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LAUSANNE, March 22-- The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee Sunday announced that the IOC will step up its scenario-planning for Tokyo 2020 and a detailed discussions including the scenario of postponement will be completed within four weeks. "The IOC will, in full coordination and partnership with the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, the Japanese authorities and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, start detailed discussions to complete its assessment of the rapid development of the worldwide health situation and its impact on the Olympic Games, including the scenario of postponement. The IOC is confident that it will have finalized these discussions within the next four weeks," the IOC said in a statement. The IOC Executive Board emphasized that a cancellation of Tokyo 2020 would not solve any of the problems or help anybody. Therefore, cancellation is not on the agenda. According to the statement, a number of critical venues needed for the Games could potentially not be available anymore. The situations with millions of nights already booked in hotels is extremely difficult to handle, and the international sports calendar for at least 33 Olympic sports would have to be adapted. These are just a few of many, many more challenges. These scenarios relate to modifying existing operational plans for the Games to go ahead on 24 July 2020, and also for changes to the start date of the Games. On the one hand, there are significant improvements in Japan where the people are warmly welcoming the Olympic flame. This could strengthen the IOC's confidence in the Japanese hosts that the IOC could, with certain safety restrictions, organize Olympic Games in the country whilst respecting its principle of safeguarding the health of everyone involved. | 
