Ian Chesterman, Chef de Mission of the Australian Olympic Team at the Tokyo Olympics, has confirmed he and his team are not developing other plans due to the threat of the coronavirus.
That's because the decision is out of their hands, as Chesterman and the rest of the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) wait for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to decide on the fate of the Tokyo Olympics.
The news comes after the CEO of the AOC, Matt Carroll, confirmed on Wednesday that his organisation was 'proceeding as planned' despite the threat.
Chesterman spoke to the media at Double Bay on Thursday, after announcing four more athletes who had made the Australian team for Tokyo.
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The Chef de Mission had already spoken about the coronavirus issue this week, and wanted to assure journalists of his team's priorities as the Games draw closer.
"There's no doubt the coronavirus issue is a very serious one and it's being taken very seriously at every level imaginable," Chesterman said on Thursday.
"The Japanese Government, the Tokyo Municipal government, the Tokyo Organising committee are all committing great effort into fighting the Coronavirus.
"The IOC is applying their expertise through their medical department and working closely with the World Health Organisation to make sure that the right decisions are being made for the athletes because obviously athlete welfare is a primary consideration of every party involved.
"I wake up every day and read the new news that has happened overnight, we're taking this very seriously and following the news and trying to make sure we make the right decisions along the way.
"Our total focus is on the Games happening on July 24.
"Every indication we have from the IOC is that the Games are proceeding and that's the way we're working and we're not developing any other plans along the way."
A lot of the recent media interest and speculation around the Olympic Games came after Canadian IOC official Dick Pound suggested that the Tokyo Olympics would be cancelled before they would be relocated.
While Chesterman acknowledged the seriousness of the comments, he also made sure to focus on Pound's other assertion that athletes should keep training as planned.
"It's really impossible for us to know what are the possibilities, we really need to wait and see what happens over the next month or two months as things develop and evolve," Chesterman said.
"It's a decision the IOC will make at the end of the day whether the Games are held or not, so we will just wait and see.
"But we are just planning and expecting them to go ahead as they currently sit on July 24 as Opening Ceremony day.
"I think Dick Pound also made an important point yesterday...that athletes should continue to plan as if the Games are going ahead.
"My message to the athletes is to stay calm, be focused, work on what you can control and let's assume we're going to get over there and they're going to be a great Games.
"These athletes have worked incredibly hard over the four years and it's their dream to go to Tokyo, so we want to make that possible for them."
Chesterman was also asked about the cost to both the IOC and AOC if the Games were to be cancelled.
He confirmed that whilst there would be a significant cost involved, that it isn't an option that has yet been spoken about.
"It's a huge operation the Olympic Games, no one wants to cancel the Games that's for sure," Chesterman said.
"It's not a decision that will be taken lightly but it's a decision that will be taken with athlete welfare totally front of mind and I think that's absolutely important.
"The trigger [to cancel the Games] is obviously at some point, some months out before the games.
"At the moment, there's no talk about that and I want to emphasise that at the moment...the plan is very much in place and the view of the IOC is...that the Games are happening on July 24th."
Chesterman was also confident that the Tokyo Organising Committee was taking every necessary precaution and couldn't be happier with their efforts leading into July.
"One thing I'm really pleased about is the organising committee in Tokyo," he said.
"They're well ahead of the game so the resources they can now apply are considerable to dealing with any of these issues.
"The Japanese Government and Japanese people are very thorough and well-organised and they have the resources to address any matters that come up, and that's a big safety net for us.
"There's no doubt the coronavirus has been enormously disruptive to world sport and we're seeing that on a daily basis,
