nearly impossible for Pita Taufatofua to outlast his original claim to fame as “the shirtless flag bearer,” which made him a legend on social media.

World-class athletes from all over the globe are in Tokyo to win medals, but they’re also there to give us behind-the-scenes peeks at the Olympics, in viral TikTok videos.

It was the portion of the Opening Ceremony that many were talking about, and no, it wasn’t the lighting of the torch.

Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony Naomi Osaka carries the Olympic Torch during the opening ceremony in the Olympic Stadium at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 23, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. A second cauldron has been placed in Tokyo’s waterfront area was to be lit after the opening ceremony. ___An array of singers, including John Legend and Keith Urban, have performed “Imagine” at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics. ___Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach have arrived for the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Games. ___With a blaze of indigo and white fireworks lighting the night sky, the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony has started.

Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach speaks during the opening ceremony at the Olympic Stadium at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 23, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Morry Gash) (Morry Gash)The Latest on the Tokyo Olympics, which are taking place under heavy restrictions after a year’s delay because of the coronavirus pandemic:___At long last, the Tokyo Olympics have officially been declared open by Japan’s Emperor Naruhito. ___An array of singers, including John Legend and Keith Urban, have performed “Imagine” at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics. Bird says “this Olympics are like no other.”___The parade of athletes at the opening ceremony for the Tokyo Olympics has started. ___With a blaze of indigo and white fireworks lighting the night sky, the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony has started.

Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony Sue Bird and Eddy Alvares, of the United States of America, carry their country's flag during the opening ceremony at the Olympic Stadium at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 23, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Morry Gash) (Morry Gash)The Latest on the Tokyo Olympics, which are taking place under heavy restrictions after a year’s delay because of the coronavirus pandemic:___An array of singers, including John Legend and Keith Urban, have performed “Imagine” at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics. Bird says “this Olympics are like no other.”___The parade of athletes at the opening ceremony for the Tokyo Olympics has started. ___Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach have arrived for the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Games. ___With a blaze of indigo and white fireworks lighting the night sky, the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony has started.

Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony Sue Bird and Eddy Alvares, of the United States of America, carry their country's flag during the opening ceremony at the Olympic Stadium at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 23, 2021, in Tokyo. ___Sue Bird is one of the flagbearers for the U.S. in the opening ceremony for the Tokyo Olympics, sharing that role with baseball’s Eddy Alvarez. Bird says “this Olympics are like no other.”___The parade of athletes at the opening ceremony for the Tokyo Olympics has started. ___Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach have arrived for the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Games. ___With a blaze of indigo and white fireworks lighting the night sky, the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony has started.

Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony Malia Paseka and Pita Taufatofua, of Tonga, carry their country's flag during the opening ceremony in the Olympic Stadium at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 23, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. Bird says “this Olympics are like no other.”___The parade of athletes at the opening ceremony for the Tokyo Olympics has started. Naruhito attended the 1964 Tokyo Olympics as a 4-year-old, watching the marathon and equestrian events. ___With a blaze of indigo and white fireworks lighting the night sky, the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony has started. ___South African race walker Lebogang Shange has been banned for four years for doping and will miss the Tokyo Olympics.

Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony Athletes from Italy march during the opening ceremony in the Olympic Stadium at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 23, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. Bird says “this Olympics are like no other.”___The parade of athletes at the opening ceremony for the Tokyo Olympics has started. ___Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach have arrived for the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Games. ___With a blaze of indigo and white fireworks lighting the night sky, the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony has started. ___South African race walker Lebogang Shange has been banned for four years for doping and will miss the Tokyo Olympics.

Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony Cecilia Carranza Saroli and Santiago Raul Lange, of Argentina, carry their country's flag during the opening ceremony at the Olympic Stadium at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 23, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Morry Gash) (Morry Gash)The Latest on the Tokyo Olympics, which are taking place under heavy restrictions after a year’s delay because of the coronavirus pandemic:___The parade of athletes at the opening ceremony for the Tokyo Olympics has started. ___Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach have arrived for the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Games. ___With a blaze of indigo and white fireworks lighting the night sky, the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony has started. The map is part of a “Cheer Zone” feature tracking how fans around the world have backed different teams at the Tokyo Games.

APTOPIX Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony Fireworks illuminate over the National Stadium during the opening ceremony of the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 23, 2021, in Tokyo. ___With a blaze of indigo and white fireworks lighting the night sky, the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony has started. The IOC says 206 teams — 205 nations and the refugee team — will be taking part in the opening ceremony. The opening ceremony will be held mostly without spectators to prevent the spread of coronavirus infections, although some officials, guests and media will attend. One reason for the move could be that Osaka might have a role in the opening ceremony Friday night.

Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony The stage is set before the opening ceremony in the Olympic Stadium at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 23, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) (David J. Phillip)The Latest on the Tokyo Olympics, which are taking place under heavy restrictions after a year’s delay because of the coronavirus pandemic:___With a blaze of indigo and white fireworks lighting the night sky, the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony has started. ___The International Olympic Committee has released the order of the parade of nations for the opening ceremony and the names of all the flagbearers. The IOC says 206 teams — 205 nations and the refugee team — will be taking part in the opening ceremony. One reason for the move could be that Osaka might have a role in the opening ceremony Friday night.

Tennis star Naomi Osaka has lit the cauldron at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Games, ending the flame’s long journey from Greece to these delayed Olympics.

Tokyo Olympics Tokyo Remember 1964 FILE - In this Oct. 10, 1964, file photo, balloons fly over Olympians and spectators during the opening ceremony of the 1964 Summer Olympics at the National Stadium in Tokyo. The famous 1964 Tokyo Olympics highlighted Japan’s resiliency. Now Japan and Tokyo are on display again, attempting to stage the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the midst of a once-in-a century pandemic. Japan's resiliency is on display again, attempting to stage the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the midst of a once-in-a century pandemic. The family connection and curiosity got Tomizawa looking for a history in English of those 1964 Games.

The 1964 Tokyo Olympics showcased Japan’s resiliency and reemergence.

Tokyo Olympics Holocaust This undated photo released by Tokyo 2020 shows Kentaro Kobayashi, a key director of Tokyo Olympics’ opening ceremony. (©Tokyo 2020 via AP) (Uncredited)The Latest on the Tokyo Olympics, which are taking place under heavy restrictions after a year’s delay because of the coronavirus pandemic:The United States has beat Canada 1-0 for a 2-0 start in Olympic softball. Organizing committee president Seiko Hashimoto says opening ceremony director Kentaro Kobayashi has been dismissed. ___Russian swimmer Ilya Borodin, the European champion in the 400-meter individual medley, will miss the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for the coronavirus. Whether Palaszczuk and other members of the city’s delegation should attend the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony on Friday.

Just days before the Games' opening ceremony, more athletes have tested positive for Covid.

ADDITION Tokyo Olympics ADDS RESTRICTION: ONE TIME USE ONLY, EDITORIAL USE ONLY - IOC President Thomas Bach, right, meets with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, second from left, during a welcome party for Bach and IOC officials at Akasaka Palace, Japanese state guest house, in Tokyo, Japan, Sunday, July 18, 2021. (Courtesy of Tokyo 2020 via AP) (Uncredited)TOKYO — (AP) — The world needs to see that Japan can stage a safe Olympics, the country’s prime minister told sports officials Tuesday ahead of the Tokyo Games. Events start Wednesday — in softball and women’s soccer — two days ahead of the formal opening ceremony of an Olympics already postponed a year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Health experts in Japan have questioned allowing so many international visitors for the games, which end on Aug. 8. Bach said the IOC is contributing $1.7 billion to Tokyo organizers of the Olympics and the Paralympics.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga says the world needs to see that Japan can stage a safe Olympics.

Toyota won’t be airing any Olympic-themed advertisements on Japanese television during the Tokyo Games despite being one of the IOC’s top corporate sponsors.

Toyota won’t be airing any Olympic-themed advertisements on Japanese television during the Tokyo Games despite being one of the IOC’s top corporate sponsors. The extraordinary decision by the country’s top automaker underlines how polarizing the Games have become in Japan as COVID-19 infections rise ahead of Friday’s opening ceremony. “There are many issues with these Games that are proving difficult to be understood,” Toyota Chief Communications Officer Jun Nagata told reporters Monday.

Tokyo Olympics IOC President Thomas Bach gestures during a press conference at the Main Press Center, ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Saturday, July 17, 2021. The first resident of the Olympic Village has tested positive for COVID-19, Tokyo Olympic organizers said on Saturday. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said last week there was “zero” risk of athletes passing on the virus to Japanese or other residents of the village. Olympic organizers said that another athlete had tested positive, although they were not residing in the Olympic Village. "Team (South Africa) officials and management have followed all relevant Olympic Playbook rules, protocols and procedures throughout the pre-Games and Games arrival routines," the South African Olympic committee said.

