The 2020 Olympic Games will be postponed to 2021 due to the threat of the spread of coronavirus, according to USA Today.
"On the basis of the information the IOC has, the postponement has been decided. The parameters going forward have not been determined, but the Games are not going to start on July 24, that much I know. We will postpone this and begin to deal with all the ramifications of moving this, which are immense,” International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Dick Pound told USA Today on Monday.
The Olympics were originally scheduled to begin on July 24 in Tokyo, Japan.
There are currently more than 345, 297 cases of coronavirus across the globe, including 35,146 in the U.S.
Olympics postponed
The postponement of the Olympics comes after chairman of the British Olympic Association announced that Great Britain would be unlikely to send a team to Tokyo this summer.
Both Australia and Canada have previously said that they would not compete.
Over the weekend, the IOC announced that it would give itself four weeks to decide on the future of the games.
Sports Postponed
The Olympics is the latest sporting event to be canceled or postponed due to the coronavirus.
The NBA, NHL, MLS, MLB, and PGA Tour have all suspended their seasons until further notice, while the NCAA Tournament was canceled.
See the Slideshow Below for a Full List
Related Slideshow: Sporting Events Canceled Due to Coronavirus - March 2020
The Boston Marathon has been postponed due to the threat of the spread of coronavirus, announced Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker on Friday morning.
The race will now happen on Monday, September 14.
“The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) has been meeting regularly with the city and state officials to discuss all updates related to the coronavirus. Governor Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency on March 10, 2020. In consideration of this and guided by Boston Mayor Martin Walsh along with state and municipal government leaders at all levels to undertake all possible measures to safeguard the health of the public, the B.A.A. understands the city’s decision that the Boston Marathon cannot be held on April 20, 2020. We offer our full support to take all reasonable efforts to postpone the 124h Boston Marathon to Monday, September 14, 2020," said the Boston Athletic Association in a statement.
The marathon was previously set to be held on April 20.
The race has never been canceled or rescheduled in its 124-year history.
The Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals were also postponed.
There is no makeup date yet.
Statement from Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club:
"Considering the latest information and expert analysis, we have decided at this time to postpone the Masters Tournament, the Augusta National Women's Amateur and the Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals.
Ultimately, the health and well-being of everyone associated with these events and the citizens of the Augusta community led us to this decision. We hope this postponement puts us in the best position to safely host the Masters Tournament and our amateur events at some later date."
NCAA Tournament, NCAA Spring Championships Canceled
The 2020 NCAA Tournament has been canceled due to the threat of the spread of coronavirus across the country
The NCAA also canceled the remainder of the winter and spring NCAA Championships.
The NCAA Released the Following Statement:
“Today, NCAA President Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors canceled the Division I men’s and women’s 2020 basketball tournaments, as well as remain winter and spring NCAA championships. This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academic year given the ongoing decisions by other entities."
MLB Cancels Spring Training, Delays Opening Day by 2 Weeks
Major League Baseball canceled all spring training games and delayed Opening Day by at least two weeks due to the threat of the spread of coronavirus.
MLB Issued the following statement:
Following a call with the 30 clubs, and after consultation with the Major League Baseball Players Association, Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. today announced that MLB has decided to suspend Spring Training games and to delay the start of the 2020 regular season by at least two weeks due to the national emergency created by the coronavirus pandemic. This action is being taken in the interests of the safety and well-being of our players, clubs and our millions of loyal fans.
MLB will continue to evaluate ongoing events leading up to the start of the season. Guidance related to daily operations and workouts will be relayed to Clubs in the coming days. As of 4 p.m. ET today, forthcoming Spring Training games have been cancelled, and 2020 World Baseball Classic Qualifier games in Tucson, Ariz., have been postponed indefinitely.
MLB and the clubs have been preparing a variety of contingency plans regarding the 2020 regular-season schedule. MLB will announce the effects on the schedule at an appropriate time and will remain flexible as events warrant, with the hope of resuming normal operations as soon as possible.
Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of our players, employees and fans. MLB will continue to undertake the precautions and best practices recommended by public health experts. We send our best wishes to all individuals and communities that have been impacted by coronavirus.
The tournament was canceled at halftime of Thursday’s first game between St. John’s and Creighton.
It is unclear what this means for next week's NCAA Tournament.
The Friars were projected to make the tournament as seven-seed.
The Big East released the following statement:
“Following a call with our Presidents and Athletics Directors and additional consultation with the City of New York, the Big East Conference has canceled the remainder of our men’s basketball tournament, effective immediately. We believe the decision is in the best interests of our participants and fans.”
“We are in very uncertain times and very challenging times and the situation that has developed so rapidly across the country made this decision one that we really had to make,” said A-10 Commissioner Bernadette McGlade in a press conference.
