Canada not sending team to Olympics unless Games postponed

Canada won't be at this summer's Tokyo Olympics unless the Games are postponed by a year.

The Canadian Olympic Committee sent out a statement Sunday evening saying it's refusing to send a team to Tokyo unless the Games, which are scheduled to start on July 24, are pushed back by 12 months.

The COC's statement comes amid a chorus of criticism aimed at the International Olympic Committee's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

IOC president Thomas Bach said earlier Sunday that they'd set a deadline of four weeks to determine the fate of the Games, and that the global organization is considering options including postponement.

Cancelling the Games entirely, Bach said, is not being considered.

It was the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began that the IOC had admitted that it would consider other options.