Tokyo Olympics will open in July 2021

Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee President Yoshiro Mori delivers a speech during the Tokyo 2020 Executive Board Meeting in Tokyo, Japan Monday, March 30, 2020. Mori said Monday he expects to talk with IOC President Thomas Bach this week about rescheduling the games for next year. (Issei Kato/Pool Photo via AP)

by: The Associated Press

Posted: Mar 30, 2020 / 07:22 AM CDT

Updated: Mar 30, 2020 / 09:47 AM CDT

TOKYO (AP) — The Tokyo Olympics will open next year in July, the same slot scheduled for this year’s games.

Tokyo organizers say the opening ceremony will take place July 23, 2021. That is almost exactly one year after the games were due to start this year. The IOC and Japanese organizers last week postponed the Olympics because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The rescheduled Olympics will start July 23, with the closing ceremony on Aug. 8. The Paralympics were rescheduled to Aug. 24-Sept. 5.

IOC, IPC, Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and Tokyo Metropolitan Government announce new dates for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 https://t.co/QITtT5dcl8 pic.twitter.com/DHi4u74ZXa
— Olympics (@Olympics) March 30, 2020