Following the joint announcement by the International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, World Sailing released this statement:

As the world governing body of the sport, World Sailing supports the IOC and Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee decision to ensure the health and well-being of athletes, fans, and support personnel worldwide.

President Kim Andersen and the World Sailing Executive Office are in direct communication with the IOC Sports Department. The IOC are engaging with World Sailing to develop the necessary plans in full partnership and to ensure full transparency with a focus on information for World Sailing and the athletes.

In the short term, World Sailing will not hold Olympic qualification events for Africa, Asia, or Europe. World Sailing is working with the IOC on an update to the qualification system where our recommendation will be to look at hosting qualifications events in late 2020 or early 2021.

World Sailing will now work with the IOC and Tokyo 2020 on timing of the postponed Olympic Games, necessary adaptations to Games delivery plans, and Olympic qualification systems.

Following the IOC decision, World Sailing is working closely with the Japanese Sailing Federation, the Organizing Committee of the 2020 Hempel World Cup Series Final (June 16-21), and will communicate decisions on the 2021 event calendar shortly.