Tokyo 2020 Olympics: What dates will the Games take place and will there be fans allowed?

THE most controversial Olympics in living memory is STILL set to take place this summer after over a year of turmoil in Tokyo.

The cream of the sporting crop are now gearing up for a showdown in Japan.

But in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic, bosses were forced into making the difficult decision to postpone the Games by 12 months.

When are the Tokyo 2020 Olympics?

The 2020 Olympics will not take place in 2020, after it was confirmed International Olympic Committee that they had been postponed by 12 months.

Instead, they are set to be held almost 12 months later to the day:

• OLYMPICS START DATE: July 23, 2021
• OLYMPICS END DATE: August 8, 20201

The Paralympics have also been moved back a year, taking place between August 24, 2021 and September 5, 2021.

What have the IOC said?

In a statement released after the announcement of the postponement, saying the Games will be rescheduled.

The IOC said: "In the present circumstances and based on the information provided by the WHO today, the IOC President and the Prime Minister of Japan have concluded that the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community.

"The leaders agreed that the Olympic Games in Tokyo could stand as a beacon of hope to the world during these troubled times and that the Olympic flame could become the light at the end of the tunnel in which the world finds itself at present. Therefore, it was agreed that the Olympic flame will stay in Japan. It was also agreed that the Games will keep the name Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020."

Head of the Tokyo Organising Committee, Toshiro Muto, added on Friday 10 April: “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.

“We’re certainly not in a position to give a clear answer.

“We have made the decision to postpone the Games by one year. So this means all we can do is work hard to prepare for the Games. We sincerely hope that come next year mankind will manage to overcome the coronavirus crisis.”

Will there be fans in the stadiums?

Originally, the plan was to have Japanese spectators at this summer's Games.

But with Covid-19 cases rising in Tokyo, the government has declared a State of Emergency in the area.

As such, the stands across the city will now be empty.

A joint-statement from the IOC read: "The GoJ today [July 8] decided to announce a state of emergency in Tokyo.

"The state of emergency in Tokyo is being implemented as a measure aimed at suppressing the flow of people in order to prevent the spread of infection now, because the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases remains high and the number of people infected with variant COVID-19 strains in Tokyo is increasing.

"In response to the state of emergency, stricter measures with regard to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 have also been decided by the three Japanese parties.

"No spectators will be allowed into any venues in Tokyo during the Olympic Games.

"Under this policy, in areas where emergency measures are not in force, local government authorities will meet and decide specific measures in consultation with the local governors based on the situation in each area."