Speaking in a news conference on Wednesday, Muto said that the rearranged Olympics will "not be done with grand splendour", but will instead be simplified.

The Olympics, which were originally set to take place in July 2020, were postponed until next year following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

And now it seems plans for the rearranged Games will involve major changes as the organizers look to streamline the event to ensure it passes off without a hitch next summer.

Muto stated that discussions were ongoing on how that streamlining process will be achieved, but he offered the suggestion that "more than 200 areas" had been identified "where Olympics simplification is possible." 

But he also stated that nothing had been agreed upon with regard to making simplification changes, saying, "We are not at the stage where we have concrete ideas on how to simplify the Games."

The comments were backed up by Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori stated that it was vital that the Games were held in a matter that upheld the traditions and excellence of the event, while also adapting the month-long sporting celebration to ensure it can be held safely amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

"We want the Olympics to be something accepted by the world amid the virus crisis," he stated.

More to follow...