FILE PHOTO: The Olympic rings are pictured in front of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Lausanne, Switzerland, March 24, 2020. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
NEW YORK (Reuters) – The International Olympic Committee is considering hosting its 136th session in July via livestream amid social distancing measures due to the COVID-19 outbreak that forced the delay of the 2020 Tokyo Games.
The IOC cited the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics as well as “current measures being implemented in Switzerland and around the world” due to the new coronavirus in its announcement on Wednesday, as many parts of the world remain on lockdown.
The executive board, which is expected to meet later this month, will discuss holding the session “remotely through a secure electronic system” on July 17, with a possible “electronic voting system” in place.
In March the IOC announced that it was postponing the Olympics until July 2021, as the coronavirus engulfed professional sports and daily life across the globe.
Reporting By Amy Tennery; Editing by Christian Radnedge