IOC remains fully committed to Tokyo Olympics, youth games in Senegal postponed

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VIDEO SHOWS: IOC PRESIDENT THOMAS BACH SPEAKING AT A VIRTUAL NEWS CONFERENCE

SHOWS: LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND (JULY 15, 2020) (IOC HANDOUT - ACCESS ALL)

1. IOC PRESIDENT, THOMAS BACH, WALKS INTO COMMITTEE MEETING ROOM

2. EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING IN PROGRESS

3. SOUNDBITE (English) IOC PRESIDENT, THOMAS, BACH SAYING:

"So we are, and we remain, fully committed to celebrate Tokyo 2020 next year in July and August."

4. WHITE FLASH

5. SOUNDBITE (English) IOC PRESIDENT, THOMAS BACH, SAYING:

"First of all, the IOC executive board and the entire IOC is following the principle that we have established already before the postponement of the Tokyo Olympic Games that the first priority is about the safety of the participants of the Olympic Games. For this reason we are working now on multiple scenarios of the organisation of the games with regard to the health situation which we do not know how it will be in one year from now and all these questions are being dealt with in a joint task force with Tokyo 2020 and in an all partners task force, in which the World Health Organisation is playing a very prominent role. So, we continue to be guided by the advise of the World Health Organisation and based on this advice and based on the ever developing situation, we are preparing a multiple scenarios with regard to addressing the health situation next July and August."

6. VARIOUS OF EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING IN PROGRESS

7. SOUNDBITE (English) IOC PRESIDENT, THOMAS BACH, SAYING:

"Secondly, Senegal and the IOC have mutually agreed to postpone the Youth Olympic Games, Dakar 2022 to the year 2026. This agreement was approved today by the IOC Executive Board and will be submitted to the IOC session on Friday (July 17) for ratification. The proposal for a postponement was made by the president of Senegal Macky Sall in a telephone conversation with me two days ago. And I welcomed this move by President Macky Sall and after an in-depth discussion on the subject we decided then to establish then as the new date 2026."

8. WHITE FLASH

9. SOUNDBITE (English) IOC PRESIDENT THOMAS BACH SAYING:

"You have to imagine that if these Youth Olympic Games would have been held in 2022 this would have meant for the IOC, the IFs the NOCs that we would have had to master five games in just three years."

10. EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING IN PROGRESS

11. SCREEN SHOWING PARTICIPANTS FOLLOWING THE MEETING VIRTUALLY

12. SOUNDBITE (English) IOC PRESIDENT, THOMAS BACH, SAYING:

"Both the IOC and Senegal remain fully committed to the great success of these Youth Olympic Games, the first Olympic event ever to be organised on the African continent."

13. OLYMPIC RINGS OUTSIDE IOC HEADQUARTERS

STORY: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) remains fully committed to staging the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021 and is considering multiple scenarios for them to take place safely, IOC President Thomas Bach said on Wednesday (July 15) in a virtual press conference.

Japan and the IOC postponed the Tokyo Games until 2021 in March because of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Organisers have since spoken of trying to simplify the event - which had been due to start on July 24 - to reduce costs and ensure athletes' safety.

Bach said the IOC's coordination commission had reported "very good work in progress" and that more details would be given to a full IOC session which will take place by video conference on Friday (July 17).

He said that holding events without spectators was clearly something the IOC did not want.

Bach also said the IOC had agreed with host nation Senegal to postpone the 2022 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar until 2026.

The decision will have to be ratified by the full IOC session on Friday.

(Production: Iain Axon)