International Olympic Committee (IOC) Commissioner Dick Pound has said that the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be postponed.Speaking to USA Today (opens in new tab), Pound said that the Games will likely be held in 2021, with details to be worked out in the coming weeks He stated. Based on the information the IOC has, the decision was made to postpone," Pound told USA Today. But the only thing we know for sure is that the Games will not start on July 24."

Speculation that the Tokyo Olympics might be canceled in light of the ongoing Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic has prompted Canada and Australia to announce that they will not send athletes to the Tokyo Olympics unless the Games are rescheduled for another date.

The Olympics are now scheduled to run from July 24 to August 9. Several athletes, including Tour de France champion Egan Bernal, have said the Games should be canceled.

On Sunday, the IOC said the cancellation of the Games was "not on the agenda" but also said it would decide within four weeks whether the coronavirus pandemic would force a postponement.

In an interview with USA Today, however, Pound said the committee had made its decision and that the announcement would be made "in phases."

"We will postpone this and begin to address all of the immense ramifications of this transfer," Pound said.

The IOC has not made an official announcement, but when USA Today reached out for comment, IOC spokesman Mark Adams did not refute Pound's claims.

"It is the right of every IOC member to interpret the decision of the IOC Executive Board announced yesterday," Adams said.

According to Sunday's announcement from the IOC, the IOC will spend the next four weeks evaluating the possibility of holding the Games in Tokyo.

Other countries asking the IOC to cancel or postpone the Tokyo Olympics include Germany, Brazil, and Norway, among a growing list.