Olympics

Electrifying kickoff to U.S. Olympic trials, world record shattered

The U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials got off to an electrifying start on Friday, as 2016 gold medalist Ryan Crouser shattered the shot put world record and six-time gold…

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IOC announces refugee team of 29 for Tokyo Games

The refugee team for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics will consist of 29 athletes, with six of them already part of the first such team at Rio 2016. The refugee team…

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No Olympics if no athletes come to Japan, says Tokyo 2020 president

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games cannot happen if no athletes can make it to Japan for the event, Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee President Seiko Hashimoto said at a news briefing…

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Adviser frets about Japan Olympics, volunteers reported quitting

Japan's most senior medical adviser said on Wednesday that hosting the Olympics during a pandemic was "not normal" while media reported thousands of volunteers quitting in advance. Most Japanese oppose…

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Maltese Olympic Committee announces participation of shooter Eleanor Bezzina at Tokyo 2020

The Maltese Olympic Committee have announced that indoor pistol shooter Eleanor Bezzina is the first Maltese athlete to have her participation at the forthcoming XXXII Games of the Olympiad in…

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Japanese doctor warns holding Games could lead to “Olympic strain” of the virus

TOKYO, May 27 (Reuters) - The head of a Japanese doctors union on Thursday warned holding the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer, with tens of thousands of people gathering…

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Official Tokyo Olympics partner, urges Games cancellation

TOKYO, May 26 (Reuters) - Japan's Asahi Shimbun, an official partner of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, called for the Summer Games to be cancelled in an editorial on Wednesday, citing…

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Olympics-Japan sees no impact on Games from US travel advisory

Japan's ruling party heavyweight said today that there are "realistic issues" over Tokyo Games which must be considered before a final decision, while Olympics minister sees no impact from the U.S. advisory…

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‘Safe and successful’ Tokyo Games will go ahead – IOC vice president

Top Olympic official John Coates said on Saturday (May 8) that while Japanese sentiment turning against the Tokyo Games was a "concern", he could foresee no scenario under which the…

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IOC President Bach’s visit to Japan expected to be cancelled

TOKYO, May 7 (Reuters) - International Olympic Committee head Thomas Bach's visit to Japan is now expected to be cancelled given that the state of emergency has been extended in…

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First Olympic test events with international athletes take place

TOKYO (Reuters) - Diving and volleyball on Saturday became the first Olympic test events to include international athletes since such competitions resumed last month, as both began under close supervision…

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IOC president says he understands Tokyo’s COVID-19 emergency move

TOKYO, April 28 (Reuters) - Thomas Bach, head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), said on Wednesday he fully understood the decision to declare a state of emergency in Tokyo…

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Australian divers slam FINA over Tokyo qualifier, withdraw from event

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Olympic bronze medallist diver Anabelle Smith has slammed global governing body FINA for pressing ahead with a qualifying event for this year's Games in Tokyo despite a…

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Olympic president Bach to visit Japan in May, meet PM Suga – media

TOKYO (Reuters) - International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach will visit Japan in May, the Kyodo News agency said on Saturday, as the nation struggles to contain a surge in…

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Tokyo Olympics must be ‘reconsidered’ due to Japan’s failure to contain pandemic – report

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's inability to contain the COVID-19 pandemic means that plans to hold the Olympics in Tokyo should be reconsidered, health experts wrote in a commentary. The 2020…

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Christ the Redeemer lit up to mark 100 days till the Olympics

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The world's most famous statue of Jesus Christ was lit up with the Olympics logo and images of sporting arenas on Wednesday to mark 100…

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Are the Olympics cancelled? Japan official’s comments sow doubts

TOKYO, April 15 (Reuters) - A senior Japanese ruling party official said on Thursday that cancelling this year's Olympics in Tokyo remains an option if the coronavirus crisis becomes too…

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With 100 days to go, Tokyo scrambles to stage pandemic Olympics

TOKYO, April 14 (Reuters) - When Japan won the bid to host the Olympic Games eight years ago, it billed Tokyo as a reliable and secure location, contrasting it with…

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Japan denies considering vaccine priority for Olympic athletes

Japan said on Thursday it was not currently looking to prioritise COVID-19 vaccines for Olympic athletes, dismissing a media report that sparked a social media outcry since the country's inoculations are trailing…

