We know when the Olympics will be conducted in 2021.
What we don’t know is when the FIVB will have another beach volleyball tournament.
The International Olympic committee announced on Monday that the Olympic Games in Tokyo will take place July 23-August 8, 2021, with the Paralympic Games to follow, starting on August 24.
From the Team USA news release:
The Olympic Games were originally set for July 24-August 9, with the Paralympic Games running August 25-September 6. They will now take place exactly one year later, though starting one day earlier to line up with the calendar (Olympic Games begin on a Friday and the Paralympic Games on a Tuesday).
The decision was made by the IOC, IPC, Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, Tokyo metropolitan government and government of Japan, and supported by the International Summer Olympic Sport Federations and National Olympic Committees. The three main principles outlined behind the new dates are the maximum time possible to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, safeguarding the interests of the athletes and Olympic sport, and coinciding with the international sport calendar as best as possible.
Since the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, the Summer Games have been held every four years except in 1916, 1940 and 1944, when the events were canceled due to war. The 1940 and 1944 Winter Games were also canceled.
Although the IOC has had to change host cities, it has never had to postpone the Games outside of their designated year.
Also Monday, the FIVB announced the cancelation of the biggest tournament left on the 2020 schedule, the five-star set for Rome June 14-19, which was likely going to decide many countries’ Olympic berths.
For that matter, the FIVB also canceled the four-star scheduled the week before in Moscow and postponed one-star events also planned for June in Brazil, Indonesia and Greece.
From the FIVB news release:
There’s not even going to be volleyball in the snow. The FIVB also canceled the Snow Volleyball World Tour event in Argentina that was scheduled for August 20-23.
Does this mean that the “star” system has also had its last tournament?? With the rumors about moving to a new system, should we all pour out a Kona with Tri Bourne in memory of this short-lived change?