THE Tokyo Olympics will take place between July 23 and August 8 next year.

The International Olympic Committee confirmed the news today, following a meeting of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee.

A decision to postpone the Olympic and Paralympic Games was taken last week by the IOC and the Japanese government because of the accelerating threat posed by the coronavirus pandemic.

An IOC statement also confirmed the new dates for the Paralympic Games, which will now run from August 24 to September 5 next year.

“These new dates give the health authorities and all involved in the organisation of the Games the maximum time to deal with the constantly changing landscape and the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the statement read.

“The new dates, exactly one year after those originally planned for 2020, also have the added benefit that any disruption that the postponement will cause to the international sports calendar can be kept to a minimum.

“Additionally, they will provide sufficient time to finish the qualification process.”

IOC president Thomas Bach said: “ With this announcement, I am confident that, working together with the Tokyo 2020 organising committee, the Tokyo metropolitan government, the Japanese government and all our stakeholders, we can master this unprecedented challenge.

“Humankind currently finds itself in a dark tunnel. These Olympic Games, Tokyo 2020, can be a light at the end of this tunnel.”

Tokyo 2020's organising committee president Yoshiro Mori said he had proposed the July 23 to August 8 time frame to the IOC, and that Bach had agreed following consultations with the international sports federations.