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70% of Japanese want Tokyo Games cancelled or delayed: poll

TOKYO (Reuters) - More than 70% of people in Japan want the Tokyo Olympics to be cancelled or delayed as the coronavirus pandemic rolls on, a Kyodo News poll showed…

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‘What do we have available?’ Tokyo hopefuls adapt training in COVID-19 era

(Reuters) - Amid the monotony of quarantine life that people had to put up with due to the outbreak of COVID-19, housebound residents in one corner of Los Angeles were…

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Osaka moves Olympic torch run off public roads, declares COVID-19 emergency

TOKYO, April 7 (Reuters) - Japan's western region of Osaka will hold the Olympic torch relay in a park without spectators instead of on public roads, as record coronavirus infections…

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Malta’s Olympic Committee expresses disappointment on how sport was ignored by Health Authorities

The Maltese Olympic Committee (MOC) in a statement echoed the disappointment voiced by several sporting entities earlier on today, at the fact that sports has not been considered in the…

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Tokyo water polo test event postponed due to COVID-19 impact on schedules

Tokyo Olympic organisers grappled with the cancellation of test events for several pool sports just days after they were restarted, as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to disrupt preparations for the…

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Leukaemia survivor Ikee defies odds by securing Olympics berth

Japanese swimming star Rikako Ikee defied the odds and secured an Olympics berth after the leukaemia survivor won the women's 100-metre butterfly at the national championships on Sunday, less than…

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Tokyo organisers to hold talks with FINA this week

Tokyo 2020 organisers plan to hold discussions with the International Swimming Federation (FINA) this week, a senior official said, after the federation said it was reviewing whether to hold the…

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Osaka wants its torch relay cancelled as COVID cases jump

Authorities in Japan's Osaka will discuss plans on Friday with organisers of the 2020 Tokyo Games to cancel the western region's leg of the Olympic torch relay, its governor said,…

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Swiss Olympic unhappy with continued restrictions on indoor sport

Swiss Olympic has criticised the Federal Council's decision to postpone the relaxing of COVID-19 restrictions in Switzerland, calling it a "disappointing" outcome for the sports community. Switzerland will not ease…

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Tokyo 2020 organisers say to refund around 600,000 Olympic tickets

TOKYO, March 20 (Reuters) - Organisers of the Tokyo Olympics will refund around 600,000 tickets for the Games and another 300,000 for the Paralympics, the chief executive of the organising…

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Tokyo 2020 likely won’t allow foreign Olympic volunteers -Kyodo

TOKYO, March 20 (Reuters) - The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Organising Committee is leaning towards barring foreign volunteers from helping at the delayed Games this summer, amid public concerns over the…

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Japan asks for small VIP delegations to Olympics amid pandemic

Kyodo / Reuters - Japan has asked nations sending their heads of state or government to this summer's Olympics and Paralympics to limit the number of each of their accompanying…

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Japan mulls 50% cap on Olympics spectators

TOKYO, March 14 (Reuters) - Japan is considering limiting spectators for the delayed Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics to 50% of venue capacity due to risks posed by the spread of…

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IOC unanimously approves Olympic Agenda 2020+5 reform package

Berlin (dpa) - The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Friday approved Olympic Agenda 2020+5, a second set of recommendations to make the Olympic Movement fit for the future. A virtual IOC Session unanimously…

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Bach re-elected as IOC president for final term until 2025

Berlin (dpa) - Thomas Bach was on Wednesday all but unanimously re-elected as president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for a final term of four years at a virtual IOC Session. The…

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Japan to keep foreign spectators away from Tokyo Olympics, Kyodo says

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan has decided to stage this summer's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics without overseas spectators due to public concern about COVID-19, Kyodo news agency said on Tuesday, citing…

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Tokyo 2020 President hoping to reassure public and boost support for Games

Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto has attempted to reassure the Japanese public regarding the safety of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Hashimoto, who was named Tokyo 2020 President last month,…

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Japan gets unanimous G7 support for this summer Olympics

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Saturday Group of Seven leaders gave unanimous support for his bid to hold the Tokyo Olympics this summer, as the…

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Tokyo Olympics chief resigns, apologises again over sexist remarks

TOKYO, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Tokyo 2020 Olympics chief Yoshiro Mori resigned on Friday and apologised again for sexist remarks that sparked a global outcry, leaving the troubled Olympics searching for a chief five…

