The entire Olympic movement is united in its determination to ensure the Tokyo Games happen this summer, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said in a video message to mark the six-month countdown to the opening ceremony.
A report in The Times of London on Friday that said Tokyo was looking to get out of hosting the games drew sharp criticism and flat denials. The Japanese government dismissed the report, while Japan Olympic Committee head Yasuhiro Yamashita told Reuters it was a "fabrication" and "wrong."
Bach did not directly address the report or mention the COVID-19 pandemic that forced the postponement of the games last year, but said he was confident the Olympics would go ahead from July 23 to Aug. 8.