Veteran IOC member says Olympics will be postponed

According to a new report from USA TODAY, the 2020 Olympics will be most likely postponed from this summer to sometime in 2021.

The upcoming Olympic Games, which were scheduled to begin on July 24 in Tokyo, Japan, have been the topic of much discussion as the coronavirus pandemic has swept the planet over the last few weeks. Obviously, the risks associated with such a massive, international event are incredibly high, not to mention the logistical nightmare of organizing the event with so many travel restrictions in place.

Speaking to USA TODAY, veteran International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound divulged that the decision to delay the games has effectively already been made.

“On the basis of the information the IOC has, postponement has been decided,” Pound said in a phone interview. “The parameters going forward have not been determined, but the Games are not going to start on July 24, that much I know.

Pound added that the IOC will announce its plans regarding the postponement of the Olympics soon.

“It will come in stages,” Pound said. “We will postpone this and begin to deal with all the ramifications of moving this, which are immense.”

The postponement of the Olympics is huge news for the entire sporting world. Fight fans who were excited to watch Olympic wrestling, taekwondo, boxing, and judo this summer will be particularly disappointed. That being said, it’s clear that the smart, safe choice has been made. Going forward with the games in the midst of a pandemic would have been tremendously dangerous.

Over the years, we’ve seen several Olympians make the jump from their respective sports to MMA. Some of the most notable examples include Daniel Cormier, Henry Cejudo, Ronda Rousey, Dan Henderson, Ben Askren, Yoel Romero, and Sara McMann.

What are your thoughts on the 2020 Olympics being delayed?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 3/23/2020.