Japan now stresses the 2021 Olympics might not happen either

The show must go on?
(Image credit: BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP via Getty Images)

Japan is warning fans not to get their hopes up too high about watching the Olympics next year, NBC News reports. Speaking Friday, Tokyo organizing committee CEO Toshiro Muto said, "I don't think anyone would be able to say if it is going to be possible to get [the pandemic] under control by next July or not" — suggesting that yes, there's once again a big question mark about if the summer Olympics are even going to happen.

The 2020 Olympics were already pushed back to 2021 last month over concerns about the coronavirus outbreak. Muto, though, downplayed guarantees of the rescheduled 2021 Games, saying "we're certainly not in a position to give you a clear answer."

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.