U.S. Olympic Committee says postponing Olympics is 'best path going forward'

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee on Monday night urged the International Olympic Committee to postpone this summer's Olympic Games in Tokyo.

In a statement, the USOPC said after hearing from "a wide range of viewpoints," it came to the conclusion that delaying the Games due to the coronavirus pandemic is the best path going forward.

"Our most important conclusion from this broad athlete response is that even if the current significant health concerns could be alleviated by late summer, the enormous disruptions to the training environment, doping controls and qualification process can't be overcome in a satisfactory manner," USOPC board chair Susanne Lyons and CEO Sarah Hirshland said in a joint statement. "To that end, it's more clear than ever that the path toward postponement is the most promising, and we encourage the IOC to take all needed steps to ensure the Games can be conducted under safe and fair conditions for all competitors."

A growing number of countries -- including Canada, Australia, Norway and Portugal -- also have called for the Games to be postponed.

The IOC on Sunday had announced it would take the next four weeks to review a number of scenarios regarding the Games, including possible postponement, and hoped to have a decision at the end of the four weeks.