USA Track and Field Joins USA Swimming in Calling for Olympics Postponement

USA Track and Field called for the postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo as part of a statement it released Saturday:

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, USA Track and Field is the second major American sports governing body to make such a suggestion, as USA Swimming requested Friday that the 2020 Summer Games be pushed back one year.

According to CNN, there are more than 234,000 cases of COVID-19 worldwide, causing over 9,800 deaths. There have been over 10,400 cases and 150 deaths in the United States, and 950 reported cases and 33 deaths in Japan.

Most major American sports leagues have either suspended or postponed their seasons because of the coronavirus. The NBA, NHL and MLS seasons are all suspended, while the NCAA canceled the men's and women's basketball tournaments, plus all spring sports.

Several top sports leagues have been shut down worldwide as well, including soccer's English Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga and La Liga.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called for no gatherings of 50 or more people to take place in the United States for the next eight weeks. Also, several states have gone into lockdown in an effort to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.

There is no telling how long coronavirus will force those in the United States and across the world to change their way of lives, which means the 2020 Summer Olympics could be in jeopardy.

The 2020 Summer Games are scheduled to run from July 24 through Aug. 9 in Tokyo, but given the risks involved with large groups of people gathering from all over the world, postponing may be the best option.

Since USA Swimming and USA Track and Field are two of the biggest and most successful governing bodies in Olympic sports, it won't be a surprise if other federations follow suit in calling for a postponement.