Team Canada says they will not participate in 2020 Olympic Games

Team Canada announces they will not take part in 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo due to coronavirus

SHOWS: INTERNET (MARCH 22, 2020) (STILL IMAGE-MUTE) (SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE - ACCESS ALL) 1.

STILL IMAGE FROM TEAM CANADA'S TWITTER PAGE, SAYING: "#TeamCanada will not send athletes to Games in summer 2020 due to COVID-19 risks." RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (FILE - AUGUST 5, 2016) (STILL PHOTOS-MUTE) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 2.

VARIOUS STILL PHOTOS OF TEAM CANADA WALKING TOGETHER DURING OPENING CEREMONY OF THE 2016 SUMMER OLYMPICS RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (FILE - AUGUST 19, 2016) (STILL PHOTOS-MUTE) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 3.

STILL PHOTO OF CANADIAN WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM POSING FOR PHOTO AFTER WINNING BRONZE MEDAL IN SOCCER AT 2016 SUMMER OLYMPICS 4.

STILL PHOTO OF CANADIAN WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM PLAYERS CHRISTINE SINCLAIR AND SOPHIE SCHMIDT POSING FOR PHOTO WITH THEIR BRONZE MEDALS INTERNET (MARCH 22, 2020) (STILL IMAGE-MUTE) (SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE - ACCESS ALL) 5.

STILL IMAGE FROM TEAM CANADA PR'S TWITTER PAGE, SAYING: "RELEASE: The Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee have made the difficult decision to not send Canadian teams to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the summer of 2020" STORY: The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Paralympic Committee (CPC) said on Sunday (March 22) that Team Canada will not participate in the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the summer of 2020 due to concerns about the outbreak of the coronavirus.

Opposition to holding the Games in July has risen sharply in the past 48 hours, with several major stakeholders such as U.S. Track and Field and UK Athletics, along with several national Olympic committees, calling for a delay because of the pandemic.

More than 13,000 people have died globally since the coronavirus outbreak began.

The IOC said on Sunday it would hold discussions that would include an option of pushing back the July 24 start date or even moving the Games by a year or more due to the global coronavirus outbreak, but said canceling the Games would not solve problems or help anybody.

Canada's withdrawal will add to growing pressure on the IOC to alter the schedule after criticism from a slew of current and former athletes with health concerns.

The Olympics have never been postponed or canceled during peacetime but the IOC's decision to even consider postponement was met with relief from several major stakeholders, including World Athletics, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and major national Olympic committees.

(Production: David Grip)