IOC: Tokyo 2020 Postponement A 'Formidable Opportunity' For Beijing 2022

The postponed Tokyo Olympic Games bring a great opportunity to heat up the excitement ahead of the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the International Olympic Committee said on a teleconference with international media on Thursday 2 April.

On 31 March, Beijing 2022 organisers said the new dates set for Tokyo Games meant they are "faced with a special situation" and they will have a detailed assessment of its impact on the Beijing Games.

Taking up the topic of the unusual proximity of Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022, which will be held within five months of each other, in the teleconference, Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi believes it is a "formidable opportunity" to keep the excitement going.

"We will be in a context where Tokyo will generate an immense follow-up. The reach of the Tokyo Games will be absolutely stunning, and right after the excitement that has been generated, we have the Winter Games in Beijing a few months later. So we truly believe that it is a great build up towards the Beijing Games," Dubi said.

He continued: "We are discussing with the organising committee and also internally with our partners as well on how to maximise this opportunity to have two editions of the games that are not too distant... We are looking really on the bright side of things when it comes to this opportunity to have a back-to-back games of the Olympiad and Olympic Winter Games," he added.