International Olympic Committee: Delaying the Tokyo Olympics does not violate the Olympic Charter

China News Agency, Beijing, April 3rd. The International Olympic Committee held a global media press conference at Lausanne, Switzerland, on the 2nd local time. Christopher Dolby, executive director of the Olympics Department, stated that postponing the Tokyo Olympics did not violate the Olympic Charter.

According to the Olympic Charter, the Olympic Charter, the Summer Olympics should be held in the first year of the Olympic cycle, that is, the Tokyo Olympics can only be held in 2020 in principle. Affected by the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee announced last month that the forced postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be held from July 23 to August 8, 2021.

Dolby said that postponing the Olympics was not against the charter, and the decision was made to ensure that the Olympic Committee ’s number one priority is to fully respect the Olympic Games. "From this perspective, we have not violated or changed the Charter, which is in line with the core mandate of the International Olympic Committee, and I think everyone will agree with our decision."

He also revealed that the extension of the Tokyo Olympics will require a re-examination of the budget for tens of thousands of entries, but he did not disclose the specific figures of the additional expenditures needed after the extension of the Tokyo Olympics. "It is immature to predict the additional costs of the delay, and these are ongoing."

Earlier, IOC President Bach admitted that he faces a huge challenge now, namely the Tokyo Olympics, the Beijing Winter Olympics and the Dakar Youth Olympics. After one year's postponement of the Tokyo Olympic Games, it is only half a year away from the Beijing Winter Olympics, which was originally scheduled to open on February 4, 2022.

Dolby believes that this will bring opportunities to the Beijing Winter Olympics. "The Tokyo Olympics will bring the Olympic atmosphere to its climax, and the Beijing Winter Olympics will come in a few months. So we are convinced that this will help create the atmosphere for the Beijing Winter Olympics. The two Olympics will be held back-to-back, and we are working with the team The Commission communicates with our partners to ensure that this opportunity is fully utilized. "(End)