IOC Session Could Be Held Virtually On July 17

The 136th International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session could be held entirely online due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Members of the IOC's ruling Executive Board will discuss whether to hold the major decision-making gathering virtually when they next meet on May 14.

If given the green light, the Session will take place through a "secure electronic system" on July 17, from 12pm to 4pm CEST.

Tokyo was due to host the Session before this year's Olympics but the Games were pushed back to 2021 because of the spread of COVID-19.

The agenda and the organisation for the Session will also be discussed by the Executive Board, the IOC said.

Their meeting next month will also take place remotely and will be followed by an online press conference.

The virtual Session would be live-streamed, while discussions will take place on providing a "secure electronic voting system".

An IOC Session is always held before an Olympic Games so another meeting would be expected in the Japanese capital before the re-arranged Tokyo 2020.

The postponed Games are due to begin on July 23, but a Session had already been scheduled for Athens in 2021.

IOC President Thomas Bach was expected to come up for re-election in the Greek capital, before a planned visit to the home of the Olympic Games at Ancient Olympia.

However, the re-jigging of the sporting calendar places the Athens Session in 2021 into doubt.

Another IOC Session would be expected in China in February 2022, before the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

Indian city Mumbai was also due to be awarded a Session in 2023 at the meeting before Tokyo 2020.