One-year countdown: IOC chief hails Tokyo 2020 as 'symbol of hope'

Thomas Bach, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) president, said on Wednesday that the Tokyo 2020 Games will be "a symbol of hope" for the world.

He was speaking in a video message released one day before the postponed Games' one-year countdown to be marked by a series of activities on Thursday.

"This milestone of the one year to go is a very significant one, for sport but also for the worldwide society," Bach said.

"This Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 in 21 can, should and will be the light at the end of the tunnel that all humankind is in at this moment; we are living in a period of great uncertainty. Then at the end of this very difficult period for humankind, the Olympic Games can be a great symbol of hope, of optimism, of solidarity and unity in all our diversity."

A video message will be delivered from the Olympic Stadium on Thursday – the same date (July 23) and time (8 p.m. local) as the opening ceremony of the Games in 2021.

Olympic athletes Simone Biles and Nathan Adrian from the United States and Uchimura Kohei and Murakami Mai from Japan will chat with fans live on the Olympic Instagram account before the video message delivery as part of the celebratory activities.

Tokyo 2020 preparing to deliver Games with COVID-19

The Games were pushed back for a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic but questions remain about what can be done to contain the virus in order to ensure smooth preparations leading up to the new start date.

In response to what steps the IOC and the local organizers have taken to manage COVID-19's impact on the Games, Bach said, "This is a mammoth task because we cannot prepare the Olympic Games as we are used to. In fact, we have to prepare for multiple scenarios for the Olympic Games.

"So there was established one principle for all and this is a top priority – that the Olympic Games will respect and safeguard the health of all the participants… So, we want to prepare these Games and adapt it to the circumstances of the crisis at the time, while ensuring for everybody the Olympic spirit."

On Tuesday, Tokyo 2020 organizing committee chief executive Toshiro Muto, said they are preparing to host the Games next year even if the global coronavirus pandemic hasn't eased substantially.

"It is rather difficult for us to expect that the coronavirus pandemic is contained," said Muto. "But if we can deliver the Games in Tokyo with coronavirus, Tokyo can be the role model for the next Olympic Games or other various international events."