It was just a matter of time before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics would be postponed. It makes sense. Coronavirus is quickly spreading throughout the world and there are growing fears that more people could become sick. Sending thousands of athletes to one place could be a huge risk and there is no point putting anymore lives in danger. With this in mind, it was revealed today that the Olympics would be postponed.

This news came straight from the mouth of Dick Pound who is a veteran official on the International Olympic Committee. In the latest report, Pound noted that the next four weeks will be crucial for the IOC as they decide when the games will be played. For now, 2021 is the likely target.

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“On the basis of the information the IOC has, postponement has been decided,” Pound said. “The parameters going forward have not been determined, but the Games are not going to start on July 24, that much I know.”

This news will certainly come as a disappointment to all of the athletes who have been training hard for this moment. Luckily, the games aren’t canceled. They are simply being postponed which means all of the athletes who have qualified will still be able to participate.

Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.

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The Olympic Committee's high-ranking member Dick Pound announced the 2020 Tokyo might get pushed back following Coronavirus scares. As the illness spreads across the world, Dick Pound said that if Tokyo becomes too dangerous, the summer Olympics will have to be canceled before it's rescheduled. “In and around that time, I’d say folks are going to have to ask: ‘Is this under sufficient control that we can be confident about going to Tokyo or not?’” He told AP.

 
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Despite the possibilities of the Olympics being canceled, Pound explained that their final decision will be based on the recommendations of the World Health Organization and the UN. But at this point, it seems like all systems are a go. "All indications are at this stage that it will be business as usual. So keep focused on your sport and be sure that the IOC is not going to send you into a pandemic situation," he said. Tokyo has until the end 

The possibilities of the Olympics being canceled were shocking enough but by now, you know how the internet works. Dick Pound began trending on Twitter, not because of the news, but because of his name itself. I mean, I'll let the tweets speak for themselves below but as Al Shipley put it, "guys like Dick Pound and Dick Wolf had every opportunity in life to go by Richard or Rick, they know what they're doing."

Peep the reactions to his name below.