Japanese PM Concedes Olympics May Be Postponed After Canada, Australia Say They Won’t Send Athletes

ABC News reports:

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe acknowledged for the first time on Monday that the Summer Olympic Games could be delayed due to the coronavirus as countries began threatening to keep their athletes at home.

“If it’s difficult to proceed in its complete form, then we must think about the athletes first and consider postponing,” Abe told Parliament. Meanwhile, the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee told reporters it would not make a final decision for another four weeks.

Canada and Australia announced Sunday that they would not send athletes if the games were not delayed. “This is not solely about athlete health — this is about public health,” the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Committee said while urging organizers to postpone the event for one year.

We will be guided by the wishes of Prime Minister Abe of Japan, a great friend of the United States and a man who has done a magnificent job on the Olympic Venue, as to attending the Olympic Games in Japan. He will make the proper decision!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 23, 2020