It has been confirmed that the Olympic Games will take place between July 23rd and August 8th 2021.
The games were due to take place in Tokyo later this year but were postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Paralympic Games will also be held next year between August 24th and September 5th.
"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," it was said in a statement.
"The new dates, exactly one year after those originally planned for 2020 (Olympic Games: 24 July to 9 August 2020 and Paralympic Games: 25 August to 6 September 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, in the interests of the athletes and the IFs.
"Additionally, they will provide sufficient time to finish the qualification process. The same heat mitigation measures as planned for 2020 will be implemented."
Speaking on Monday, Tricia Heberle, Chef de Mission for Team Ireland, welcomed the news.
"Now the athletes have a start date for the Games, they can work with their Performance Directors and coaches to start mapping out preparations," she said.
Importantly for athletes and sport, the next information we need clarity on are any changes to qualification and the rescheduling of qualification events. This will take some time, so in the short term the focus remains the same, stay healthy and safe over the coming months.
The priority now is for everyone to follow the government guidelines to protect Ireland and the rest of the world against further spread of this virus. A July 2021 start means that we have plenty of time to reactivate preparatory plans and for athletes currently in modified training or on a break of sorts, this period of time can still allow some positive impact on performance.
If we are smart, this enforced break can make Team Ireland even better.
Paralympics Ireland CEO Miriam Malone also welcomed the clarity which the news regarding the Paralympic Games brings for athletes.
Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
