Olympics will be scrapped rather than delayed again
The postponed Tokyo Olympics will be "scrapped" if they cannot take place in 2021, says Games chief Yoshiro Mori.
Tokyo 2020 is now scheduled to perform from 23 July to 8 August next year after being delayed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Health authorities have cast doubt on if the Games could possibly be held next summer without a vaccine or effective drugs to treat Covid-19 being found.
When asked if the function could possibly be moved again to 2022, Mori replied: "No."
"If so, the Olympics will be scrapped," he added.
However, the Tokyo 2020 president said he was confident the rescheduled Games would just do it.
"This Olympics will be a lot more valuable than any Olympics in the past if we could go ahead with it after winning this battle," he told Nikkan Sports.
"We need to believe this, otherwise our hard work and efforts will not be rewarded."
The president of Japan's medical association, Yoshitake Yokokura, said on Tuesday it'll be "difficult" to carry the Olympics in 2021 without vaccines or effective drugs being developed.
"I am not saying that Japan should or shouldn't host the Olympics, but that it would be difficult to take action," he said.
"If the infections are in order in Japan, it'll still be difficult to carry the games unless the pandemic has ended in the rest of the world."
Most authorities think a vaccine will probably become available by mid-2021, though others have warned there is absolutely no guarantee a vaccine could be successfully developed.
Mori added that the Olympics and Paralympics - that will now run from 24 August to 5 September 2021 - could share opening and closing ceremonies as a means of cutting costs.
"Given that the problem has dramatically changed, we have to review key areas, including the ceremonies," he said.
"It's going to a significant cut in costs and a major message of victory against the global crisis - but it's not easy."
However, Mori said he had not yet asked the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee if they would agree to such an idea, and acknowledged that tickets had recently been sold for the separate opening and closing ceremonies.
