Tokyo olympics
Tokyo Olympics boss Mori to resign over sexist remarks: media
The decision comes after a barrage of criticism from politicians to sports stars, and is the latest headache for organisers as they battle public disquiet over...
Osaka, a leading face of the Games in her home nation, joined growing criticism of former Japanese prime minister Yoshiro Mori, 83, after he complained that women speak for too long in meetings.
While vaccination programmes are kicking into gear around the globe, they are still focusing on those facing the highest risk, so the question of whether elite athletes should be a priority is, for now, awkward.
Deputy government spokesman Manabu Sakai there was "no truth" to the report in The Times, which quoted an unnamed ruling coalition source as saying "the consensus is that it's too difficult" to hold the Games.
Publicly, organisers are still adamant the Games can go ahead, and say they can be held safely even if the virus is not under control by the time the flame is lit on 23 July.
Keeping all 68 domestic sponsors on board for another year is all the more important for organisers as the cost of the Games balloons because of the unprecedented delay and the need for coronavirus countermeasures.
A three-week refund window for domestic tickets closed November 30, and organisers said about 810,000 of the 4.45 million tickets sold in Japan would be refunded and resold at a later date.
Spiralling coronavirus infections across much of the world, and renewed lockdowns, have once again raised questions about whether the Games can really be held next year if the pandemic is not under control.
Olympic officials have regularly said that a coronavirus vaccine is not a precondition for staging the Games, now scheduled to open a year late in July 2021.
Abe had been all but synonymous with Tokyo 2020, heavily involved in the winning bid in 2013 and dressing up as video game character Mario during the closing ceremony of the Rio Games three years later.
As organisers plan the rearranged Games, questions remain over whether it is suitable, or possible, to host the Olympics in Japan next year.
Japan has got through the first coronavirus wave better than many countries, with just over 900 deaths out of fewer than 18,000 confirmed infections.
Senior international Olympic official John Coates said last week that Tokyo organisers face 'real problems' putting on the Games next year while Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said the event cannot be postponed further.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics were due to open on 24 July this year and run for 16 days, but the coronavirus pandemic forced the first peace-time postponement of the Games.
Australia also told its athletes to prepare for a Tokyo Olympics in 2021 as expectations grew that the event, scheduled to start on 24 July, would be postponed.
The home captain got the ball rolling with a driving header on 10 minutes after a pinpoint cross from Ellie Carpenter, and then converted a penalty in the second half.
The 27-year-old South African clocked 47.42 seconds when finishing first in a Free State provincial championships 400m race in Bloemfontein this weekend.
The 27-year-old South African finished first in a 100m race on grass in a hand-timed 10.20 seconds at an unofficial university meet.
Kai Sakakibara fell during his opening-round heat at a World Cup event in Bathurst on Saturday and was treated by paramedics and a doctor before being airlifted to Canberra Hospital.