The Tokyo 2020 Olympics is set for a definite shift to 2021 after Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe proposed the Games be delayed by one year due to the coronavirus crisis.

Abe made the announcement during a conference call with International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach and Organising Committee chief Yoshiro Mori.

Japan and the IOC had resisted growing calls from leading athletes and National Olympic Associations for the Games to be delayed.

However on Monday, IOC member Dick Pound said that the Games would not be taking place this summer.

It now seems the Japanese government has bowed to pressure after Abe told the IOC his nation would delay the Games for 12 months according to NHK.

On Sunday, the IOC set a four-week deadline to decide on the best course of action and ruled out cancelling the Olympics altogether.

Britain, Canada and Australia have already warned that they would not send teams if the Olympics still holds this summer.

US president Donald Trump also called on Abe to “make the right decision” regarding the Games. Both leaders are set to hold discussions later on Wednesday.

There have now been just under 400,000 cases of coronavirus worldwide with more than 17,000 deaths.