New Zealand Olympic Committee CEO Kereyn Smith is pleased dates for the Tokyo Olympic Games have been confirmed.
Kereyn Smith Photo: PHOTOSPORT
"Our athletes have consistently told us they are able and willing to adapt, but certainty is key. Now they have this," Smith said.
Overnight the International Olympic Committee confirmed the Games will be held from July 23rd to August 8th, 2021.
"The next step is for the qualification event schedule to be confirmed and for us to be able to recommence New Zealand Team selections - growing from a current 12 athletes to an overall team size of more than 200.
"The work the NZOC and HPSNZ has put into heat management strategies will still be critical to the success of our athletes and the strategies behind operational and performance delivery will essentially remain unchanged.
"The culture and values of New Zealand Team will give us the performance edge as we reset and refocus for 23 July 2021."
Despite being held in 2021 the Games will continue to be known as Tokyo 2020.
The Paralympic Games, originally due to start on 24 August, 2020, will now take place between 24 August and 5 September, 2021.
IOC president Thomas Bach said: "I am confident that, working together with the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Japanese Government and all our stakeholders, we can master this unprecedented challenge.
"Humankind currently finds itself in a dark tunnel. These Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 can be a light at the end of this tunnel."