KITCHENER -- There's a growing chorus of calls to postpone the 2020 Olympic Games, and it looks like officials have listened.

According to the Associated Press, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says that the International Olympic Committee President, Thomas Bach, has agreed to his proposal of postponing the Tokyo Olympics.

The postponement will last about a year until 2021 because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Canadian Olympic Committee had said earlier this week that it would not be sending athletes to Tokyo this summer if it goes ahead as scheduled.

Up until last week, Olympic organizers said the event would go ahead as scheduled.

Canada was the first country to say it wouldn't send athletes to Tokyo this summer.

“I do think it's the right decision, does that make it easier to process? No,” said Mandy Bujold, boxer.

Kitchener boxer Mandy Bujold has spent years preparing in hopes of competing at these games, but she now knows she won't be in Tokyo come July.

“Right now we're asking our athletes to hold on to their Olympic dreams, just let go of July,” said Marnie McBean, Canada's chef de mission.

“This is the biggest regularly scheduled peacetime event on earth, more than 11,000 athletes, more than 100 countries,” said Brian Williams, TSN Olympic Broadcaster.

Meanwhile, calls to postpone these games are growing.

“What the IOC is doing by not acting, it’s reckless, it’s wrong, it’s dangerous,” said Williams.

An American Olympian is praising Canada for taking a stand.

“Canada is the first one to step up and defend athletes to make sure that our safety, our safety is a priority,” said Lolo Jones, American athlete.

Japan's prime minister and Canadian IOC veteran Dick Pound had suggested Monday that the games would be postponed.

The International Olympic committee has promised a final decision in the next four weeks.

“My message to the athletes has been that you are a community member first and you need to be an individual who is concerned about your health,” said Kim Dawson, sports psychology professor for Wilfrid Laurier University.

Still, working towards a new date will be a challenge and not every athlete may be able to do it.

“Ask them to actually prolong this for any amount of time, they really have to think about their periodization and their training and they also have to think about how you can manufacture your life so you have the support and the financial resources from the individuals you need that for to allow you to do those games,” explained Dawson.

For now, Bujold says she's staying active by running, working out in her basement, and being a mom.

“I have a toddler to run after as well that helps with my conditioning, so we've been just getting out for lots of fresh air, trying to stay home and trying to do our part to keep the community safe,” she said.

Some countries are already starting to follow Canada’s lead, as Australia instructs its athletes to prepare to compete in 2021.