Why it matters: The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo have officially been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach and the Prime Minster of Japan, Abe Shinzo, on Tuesday concluded that the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but no later than the summer of 2021. It's a major setback for organizers, athletes, fans and the tech community as a whole.
From the moment the 2016 Rio games ended, it was clear that Tokyo was setting the stage to showcase its culture and prominence within the tech industry. During the closing ceremony, the Prime Minister emerged out of a warp pipe dressed as Mario, ready to accept the games from Rio.
In the nearly four years that have since elapsed, we learned that the 2020 Tokyo Olympic medals would be made of recycled electronics and that both flying cars and robots would help guests in a major way. Intel had been tapped to provide live data overlays during sprinting events and at one point, it was even rumored that the opening ceremony would feature a man-made meteor shower.
Unfortunately, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic gave organizers no choice but to postpone the event.
Worth noting is the fact that the Olympic flame will remain in Japan and that the Games will retain the name Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.