Two South African soccer players have become the first athletes inside the Olympic Village to test positive for COVID-19.

Japan Olympics Tokyo International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach (on-screen) and Tokyo 2020 president Seiko Hashimoto, left, wave at the beginning of the five-party meeting in Tokyo, Thursday, July 8, 2021. The declaration was made by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, and the spectator ban was agreed to by Japanese Olympic organizers, the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee, and the metropolitan government of Tokyo. Fans also have endured months of uncertainty about whether the Olympics will go ahead. Japan is officially spending $15.4 billion on the Olympics, and several government audits say it's much larger. Two weeks ago, organizers and the IOC allowed venues to be filled to 50% of capacity, with crowds not to exceed 10,000.

Coronavirus: Japan to place Tokyo under state of emergency through Olympics, report says A police officer stands in front of Tokyo 2020 Olympic display at Haneda international airport in Tokyo, Thursday, July 8, 2021. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)TOKYO — Just two weeks before the Summer Olympics are set to begin, Japanese officials are reportedly planning to declare a state of emergency in Tokyo amid a surge in COVID-19 cases. >> Read more trending newsAccording to The Associated Press, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is expected to announce the plans, which would place Tokyo under a state of emergency from Monday through Aug. 22, later Thursday. The move likely means that local spectators won’t be allowed at the Games, the AP reported. The International Olympic Committee, organizers and officials will meet Thursday evening to decide whether they can attend.

Fans will be banned from the Tokyo area’s stadiums and arenas when the Olympic Games begin in two weeks.

We lost a lot last summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and one of those things was the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Japanese medical experts warn that allowing domestic spectators will lead to a spike in Covid cases.

Japan Anti Olympics Art Japanese artist Miwako Sakauchi speaks about her art work for Art Exhibition "Declaration of the end of Olympic games" in Chiba near Tokyo Thursday, June 10, 2021. Polls have found an overwhelming majority of Japanese people are skeptical of the Tokyo Olympics being held this summer during a pandemic, but only a few have publicly marched to protest. But there are creative projects that are looking to protest the increasingly unpopular Tokyo Olympics, even as authorities seek to shut them down. One little-recognized outlet where people have expressed their frustration and fear over the Olympics has been art. “Freedom of speech is about to be extinguished because of the Tokyo Olympics,” Koyama said.

The Japanese public generally opposes holding the Tokyo Olympics during a pandemic, even though outward dissent has seemed muted.

Restrictions in Tokyo and nine other areas will now not be lifted until a month before the Olympics.

Meet Sky Brown, a skateboarding prodigy who is on the verge of becoming one of the youngest athletes to ever compete at the Summer Olympics.

When the coronavirus pandemic forced Tokyo last year to delay the Summer Olympics and Paralympics to July 2021, organizers kept the Tokyo 2020 name, saying they wanted the event to be seen as a “light at the end of the tunnel.” Covid-19 is still spreading but the games appear to be going ahead, in what would be the biggest world event of the pandemic era. But they are almost certain to look like no other Olympics, with a bar on spectators from abroad and uncertainty as to whether even fans in Ja

The Olympic host nation continues to struggle with COVID-19 but is still scheduled to open its doors for the Summer Games.

An anti-Olympics protester posed as a reporter and disrupted an IOC news conference, holding a banner or scarf that read "No Olympics in Tokyo 2020."

Tokyo and Japan’s second largest metropolitan area of Osaka are coming under emergency orders aimed at stemming surging cases of the coronavirus.

It’s no secret that the United States is the most decorated country when it comes to winning medals at the Summer Olympics, with the red, white and blue taking home more than 2,600 medals, the most of any country.

Tokyo Olympic organizers are again being forced to assure the world that the postponed games will open in just over three months despite surging COVID-19 cases in Japan.

The Tokyo Olympic torch relay will not run through the streets of Osaka prefecture next week because of rising COVID-19 cases.

The governor of Osaka prefecture said on Thursday that he wants to cancel the Olympic torch relay legs going through Osaka later this month. (Kim Kyung-Hoon/Pool Photo via AP, File)TOKYO – The Tokyo Olympic torch relay ran into big trouble on Thursday when the governor of Osaka prefecture and the mayor of the city of Osaka asked that relay legs going through the city be canceled with the games opening in less than four months. “When I watch the torch relay elsewhere in Japan, people tend to gather and those places get crowded," Osaka Mayor Ichiro Matsui said Thursday. "It’s very unfortunate but I think we should call it off.”Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura echoed the mayor: "I think the torch relay through the middle of Osaka should be canceled.”Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga suggested on Thursday that the Osaka relay was off. AdThe torch relay is scheduled to arrive in Osaka prefecture on April 13 and will go through the city on April 14.

