Minister admits coronavirus could postpone Tokyo 2020 Olympics until end of year

The Olympics could be postponed until the end of the year (COURTESY)

Japan's Olympics minister has admitted the Tokyo 2020 Games could be postponed until the end of the year due to fears over the spread of coronavirus.

Seiko Hashimoto confirmed the country's agreement with the International Olympic Committee allows them to suspend the Games.

The Olympics are currently scheduled to take place between July 24 and August 9.

But test events for Tokyo 2020 have already been cancelled amid the outbreak of coronavirus in Japan.

The country's national broadcasting organisation, NHK, said on Tuesday there are 980 cases of the infection in Japan, including 706 on the Diamond Prince cruise ship.

There have also been suggestions the Olympics could take place without fans in order to avoid a cancellation or a change in location.

And British Cycling chief Stephen Park has supported the notion of holding the Games in empty venues - should it be required.

"Right now, I’m really confident it will go ahead," he said on Monday. "You would struggle to find a day when the Olympics didn’t take part for any reason.

"So, will it mean that they might be different? Possibly. Look at the World Cup skiing in two weeks’ time in Cortina, they are doing it on a closed circuit with no fans, and that’s going to an area that doesn’t currently have any infections.

"So might there be some of those things that happen? Possibly. Equally we are not worried about them. We are making sure that we don’t let it become a distraction or overtake the preparation.

"As soon as you start doing that, start thinking it might not happen, what are you preparing for? Does that mean you start easing off, change the budget allocation? So we are full steam ahead expecting to be there in July in Tokyo."