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Olympics – Toyota president disappointed by comments from Tokyo 2020 chief Mori

TOKYO, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp's President Akio Toyoda said on Wednesday his company was disappointed by recent comments from Tokyo 2020 Olympics President Yoshiro Mori that were…

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Tokyo Olympics face another looming headache – no medical staff

Japanese doctors and nurses fighting the novel coronavirus will not have the time to volunteer to help at the Olympics, a medical association has said, raising another headache for organisers…

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No Plan B: Japan’s sponsors shelve ads as mood sours over Olympics

OKYO, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Japan's Olympic sponsors are scaling back advertising campaigns and delaying marketing events for this year's Summer Games, concerned that public sentiment toward the event is…

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IOC to discuss Olympics but cancellation not on agenda

The Tokyo Olympics will top the agenda when the International Olympic Committee's executive board meets on Wednesday (January 27) - but with the board firmly backing the event, any talk…

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UPDATED – Cabinet approves decree guaranteeing CONI’s independence as Italy risked Olympic Games exclusion

Updated 1145 - Cabinet approves decree safeguarding CONI's independence In his last Cabinet meeting before submitting his resignation, Italian PM Giuseppe Conte has managed to push through legal amendments giving…

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Japan’s hopes for Summer Olympics fade as country expands emergency-state

TOKYO, Jan 13 (Reuters) - The Japanese government said on Wednesday it would expand a state of emergency it declared for the Tokyo area last week to seven more prefectures,…

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Olympic rings illuminated upon return to Tokyo Bay

The Olympic rings monument was reinstalled in Tokyo Bay on Tuesday, after being removed in August, as organisers ramp up preparations for next year's postponed Summer Games. The rings were…

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Gymnasts in Tokyo show how Olympics can pass coronavirus challenges

Gymnasts from four nations tumbled, leapt and spun through a friendly meet in Tokyo on Sunday in a closely-watched event aimed at showing the world Japan can safely carry out…

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Tokyo Olympics Aquatics Centre unveiled with hopeful ceremony

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike finally inaugurated on Saturday the Aquatics Centre for next year’s rescheduled Olympics, seven months after it was supposed to open. The Aquatics Centre was due to…

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US, UK condemn Olympics related malicious cyberattacks by Russia

Britain and the United States on Monday condemned what they said were a litany of malicious cyberattacks orchestrated by Russian military intelligence, including attempts to disrupt next year's Olympic and Paralympic Games in…

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Japan, eyes Olympics through vaccination

Japan is making an aggressive move to grab enough coronavirus vaccine to inoculate its population four times over, a push the government hopes will instil confidence that it can host…

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Qatar to consider 2032 Olympic bid

Qatar, the host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, announced that it would also like to stage the Olympics, possibly in 2032. The Gulf Arab state's Olympic committee said it submitted…

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Original drawing of the Olympic rings sketched by Baron Pierre de Coubertin is set to go up for auction

An original drawing of the Olympic rings sketched by Baron Pierre de Coubertin is set to go up for auction in Cannes next Sunday (July 26) and is estimated to…

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Tokyo 2020 preparing to deliver Games with COVID-19

Tokyo Olympics organisers are preparing to host the Games next year even if the global coronavirus pandemic hasn’t eased substantially, organising committee chief executive Toshiro Muto told Reuters on Tuesday.…

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London 2012 Olympians were used in secret project to test experimental substance

Ninety-one elite-level sports people across eight Olympic sports were used as “guinea pigs” in a secret UK Sport project trialling ketones in the run-up to London 2012, an investigation by…

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Japan to explore ‘simplified’ Olympic Games

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said on Thursday it may be necessary to a stage a "simplified" Olympics next year due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and that organisers…

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IOC says 2021 Tokyo Olympics could be cancelled if pandemic continues

The International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said on 20 May that the postponed Tokyo 2020 Games shall be cancelled if they cannot be held in 2021 due to the…

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Olympics will not be postponed again

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has no plans to defer the Tokyo Olympics again, according to John Coates, the head of the IOC's inspectorate for the Games. "We're proceeding on the…

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Coronavirus and its impact on sports

Major sports events around the world that are in the process of re-starting or have been rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic: Football * The German Bundesliga season will restart…

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