The 2020 Olympics and Paralympics will be postponed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic after IOC president Thomas Bach today agreed to Japan’s unprecedented suggestion for a delay, IPN reports.

According to the International Olympic Committee, the decision was influenced by the necessity of protecting the health of athletes, of all those involved in the Olympic Games and of the international community.

The Olympics have previously only been cancelled completely during periods of World War - in 1916, 1940 and 1944 - but never suspended or postponed.

The Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held in the summer of 2021 also under the “Tokyo 2020” brand. It was agreed that the Olympic flame will remain in Japan,