TOKYO, Japan (NBC) – The International Olympic Committee has postponed the Tokyo Olympics, likely until next year.
The IOC made the decision after speaking with Japan’s prime minister and local organizers.
In a statement, the Olympic committee said the games will be held “not later than summer 2021,” but they will still be called the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Tuesday’s decision ends weeks of speculation that the games could not go ahead as scheduled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The decision came only a few hours after organizers in Japan said the torch relay would start as planned on Thursday.
The Olympic flame has already been on a tour around areas most impacted by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
Now, the torch relay is postponed as well.
Olympics organizers held a news conference, saying the Olympics next year may be held at the same scale as the planned 2020 games, or may be smaller.
The organizers said there is no estimate on the costs for postponement and it is not clear who will pay those costs.
The Olympics have never been postponed before but have been canceled three times in wartime.
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