Official: Olympics could be held any time in 2020
Japan’s Olympic minister said Tuesday the contract to hold the Tokyo Games only specifies the event has to be held during 2020.
Seiko Hashimoto’s response to a question in the upper house of parliament implies the Olympics could be held later in the year and would not have to start on July 24 as planned. The Paralympics open on Aug. 25.
The Tokyo Olympics are being threatened by a fast-spreading virus that has been blamed for 12 deaths in Japan and has shut down most schools, sports competitions and Olympic-related events in the country. The virus that started in China has been detected in at least 70 countries, with 90,000 cases and 3,100 deaths reported.
“The IOC has the right to cancel the games only if they are not held during 2020,” Hashimoto told parliament. “This can be interpreted to mean the games can be postponed as long as they are held during the calendar year.”
However, the suggestion of a possible change of plan was quickly batted back at a meeting of the International Olympic Committee’s executive board in Switzerland.
“We are going to have the games on the 24th of July,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams said at a briefing.
IOC President Thomas Bach and Tokyo organizers have repeatedly said they expect the Olympics to open on schedule.
The IOC issued a statement earlier Tuesday expressing “full commitment to the success of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, taking place from July 24 to Aug. 9, 2020.”
NBC parent company Comcast said that because of insurance and the way contracts are written, NBC won’t suffer losses if the Olympics are canceled. But Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said the company would miss out on addriven profits, which was $250 million for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
• Comcast Corp’s NBCUniversal said it had sold more than $1.25 billion in national advertising for the Tokyo Olympics, a new record for any broadcaster for the games. Nearly 90% of its ad inventory for the games has been booked, said NBCUniversal, which holds U.S. broadcast rights for the Summer Olympics on July 24 to Aug. 9, in a statement.
The previous record, of $1.2 billion for the 2016 Rio Olympics, was also held by NBC.
WAVE OF SURFERS’ SUPPORT SEALS TAHITI AS 2024 OLYMPIC VENUE >> Surfing events at the 2024 Paris Olympics will be held on the other side of the world in Tahiti — just as the athletes wanted. The International Olympic Committee signed off on Paris organizers’ request to send surfing competitions more than 9,000 miles away to the Pacific island instead of using France’s Atlantic coast.
Paris officials told IOC executive
board members Tuesday they found “overwhelming support” among the surfing community for going to Tahiti.
College softball
NINEMIRE, LONGTIME CAL COACH, RESIGNS FOR HEALTH REASONS >> Diane Ninemire, Cal’s Hall of Fame softball coach who has guided the Bears to a national championship and a dozen trips to the Women’s College World Series in 32 years at the helm, announced that she is stepping down immediately from her position because of health reasons.
“I’ve loved this job from my first day at Cal,” Ninemire said. “I’m stepping down because of health reasons that are preventing me from being able to do the job at the level I feel our program and student-athletes deserve.”
Associate head coach Tammy Lohmann, now in her 15th year as a member of the Golden Bear staff, will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
Ninemire, who began as Cal coach in 1988, has compiled a 1,355-687-1 record.
From 1999-2005, Ninemire led Cal to seven consecutive trips to the Women’s College World Series. Included in the run was national title in 2002 — the first NCAA women’s team championship at Cal. Cal made 30 postseason appearances under Ninemire.
NFL
BRONCOS TO ACQUIRE JAGUARS CORNERBACK A.J. BOUYE >> A person with knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press that the Denver Broncos have agreed to acquire cornerback A.J. Bouye from the Jacksonville Jaguars for a fourth-round pick in the upcoming draft.
CHARGERS EXPECTED TO PART WAYS WITH WR BENJAMIN >> The Los Angeles Chargers are parting ways with veteran wide receiver Travis Benjamin, according to published reports on NFL Network.
After four seasons with the Chargers and four with the Cleveland
Browns, the 30-year-old Benjamin will become a free agent when the league year begins on March 18. Benjamin caught just six passes for 30 yards and no touchdowns in five games in 2019 before landing on injured reserve on Oct. 17 with a quadriceps injury.
A fourth-round pick by Cleveland in 2012, he has 208 catches for 3,143 yards and 19 touchdowns in 101 career games.
College football
NEVADA COACH NORVELL RECEIVES NEW 5-YEAR CONTRACT >> Nevada coach Jay Norvell has a received a new five-year contract that runs through the 2024 season, the school announced.
Norvell, who is 18-20 overall in three seasons, is coming off back-toback winning seasons and consecutive bowl appearances after going 3-9 in his first year at Nevada in 2017.
Golf
WOODS HEADLINES FINALISTS FOR HALL OF FAME’S 2021 CLASS >> Tiger Woods headlined the list of 10 finalists the World Golf Hall of Fame’s selection committee will consider for its Class of 2021, the organization announced.
With 15 major victories among his 82 PGA Tour wins, Woods easily surpasses the criteria for consideration which require male competitors to have 15 or more victories or at least two wins at the four majors and The Players Championship.
The path for Woods to be in the Class of 2021 was cleared in January when the Florida-based World Golf Hall of Fame lowered its age to be eligible for induction to 45 years old from 50. Woods turns 45 in December.
Among the other nominees are Padraig Harrington, Tom Weiskopf, Susie Maxwell, Beverly Hanson, Sandra Palmer and Dottie Pepper.
The Class of 2021 will be announced in the coming weeks along with the date and location of the induction ceremony.
Soccer
JUVENTUS-MILAN MATCH POSTPONED OVER VIRUS CONCERNS >> The Coppa Italia semifinal second leg match between Juventus and AC Milan in Turin, Italy, has been postponed indefinitely because of concerns about the coronavirus outbreak, the ANSA news agency and other Italian media said.
Sports events have been banned in three regions of Italy — Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia Romagna — plus two provinces although top flight soccer matches can go ahead behind closed doors, an option which the Serie A league has preferred not to use.
The Piedmont region where Turin is located was exempted from the ban on Sunday, and Juventus immediately said the game would go ahead with spectators. However, ANSA said on Tuesday that the city council had decided to call the match off.