The Tokyo Games would have to be scrapped if the coronavirus pandemic made it impossible for the event to be held in 2021.
That's according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) chief Thomas Bach, who agreed with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's observation that it will be difficult to hold the Games unless the pandemic was contained.
The IOC and the Tokyo Olympic organising committee announced in March that the Games, which were due to open this July, would have begin on July 23 next year.
"Quite frankly, I have some understanding for this, because you can't forever employ 3,000 or 5,000 people in an Organising Committee," Bach told the BBC.
"You can't every year change the entire sports schedule worldwide of all the major federations. You can't have the athletes being in uncertainty."
So far, the country has recorded more than 17,100 positive cases and 797 deaths.
Formula One stewards handed Haas rookie driver Oliver Bearman a 10-place grid drop for his first home British Grand Prix for failing to comply with red warning flags in Saturday's final practice.
Seventh seed Mirra Andreeva outclassed American Hailey Baptiste 6-1 6-3 under the Court One roof to equal her best Wimbledon run by reaching the last 16 on Saturday.
Carrying a red floral wreath bearing his shirt number, Diogo Jota's Liverpool teammates joined relatives and residents in a small Portuguese town on Saturday for the funeral of the football star, who died with his brother in a car crash on Thursday.
An 83rd-minute Weverton own goal from a deflected Malo Gusto cross gave Chelsea a nervy 2-1 win over a spirited Palmeiras side in the Club World Cup quarter-finals on Friday.
Women's top seed Aryna Sabalenka fought off inspired home favourite Emma Raducanu in a cauldron-like Centre Court atmosphere to keep her Wimbledon quest on track but it was the end of the road for two other Grand Slam champions on Friday.
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