URI was scheduled to play its first game of the tournament on Friday night.
“This has been a very quick discussion since things were changing so rapidly. Certainly, disappointed for our student-athletes, but at the same time there was no other decision,” said URI Athletic Director Thorr Bjorn in the press conference.
What this means for the NCAA Tournament, that remains unclear at this moment.
“I can’t speak to what we are doing here at the NCAA Selection Committee meeting, but everyone is attentive and in-tune to what is going on,” added McGlade.
“In light of ongoing developments resulting from the coronavirus, and after consulting with medical experts and convening a conference call of the Board of Governors, the National Hockey League is announcing today that it will pause the 2019‑20 season beginning with tonight’s games.
The NHL has been attempting to follow the mandates of health experts and local authorities, while preparing for any possible developments without taking premature or unnecessary measures. However, following last night’s news that an NBA player has tested positive for coronavirus – and given that our leagues share so many facilities and locker rooms and it now seems likely that some member of the NHL community would test positive at some point – it is no longer appropriate to try to continue to play games at this time.
We will continue to monitor all the appropriate medical advice, and we will encourage our players and other members of the NHL community to take all reasonable precautions – including by self-quarantine, where appropriate. Our goal is to resume play as soon as it is appropriate and prudent, so that we will be able to complete the season and award the Stanley Cup. Until then, we thank NHL fans for your patience and hope you stay healthy.”
Major League Soccer has suspended all games, effective immediately, for 30 days, the league announced as it continues to assess the impact of COVID-19 (the coronavirus).
Read the full statement:
Major League Soccer has suspended match play for 30 days, effective immediately, as the league continues to assess the impact of COVID-19 with its medical task force and public health officials.
At the appropriate time, the league and clubs will communicate plans for the continuation of the 2020 season and update the status of league events.
“Our clubs were united today in the decision to temporarily suspend our season – based on the advice and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), and other public health authorities, and in the best interest of our fans, players, officials and employees,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. “We’d like to thank our fans for their continued support during this challenging time.”
The MLS announcement comes in the wake of the NBA suspending its season on Wednesday night. Prior to the suspension of the MLS season, two MLS matches scheduled for March 21 had already been postponed in Seattle and San Jose as measures are taken to contain COVID-19, which to date has seen over 1,000 confirmed cases in the U.S.
Earlier this week, eMLS Cup, which was scheduled to take place on March 21 in Austin, was postponed following the cancelation of South by Southwest.
Also on Thursday, Concaf suspended its Champions League with immediate effect. LAFC were due to take on Cruz Aul on Thursday night. Meanwhile, US Soccer announced that all men's and women's national team games due to be played in March and April had been canceled.
“The RIIL is committed to allowing teams to finish out their seasons. Our students have worked very hard and we owe this to them. Unfortunately, because of the guidelines specified by the governor, RIDOH and RIDE in response to the escalating health issue, the league cannot allow spectators to attend,” said RIIL Executive Director Tom Mezzanotte in a press release.
He adds, “Our fans and community support are an essential part of the high school experience; however, in light of the recommendations and the conditions existing in our country, we ask for everyone’s patience, cooperation, and understanding.”
State Championship Restrictions
Including the banning of fans, the Rhode Island Interscholastic League announced the following restrictions and conditions:
Only players, coaches and essential staff will be allowed at all games being held on the campuses of Rhode Island College and the University of Rhode Island. No spectators will be allowed to attend. Schools will be notified which individuals qualify as essential personnel.
The Boys Elite 8 quarterfinal basketball games have been moved to Saturday, March 14 at Rhode Island College.
All hockey finals and basketball semifinals and finals will be played on the URI campus – hockey at Boss Arena and basketball at the Ryan Center. The RIIL will comply with all guidelines provided by the University of Rhode Island. Specifically, no spectators will be allowed to attend and only essential personnel will be admitted.
Game times will be adjusted accordingly on the RIIL website at riil.org
In light of the restricted attendance, every effort is being made to have games livestreamed on the NFHS Network. For more information, click here.
The Ivy League announced that it is canceling all spring sporting events, including practices, for the rest of the year due to the threat of the spread of coronavirus.
According to the Ivy League, the decision to cancel the remainder of the year was made unanimously by the Ivy League Presidents.
"In accordance with the guidance of public health and medical professionals, several Ivy League institutions have announced that students will not return to campus after spring break, and classes will be held virtually during the semester. Given this situation, it is not feasible for practice and competition to continue."
“We understand and share the disappointment with student-athletes, coaches and fans who will not be able to participate in these tournaments. Regrettably, the information and recommendations presented to us from public health authorities and medical professionals have convinced us that this is the most prudent decision.”
