Olympics organisers considering scaling down torch relay amid coronavirus fears
Olympics organisers considering scaling down torch relay amid coronavirus fears
Tokyo 2020 Olympics CEO Toshiro Muto says they are thinking of scaling down the torch relay because of coronavirus fears.
SHOWS: TOKYO, JAPAN (FEBRUARY 26, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1.
TOKYO 2020 CEO TOSHIRO MUTO SPEAKING TO MEDIA 2.
(SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) TOKYO 2020 CEO, TOSHIRO MUTO, SAYING: "We are not thinking of cancelling it (torch relay) at all.
We are thinking of scaling down so that we can prevent the virus from spreading and hold the event." ATHENS, GREECE (FEBRUARY 24, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 3.
CLOSE OF OF THE TOKYO 2020 OLYMPIC TORCH 4.
THE 'HIGH PRIESTESS' WHO WILL LIGHT THE OLYMPIC FLAME, ACTOR XANTHI GEORGIOU, HOLDING THE OLYMPIC 2020 TORCH, STANDING ALONGSIDE (LEFT TO RIGHT) COMPOSER OF THE MUSIC FOR THE FLAME LIGHTING CEREMONY GIANNIS PSIMADAS; GEORGIOU; CHOREOGRAPHER OF THE FLAME LIGHTING CEREMONY ARTEMIS IGNATIOU AND HELLENIC OLYMPIC COMMITTEE PRESIDENT SPYROS KAPRALOS TOKYO, JAPAN (FEBRUARY 26, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 5.
(SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) TOKYO 2020 CEO, TOSHIRO MUTO, SAYING: "Our fundamental view is that we will hold the Olympics and Paralympics as planned." 6.
REPORTERS AROUND MUTO TOKYO, JAPAN (DECEMBER 15, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 7.
OLYMPIC RINGS OUTSIDE THE NATIONAL STADIUM TOKYO, JAPAN (DECEMBER 15, 2019) (FOREIGN POOL - ACCESS ALL) 8.
VARIOUS INTERIORS OF NATIONAL STADIUM (5 SHOTS) STORY: Tokyo Olympics officials are considering scaling down the torch relay due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, the chief executive of the organising committee said on Wednesday (February 26).
The committee's basic stance was that the Olympics and Paralympics would go ahead as planned, Tokyo 2020 CEO, Toshiro Muto told reporters.
Japan has moved to quell fears that the Olympics might be cancelled after International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound was quoted by the Associated Press as saying the Games would more likely be cancelled than postponed or moved if the virus forced any change in the schedule.
(Production: Yasuteru Ueda, Hideto Sakai, Akiko Okamoto, Mike Brock)
