John Coates, chairman of the International Olympic Committee's Tokyo coordination commission, said Tuesday (Australia time) that there is no deadline to determine the fate of this summer's Olympic Games.

Coates, the president of the Australian Olympic Committee, spoke with the Sydney Morning Herald ahead of the IOC's Tuesday conference call with the chiefs of international sports organizations.

He reacted to a statement by former IOC vice president Dick Pound that a final decision would need to be reached by late May. Sporting events around the world continue to be canceled or postponed in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

"The IOC didn't recognize any dates that Dick came up with and I think Dick backed off that as well," Coates told the Morning Herald. "It's all proceeding to start on the 24th of July."

Regarding the potential late-May cutoff, Coates added, "It's never been the IOC's position. It was Dick's idea. There is four months to go."

Coates is set to return home from Switzerland to Australia, where he will be required to go into a two-week quarantine as part of his country's measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

"Despite a bit of personal inconvenience, I'm very happy that countries are taking these steps that clearly some of the European countries should have taken earlier," he told the Morning Herald.

In other Olympic news, England's Guardian newspaper reported Monday that the IOC will not hold the Tokyo Olympics behind closed doors.

One source told the Guardian, "It would go against everything we stand for. The Olympics is more than just a series of competitions, it is about bringing everyone together to celebrate sport."

Another source added to the newspaper: "An event with closed doors and no spectators is not an option."

The Tokyo Games are scheduled for July 24-Aug. 9, but potential complications are already arising. Various sports and federations are having to postpone their scheduled qualifying events.

--Field Level Media