Japan Doubles Down On Tokyo Olympics, Denies Report Of Cancellation

Japan's prime minister said he was "determined" to hold the Tokyo Olympics as organisers on Friday brushed off a report claiming officials think cancellation is inevitable. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's latest insistence that the postponed Games are on track comes after The Times cited an unnamed government source saying Japan has already shifted its focus to hosting in 2032. "I am determined to realise a safe and secure Tokyo Games as proof that mankind will have overcome the virus," Suga said Friday, without actively denying the Times report.

Tokyo 2020 organisers, when asked about the report, said they were focused on delivering a "safe and secure" Games.

"Prime Minister Suga has expressed his determination to hold the Games, the government is leading a series of coordination meetings for Covid-19 countermeasures and is implementing thorough infection countermeasures in order to be able to hold the Games," they said in a statement.