<p>Olympic boss Thomas Bach said Thursday that the Tokyo Games could take place next year even without a coronavirus vaccine, pointing to the success of the Tour de France.</p>.<p>Striking an optimistic note at a meeting with Tokyo 2020 organisers, he vowed to make the postponed event a triumph despite the uncertainties of the pandemic.</p>.<p>"We can see that sport is coming back slowly but surely, and that a number of big sport events have been successfully organised recently, including matches in different Japanese leagues," he said via videolink.</p>.<p>"Also very complex events like the Tour de France and others, which showed to us and showed to the world that we can organise safe sport events even without a vaccine."</p>.<p>But a vaccine and progress in rapid testing "would of course greatly facilitate" holding the event, said Bach, head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).</p>.<p>The 2020 Games were postponed earlier this year as the deadly new illness spread around the globe.</p>.<p>They are now set to open on July 23, 2021, and organisers are insisting they will go ahead in some form -- and be safe for all involved.</p>.<p>Drugs companies are racing to produce an effective jab to counter a virus that has now killed more than 970,000 people around the world and infected almost 32 million.</p>.<p>Several leading vaccine candidates are currently in late-stage trials.</p>.<p>Bach said it was impossible to make a contingency plan for every scenario, and said organisers would not be pressured into making premature announcements on how the Games would take place.</p>.<p>"We have to work diligently and we have to work comprehensively, and then at the appropriate time take the right decisions," he said.</p>.<p>"I'm sure that we will make... these Olympic Games, which will be historic in different respects, we will make it a success, and we will make it a success together," he said.</p>
<p>Olympic boss Thomas Bach said Thursday that the Tokyo Games could take place next year even without a coronavirus vaccine, pointing to the success of the Tour de France.</p>.<p>Striking an optimistic note at a meeting with Tokyo 2020 organisers, he vowed to make the postponed event a triumph despite the uncertainties of the pandemic.</p>.<p>"We can see that sport is coming back slowly but surely, and that a number of big sport events have been successfully organised recently, including matches in different Japanese leagues," he said via videolink.</p>.<p>"Also very complex events like the Tour de France and others, which showed to us and showed to the world that we can organise safe sport events even without a vaccine."</p>.<p>But a vaccine and progress in rapid testing "would of course greatly facilitate" holding the event, said Bach, head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).</p>.<p>The 2020 Games were postponed earlier this year as the deadly new illness spread around the globe.</p>.<p>They are now set to open on July 23, 2021, and organisers are insisting they will go ahead in some form -- and be safe for all involved.</p>.<p>Drugs companies are racing to produce an effective jab to counter a virus that has now killed more than 970,000 people around the world and infected almost 32 million.</p>.<p>Several leading vaccine candidates are currently in late-stage trials.</p>.<p>Bach said it was impossible to make a contingency plan for every scenario, and said organisers would not be pressured into making premature announcements on how the Games would take place.</p>.<p>"We have to work diligently and we have to work comprehensively, and then at the appropriate time take the right decisions," he said.</p>.<p>"I'm sure that we will make... these Olympic Games, which will be historic in different respects, we will make it a success, and we will make it a success together," he said.</p>