Tokyo Olympics face threat of cancellation amid virus scare
MANILA, Philippines — For the first time in 80 years, the Olympics may be in danger of cancellation.
In a report by the Associated Press, senior International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound said if the coronavirus outbreak proves too dangerous to hold the games, organizers are more likely to cancel it altogether than postpone or reschedule it.
Pound, a former Canadian swimming champion, said that there is about a three-month window to decide the fate of the Tokyo Olympics -- with a decision that may be put off until late May.
"In and around that time, I'd say folks are going to have to ask: 'Is this under sufficient control that we can be confident about goint to Tokyo or not?'" Pound told AP.
The modern Olympics, which date back to 1896, have only been cancelled once during wartime in 1940.
Coincidentally, the Summer Games that year were supposed to be held in Tokyo as well.
In 2016, the Rio Games in Brazil went on as scheduled despite the Zika virus outbreak plaguing the country at the time.
However, organizers of the Tokyo games have emphasized that there are no plans to cancel the games just yet.
As of now, it is still all systems go.
At the moment, two Filipino athletes have already qualified for the Tokyo games — pole vaulter EJ Obiena and gymnast darling Carlos Yulo.
Weightlifter and 2016 Rio Olympics silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz is also on track to qualify for Tokyo 2020 and will be vying for the country's first-ever Olympic gold medal.
Filipino-Japanese Karateka Junna Tsukii is also bolstering her bid to qualify for the games.
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