Seiko Hashimoto, center, President of the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, talks with Kyoko Raita, right, Tokyo 2020 Executive Board member and speaker for a presentation on the Olympic Charter and Gender Equality in Tokyo, Japan, Monday, March 22, 2021. Fujio Mitarai, Honorary President of Tokyo 2020, is at left. Hashimoto said they will take all possible COVID-19 countermeasures as the torch relay opens this Thursday from northeastern Fukushima prefecture. (Kimimasa Mayama/Pool Photo via AP)TOKYO – Volunteers from abroad will not be allowed into Japan for the postponed Tokyo Olympics, organizers said Monday. Japan's Kyodo news agency, quoting “sources close to the matter,” said around 500 overseas volunteers would be given exemptions to enter Japan.

Seiko Hashimoto, president of the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020), speaks during a news conference Thursday, March 11, 2021, after attending the International Olympic Committee (IOC) general meeting. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, Pool)TOKYO – Japan will not take part in China's offer — accepted by the International Olympic Committee — to provide vaccines for “participants" in the postponed Tokyo Games and next year's Beijing Winter Games. Olympic Minister Tamayo Marukawa said Friday that Japan had not been consulted by the IOC about the Chinese vaccines, and that Japanese athletes would not take them. “We have been taking comprehensive anti-infectious disease measures for the Tokyo Games in order to allow participation without vaccinations,” Marukawa said. AdThe IOC has indicated it is a sports body and will not meddle in domestic issues in China.

(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, Pool)TOKYO – Several IOC members on Thursday reminded Tokyo Olympic organizers about the potential negative consequences of banning overseas fans from attending the postponed games. Tokyo organizers say a final decision about fans from abroad will be made before the torch relay starts on March 25. Many unsourced reports in Japan, citing unnamed officials, say the decision has already been made to keep fans from abroad out of the country. “So the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee is not in a position to comment.”AdRecent polls show up to 80% in Japan think the Olympics should be postponed or canceled. Reports in Japan say organizers are considering allowing some fans from abroad to attend if they have tickets from sponsors, national Olympic committees, or sports federations.

Seiko Hashimoto, president of the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020), speaks before reporters after a five-party meeting at the Tokyo 2020 headquarters in Tokyo on Wednesday, March 3, 2021. (Du Xiaoyi/Pool Photo via AP)TOKYO – The new president of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee has begun holding weekly news conferences hoping to win over a doubting Japanese public with the postponed games opening in just under five months. “I understand there are a lot of people in Tokyo and in Japan who have concerns about the games in Tokyo this summer. “People need to start to build confidence in the safety of the games,” Hashimoto said. “People in the world are now paying attention to gender issues, diversity issues on the organizing committee," she said.

This photo shows the opening remark session of a five-party meeting held by the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) at the Tokyo 2020 headquarters in Tokyo on Wednesday, March 3, 2021. The organizing committee has budgeted income of $800 million from ticket sales. The Tokyo Games have been haunted by problems. A bribery scandal tied to the bid in 2013 forced the resignation two years ago of Japanese Olympic Committee President Tsunekazu Takeda. Last month, former organizing committee president Yoshiro Mori was forced to resign after making sexist comments about women.

Christophe Dubi, Olympic Games Executive Director for the International Olympic Committee (IOC), joins other representatives from the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) at a Joint press briefing in Tokyo on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021. “There are indeed a lot of questions in the public domain about how the games will take place this summer. And today is a preliminary review of how things will be done," Olympic Games executive director Christophe Dubi said in a video news conference with Tokyo officials. The rollout of the Playbooks is aimed at assuring athletes, and an attempt to convince the Japanese public that the Olympics should go ahead. The IOC held a similar session earlier in the week with Olympic athletes and their representatives to explain the stringent guidelines in their rule books.

FILE - In this Nov. 16, 2020, file photo, ThomasBach, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President,speaks during the joint press conference between IOC and Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) in Tokyo, Japan. The International Olympic Committee is pushing back against reports that the postponed Tokyo Olympics will be canceled and will not open on July 23. The Tokyo Games were postponed 10 months ago at the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, and now their future appears threatened again. (DuXiaoyi/Pool Photo via AP, File)TOKYO – IOC President Thomas Bach and local organizers are pushing back against reports that the postponed Tokyo Olympics will be canceled. “There is no doubt the Tokyo 2020 Games will be very different to any previous games and that this summer’s event looks a long way off right now.

