President Donald Trump's suggestion to postpone the Tokyo Olympics for a year because of the spreading coronavirus was immediately shot down by Japan's Olympic minister.
Seiko Hashimoto, an Olympic bronze medallist , told a news conference on Friday in Tokyo that the IOC says ``absolutely not at all'' is it considering cancelling of postponing the games.
The International Olympic Committee and Tokyo organizers have stayed on message since the viral outbreak in China three months ago spread across Asia and then the globe: The games will open as schedule on July 24.
Television broadcasters and sponsors have billions invested in the Olympics, and the crowded international sports calendar has little space for pushing the games back a year.
Holding the Olympics without fans has been floated, as has simply cancelling the Olympics, which has only happened during wartime.