Bach rejects allegations that IOC was hesitant about postponing Games

Berlin

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach has rejected claims that the IOC was too hesitant in its decision-making to postpone the 2020 Summer Games due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Bach told the German Sunday newspaper Welt am Sonntag that he could understand why some people felt this way, Deutsche press agency (dpa) reported.

"But as someone who is responsible, you cannot make decisions based on gut instinct," Bach asserted. He said the "long-term survival of the Olympic Games and the cultural heritage of the Olympic Games" were at stake.

The only short-term decision that might have been possible was to cancel the games outright, he added. However, none of the athletes' representatives from around the world supported such a step in joint telephone conferences, Bach added.