(Kazuhiro Nogi/Pool Photo via AP)TOKYO – The cost of the postponement for the Tokyo Olympics could reach about $2.8 billion, according to figures released Friday by the Tokyo organizing committee, the Tokyo city government and Japan’s national government. “I think our biggest challenge is the additional costs,” Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said during an online news conference. Tokyo said the Olympics would cost $7.3 billion overall when it won the bid in 2013 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The operational cost for the delay is listed at 171 billion yen, or about $1.64 billion at the present exchange rate. Tokyo organizers also said they could add 27 billion yen (about $260 million) from a contingency fund to help cover added costs.

IOC President Thomas Bach wearing a protective mask talks to journalists during a visit to Olympic and Paralympic Village in Tokyo Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020. (Nicolas Datiche/Pool Photo via AP)TOKYO – As he toured the Athletes Village on Tuesday, IOC President Thomas Bach issued a gentle plea to all competitors to get vaccinated before the Tokyo Olympics — if a vaccine is available. In a more private setting, Bach has spoken directly about Olympic athletes’ responsibility to consider the vaccine. In an on-line session last month with the IOC’s Athletes’ Commission, Bach was asked — among other things — if athletes would be “forced” to be vaccinated. As well as the 11,000 Olympic athletes, there could be tens of thousands of officials, judges, VIPs, and media and broadcasters traveling to Japan for the games.

ThomasBach, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President,puts on his mask before speaking during the joint press conference between IOC and Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) in Tokyo, Japan, Nov. 16, 2020. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Virus Response Minister Chris Hipkins announced the new rules on Monday after meeting with senior lawmakers. — South Korea’s daily coronavirus tally has stayed above 200 for a third consecutive day, as authorities consider raising the country’s social distancing rules. The 223 additional cases recorded Monday by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency raised the country’s total to 28,769, including 494 deaths. The agency says 193 of them are locally transmitted cases while the rest was associated with international arrivals.

CEO of Tokyo 2020 Toshiro Muto and President of Tokyo 2020 Yoshiro Mori wear face masks as they leave a joint press conference between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) Friday, Sept. 25, 2020, in Tokyo. (Rodrigo Reyes Marin/Pool Photo via AP)TOKYO – Tokyo Olympic organizers announced several “simplification” changes Friday for next year’s postponed games, though with few large-scale cost savings. Simplifying the Tokyo Games has been a pledge of the International Olympic Committee and local organizers since COVID-19 forced the unprecedented delay six months ago. Tokyo organizing committee CEO Toshiro Muto was asked how much was being saved by the simplification. IOC President Thomas Bach, addressing Japanese officials on Thursday, suggested a vaccine could be ready for the Olympics, which open on July 23, 2021.

FILE.- In this May 12, 2020, file photo, a lone security guard stands at one of the venues for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. The head of the Tokyo Olympics on Friday, June 12, 2020, says that 80% of the facilities needed for next year's games have basic approvalto be used. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File)TOKYO About 80% of the facilities needed for next years postponed Tokyo Olympics have been lined up, the president of the organizing committee said Friday. The International Olympic Committee has said it will chip in $650 million, but has not offered specifics. The Tokyo Games are set to open on July 23, 2021.

TOKYO It's been 2 1/2 months since the Tokyo Olympics were postponed until next year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The IOC executive board meets on Wednesday and will hear a brief presentation from Tokyo organizers on a remote hookup, explaining where things stand. Pierre Ducrey, Olympic Games operations director, said last week that retaining the Olympic Village was problem No. A: No matter where the Olympics are held, or in what city, most Olympic venues look much the same on television. Bach earlier this year warned against using the Tokyo Olympics as a platform for highlighting political and social causes.

Published: May 19, 2020, 3:41 am Updated: May 19, 2020, 5:45 amThe cover design of Number 1 Shimbun is seen in Tokyo, Tuesday, May 19, 2020. Tokyo Olympics officials are incensed that their games emblem has been used in the cover design of the local magazine that combines the logo with the novel coronavirus. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)TOKYO Tokyo Olympic officials are incensed that the games emblem has been used in the cover design of a local magazine that combines the logo with the coronavirus. "The design is clearly using the design of the Olympic emblem. We therefore consider it an infringement on our legally secured copyright to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic emblem.He said the organizing committee had not yet received a formal reply to its request.