Canada pulls out of 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games

The Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee announced on Sunday night the decision to not send Canadian teams to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the summer of 2020.

The decision to pull out was finalized during a teleconference held late Sunday afternoon involving Canadian Olympic Committee and paralympic committee members.

The nation is the first country to announce it won't send its athletes to the Games.

"(Canada) will inform the IOC that based on current medical information that Canada will not participate in an Olympic Games that starts on July 24 or a Paralympic Games that starts on August 25th," according to notes from the teleconference.

The Canadian Olympic Committee position is "that it is unfair and unethical to force athletes to train (or at least make choice to train) in the current COVID-19 Pandemic environment."

Canada will not support postponing the Games until the fall, but will support an event in 2021.

In Sunday's statement, the COC and CPC urgently call on the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to postpone the Games for one year and we offer them our full support in helping navigate all the complexities that rescheduling the Games will bring.

The International Olympic Committee has been under immense pressure from athletes, federations and national committees to postpone the Games. Most major sporting leagues around the world have shut down due to COVID-19 crisis.

The IOC announced earlier on Sunday that the organizer was stepping up its "scenario planning" for the Tokyo 2020 Games, including ‘possible postponement.’

As recently as Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appeared to be on board with proceeding.

"I have heard directly from Prime Minister Abe that he is intent on continuing to hold these Olympics. I congratulate him for that decision," he told reporters outside of Rideau Cottage, the official residence.

He did say the question of going or not was on the minds of many coaches, athletes and their families, however.