Team Ireland welcome confirmation of July 2021 start date for Tokyo Olympics

The Games were rescheduled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Olympic Federation of Ireland have welcomed the news that the Tokyo Olympics is to start on July 23, 2021, almost a year to the day after it had been due to begin until pushed off course by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Paralympics will follow almost a month later, with a start date of August 24.

Representatives of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the Tokyo Metropolitan government and the government of Japan made the decision over a teleconference call on Monday.

IOC, IPC, Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and Tokyo Metropolitan Government announce new dates for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 https://t.co/QITtT5dcl8 pic.twitter.com/DHi4u74ZXa

— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) March 30, 2020

It is less than a month since Thomas Bach, president of the IOC, and members of the Japanese government were insisting that there would be no postponement at all but, while slow to see the obvious at first, the speed with which key decisions have been made since has been impressive.

This news means that all stakeholders can now move forward with plans. TV companies and sponsors can realign schedules, national federations can rejig calendars and qualifying templates and athletes can now tailor training with a specific end point in mind.

The scale and breadth of work that has to be done by all parties is daunting and it was no surprise that the OFI made a point of explaining that this news allows them to address “the operational adjustments that need to take place” following the current disruption.

“Now the athletes have a start date for the Games, they can work with their Performance Directors and coaches to start mapping out preparations,” said Team Ireland's chef de mission for the Tokyo Games, Patricia Heberle.

“Importantly for athletes and sport, the next information we need clarity on are any changes to qualification and the rescheduling of qualification events. This will take some time, so in the short term the focus remains the same, stay healthy and safe over the coming months.

“The priority now is for everyone to follow the government guidelines to protect Ireland and the rest of the world against further spread of this virus. A July 2021 start means that we have plenty of time to reactivate preparatory plans and for athletes currently in modified training or on a break of sorts this period of time can still allow some positive impact on performance.

“If we are smart, this enforced break can make Team Ireland even better.”

A spring dare had been rumoured in recent days but the IOC explained that the agreed date will give health authorities and all involved the maximum amount of time to deal with the “constantly changing landscape” and the general disruption caused by the pandemic,

The hope is that keeping the Games in the same summer slot will mean the least amount of disruption possible for the various international sports calendars although some major events will inevitably have to be moved now.

It had already been confirmed that all athletes already qualified, as well as quota places previously assigned, would remain unchanged and the extra year. Roughly 43% of the places still need to be filled but there is at least the time now to make that happen.